Kleiss returns to Tuscola for career, family

By Kayleigh Rahn
It’s all familiar territory for Cory Kleiss.

The 2002 TCHS graduate has returned to his hometown to continue his career as a financial adviser–a role he’s served for the last decade–in an office that has been under his family’s name for more than 35 years.

All in all, Cory’s new role is anything but unacquainted.

Cory returned to Tuscola with his wife Kristin and their two children Ava, 6, and Grayson, 3, in the middle of June to take the reigns of the local Edward Jones office, but he didn’t officially start at the local office until Oct. 1. The family moved from Effingham, a central location as Cory commuted to his office in Salem–where he had an Edward Jones office for the past 10 years, and his wife drove to Mattoon where she works as the assistant principal at Mattoon Middle School.

“Edward Jones is the only company I’ve ever worked for,” he said.

Cory graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in finance and headed to work at the Edward Jones corporate office in St. Louis before starting his work in Salem.

Throughout Cory’s life, his uncle Jim Kleiss has built a loyal customer base during a 35-year career as a financial adviser.

“I’ve always had an interest in numbers and planning,” Cory said. “(Jim) was obviously one of my first calls to figure out who I was going to come work for. He helped steer me in the direction of Edwards Jones. If it wasn’t a good company I wouldn’t still be here. I’ve come to like it, and I hope to have a long career like Jim has.”

Cory’s transition into the local office has included not only work with his uncle but also his cousin Ryan Kleiss, Jim’s son. After a decades-long career, Jim’s client base is large enough in Douglas and Moultrie counties that Ryan has opened an office in Arthur to better serve the community.

“For the next two years Jim will be between the two offices, so he will remain pretty busy and then completely retire after two years,” Cory said. “We just started the transition, and that’s what Ryan and I have been doing for the last two months. Jim has been in here to help smooth the ride a little bit.”

The full story can be found in the Wednesday, Dec. 6 edition of The Tuscola Journal.