John S. Battaglia

Alexander Fratti is a CFA charterholder and principal of Fratti Investment Management in State College, PA, with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at RKL, Boyer & Ritter, Alvarez & Marsal, VRC, and Wells Fargo. Outside of investment advisory, he manages a management consulting business serving private companies. Fratti Investment Management provides discretionary investment supervisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, charitable organizations, banks, and small businesses. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamentals-driven investment process focused on U.S. exchange-listed equities, emphasizing a contrarian, concentrated core strategy primarily targeting small- and micro-cap securities.

Nicholas Phelps is a CFP® professional and the sole advisor at Phelps Financial Advisors in State College, PA, with 15 years of experience. He has solely operated his independent practice since 2011. Phelps Financial Advisors offers fee-only financial planning and investment advice to individuals, families, and small business owners. The firm emphasizes strategic asset allocation with a long-term, buy-and-hold approach, providing comprehensive planning services without discretionary portfolio management or asset-based fees.

Mary Chuhinka Kurtz is a financial advisor with TLC Group Investment Advisors, LLC in State College, PA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. She has worked at Leigh Baldwin & Co., LLC and TLC Group Investment Advisors since 2006. Outside of advising, she is the sole owner of Leeward Wealth Inc., a fixed insurance and annuities business. TLC Group Investment Advisors provides investment management and consulting services to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm uses a combination of fundamental and technical analysis along with due diligence of third-party managers to manage client portfolios across various asset classes.

Geoffrey Caber is a financial advisor with Avail Investment Partners, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 30 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Abundance Wealth Counselors, Investment Research Partners, Compass Investments, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and Abundance Wealth. Avail Investment Partners offers investment management and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, charitable organizations, foundations, businesses, and pension plans. The firm employs a predominantly top-down, evidence-based investment approach with fundamental analysis and allocates to a variety of strategies, including affiliated sub-advisers and alternative vehicles.

Derek Varner is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is a partner at Avail Investment Partners, LLC, and Investment Research Partners, LLC. Prior to his current roles, he worked at Abundance Wealth Counselors and spent six years at Bucknell University. Avail Investment Partners provides investment management and financial planning to a range of clients including individuals, families, charitable organizations, and pension plans. The firm uses a predominantly top-down, evidence-based investment approach and allocates assets across diverse strategies and vehicles, often employing affiliated sub-advisers and artificial intelligence tools.

Kristen Coombs is a CFP® with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Invested Advisors. She previously worked at H. Beck, Inc. for seven years before founding Kristen Coombs Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she oversees an investment trust account as a trustee and is involved in insurance sales, including non-variable insurance and fixed annuities. Invested Advisors provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm emphasizes goal-driven portfolio construction tailored to each client’s objectives and time horizon, often utilizing independent third-party managers and specialist strategies.