Stephen Heitz ’99 has dedicated his career to investment advisory and wealth management. After a decade at Morgan Stanley, he co-founded Sortino Advisory Partners in 2014. In 2024, he merged Sortino Advisory Partners with Savant Wealth Management, where he now serves as a Managing Partner and member-owner. Savant is a nationally recognized, employee-owned firm advising on over $30 billion in assets. Its mission is to improve one million lives through integrated financial, tax, estate, retirement, and trust planning.

Roger Bacon High School played a pivotal role in shaping Stephen’s values and perspective. Growing up in a community rich in socioeconomic and racial diversity felt normal at the time, but he later recognized it as a profound gift. Roger Bacon instilled in him the importance of hard work, curiosity, and embracing challenges. Among the teachers who influenced him, Theresa Berger Bosse stood out—her creative writing class opened the door to his spiritual life and revealed how faith-filled relationships can unlock unimaginable possibilities.

The Franciscan charism has also deeply shaped his life. St. Francis envisioned communities built on accompaniment and compassion, erasing divisions of “us and them” to form a kinship God would recognize simply as “just us.” Roger Bacon graduates understand the power of this grace. He and his wife, Dr. Stephanie Heitz, strive to live it fully, reflecting these values in their personal and professional lives, and sharing their resources boldly and without regret.

Stephen was profoundly moved by the faith of his late sister, Michelle Heitz Miller (RB ’91), during her final months. Despite facing a third cancer diagnosis, Michelle continued to share herself generously—with love and unwavering faith. She embodied the belief that faith means acting as if the outcome will be different, even when evidence suggests otherwise. To honor her legacy, he and his family endowed a scholarship at Roger Bacon in 2024 that supports one student in each grade.

When asked why his family gives back so generously to Roger Bacon, Stephen explains that it reflects what it truly means to be a Spartan—living these values consistently and with integrity. He and Stephanie live in Louisville, KY, with their three children—Lillian, Spencer, and Ella, whom they adopted from foster care—and are active members of St. William Catholic Church.

Stephen shares what it means to be a SPARTAN:

• A SPARTAN makes everyone around them better.

• A SPARTAN doesn’t always win, but they NEVER quit.

• A SPARTAN wins from within.

• A SPARTAN is thankful in ALL circumstances.

• A SPARTAN doesn’t brag about how good they are.

• A SPARTAN does the little things well.

• A SPARTAN doesn’t make excuses.

Stephen hopes that by sharing these Spartan values and his story, he can inspire fellow alumni and future Spartans to do the same—making everyone around them better