Dennis earned his BA in Finance from St. John’s University, Staten Island Campus.

After college, Dennis worked in the Marketing and Real Estate industry, before ultimately becoming a Licensed Financial Advisor for Smith Barney in 2006.

After beginning his career at Smith Barney, and successfully completing his CRPS® designation, he was recruited by Merrill Lynch in 2009. He continued his path of advising families and companies on retirement planning strategies in and around the Staten Island area. His primary focus is on creating lasting retirement plan strategies for his clients, along with advising on college planning and inheritance management.

It wasn’t until November 2016 that Dennis decided to open his own Wells Fargo Advisors branch in Pleasant Plains, Staten Island – named Surmanek Wealth Management. He recently partnered with Solomon Chemo in 2021, and merged with Gardens Wealth Management in Palm Beach Gardens, FL.

He resides in Manalapan, NJ with his wife Angelica and his three daughters, Liliana, Penelope & Ariana.

He has been a proud member of the North Shore Rotary since 2011 and the BNI Prefer to Refer chapter since 2018.