Mary Beard

Hense Ellis is a financial advisor at Retirement Plans, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and Insight Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is the managing member of Gilmer Hills Holdings, LLC, a non-investment related business. Retirement Plans, LLC serves individual investors and small businesses with retirement-focused financial planning and investment management. The firm emphasizes a risk-controlled, diversified asset allocation using ETFs and considers market cycles and valuations, typically operating on a non-discretionary basis with a focus on client education and written communications.

Logan Youngblood is a financial advisor at Aston Sandel with a Series 65 designation and no prior industry experience. Before joining Aston Sandel in 2025, he worked at L3Harris Technologies and was involved with the Association for Computing Machinery at Auburn University. He is also the managing member of an insurance agency providing property and casualty products. Aston Sandel is a registered investment adviser offering discretionary portfolio management to individuals and businesses, including high net worth clients. The firm uses a long-term growth strategy combining fundamental and technical research with macroeconomic and sentiment analysis to build diversified portfolios primarily consisting of stocks, ETFs, and bonds.

Timothy Aja is the principal of Aja Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Opelika, Alabama. He holds a Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. Prior to founding Aja Financial, he worked at several firms including Arbor Point Advisors and Securities America. He is also an officer in the U.S. Navy Selected Reserves. Aja Financial provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach, primarily utilizing passive mutual funds and ETFs, with cyclical analysis as its main investment method.

Laurel Buckalew is a financial advisor with Insignia Wealth Advisory in Opelika, AL, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Raymond James Financial Services, and Edward Jones. She is a partial owner of Piedmont Fertilizer Company. Insignia Wealth Advisory provides wealth management services to individuals, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering both investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a combination of passive and active strategies, including fundamental and technical analysis, and serves a client base that includes institutional accounts with primarily non-discretionary asset management.

A. Lipscomb is a financial advisor at Lipscomb Investment Group, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Lipscomb Investment Group since 2015. Outside of advising, he has a limited partnership interest in a family business involved in commercial and residential rentals in Auburn, Alabama. Lipscomb Investment Group is a four-advisor team managing approximately $78.6 million for about 155 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting, and is noted for sponsoring a wrap fee program that consolidates costs and employs specialized tools for retirement-account management.

Thomas Meagher is a financial advisor at Lipscomb Investment Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Lipscomb, he worked at Pharmavite LLC for eight years. He is part of a four-advisor team based in Auburn, AL. Lipscomb Investment Group manages approximately $78.6 million for about 155 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and fee-based consulting, and is notable for sponsoring a wrap fee program combined with active management of held-away retirement accounts using specialized technology.