Douglas Nease Bruner III

Hi, I'm Forest Dutton and I'm the owner of Brightworks Financial Planning. I entered financial services after many years in healthcare and my goal is to ensure each client that goes through financial planning experiences care, competence, and creativity. I am committed to the highest levels of ongoing education in the field of financial planning and seek to provide a comprehensive lens to all financial planning engagements and not just an investment focus. I have a strong emphasis on tax planning with all clients as I believe this can add significant value over a long period of time when engaging with a financial advisor. I prefer long term relationships over one-time engagements in my business. I have been blessed with a wonderful wife and 4 children that keep me busy outside the office. I enjoy collobaration with other professionals as part of the financial plannning process. I thoroughly enjoy financial planning and the best part is the people who I get to partner with in achieving their goals.

Gregory Ruoss is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and served nine years in the United States Marine Corps. Outside of finance, he co-owns an equestrian tack cleaning and preservation business. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily for employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers services through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Brian Zarnick is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 13 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and previously held roles at Bb&T Securities and Bb&T Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Robert Doebler is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently with Truist Advisory Services in Lexington, SC. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Bank, Wells Fargo Clearing, JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, Fidelity Investments, and First Citizens BancShares. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations, offering a range of asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches and relies on integrated inter-affiliate arrangements across its platform.

Robert Blake is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) in Lexington, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at National Life Group since 2021 and previously spent 18 years at Bankers Life and Casualty Company. Blake is also the owner of RT Blake Financial Group, LLC, and serves as managing director of Blake Insurance and Financial Group, LLC; he is a member of Business Network International, a lead-sharing organization. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, frequently utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, combining long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments.

Gina Rogers is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 2 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at First Citizens Bank since 2019, with prior experience at SunTrust Bank and Saluda County School District One. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and businesses, offering portfolio management, wrap programs, and financial planning through a client-centered approach that incorporates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.