Brian D. Franke

Scott Vallar is the principal advisor at Guard Hill Advisors LLC in Charlottesville, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations with 10 years of industry experience. He has led Guard Hill Advisors since its founding in 2016. Guard Hill Advisors provides discretionary investment management to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, charitable organizations, and trusts, focusing on tax-efficient, low-turnover portfolios constructed through fundamental analysis. The firm applies a credit-focused approach to fixed income selection, leveraging the principal’s background in leveraged finance, and manages concentrated portfolios with explicit position size limits.

David Lewis is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with over four years of industry experience. He has worked at firms including Kuleana Capital Management LLC and 910 Fund LLC and previously spent 12 years at S&P Global. Lewis has been leading High Top Growth Partners since 2015. High Top Growth Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutions by providing financial planning, investment advisory, and real estate consulting. The firm focuses on long-term, diversified allocations across multiple asset classes and works as a disclosed solicitor for third-party managers, recommending strategies while managing proprietary capital alongside clients.

Thomas Sheehan is the founder of Round Oak Capital LLC in Charlottesville, VA, where he has provided investment advisory services since 2010. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 13 years of industry experience. His work history is solely with Round Oak Capital. Round Oak Capital is a small independent investment office offering discretionary portfolio management and wealth management services to individuals, families, trusts, and businesses. The firm provides customized portfolios using fundamental analysis across various asset classes and offers family-office style services, real estate advisory, and introductions to alternative investments.

David Van Roijen is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Split Creek LLC, doing business as Split Creek Capital LLC, where he has worked since 2022. Prior to founding Split Creek, he spent ten years at Goldman Sachs. Split Creek Capital provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, managing approximately $108.7 million. The firm emphasizes tailored portfolios based on client objectives and risk tolerance, employing a combination of modern portfolio theory, fundamental and quantitative analysis, and a range of investment strategies including options and private placements.

Melissa Harrison is the principal advisor at Harrison Capital Management in Keswick, VA, with 29 years of industry experience. She has held securities registrations including Series 63 and Series 65 and has operated her independent advisory firm since 2004. Harrison also has a long tenure at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp., where she has been active since 1995. Harrison Capital Management provides investment advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs both fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios to clients' risk tolerance and suitability, offers educational seminars and workshops, and manages accounts with continuous monitoring and semi-annual formal reviews.

Ulmer Financial brings together your investments and tax preparation in one place, so you don’t have to deal with multiple advisors. Our goal is to make managing your money and filing your taxes easier. I became fascinated by investing at a young age and bought my first stock when I was 10 years old. Despite its importance, I have found that personal finance is rarely talked about and people are often ill-equipped to plan for their futures. I decided to become a financial planner to help solve this problem. I am passionate about making financial planning accessible to my clients and helping them invest to achieve their goals. I also enjoy making clients' lives easier by streamlining their investments and tax preparation. Before starting Ulmer Financial in 2022, I worked as an assistant to a financial planner where I created and operated our investment management process, researched a variety of financial planning issues, and served clients. I have a BS in Commerce from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce and am a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (TM) professional. I am also an Enrolled Agent admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service. The most important thing in my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ. I seek to glorify Jesus Christ and make Him known, as I help individuals steward their finances.