Michael Ernest Spears

Curtis Cone is a financial advisor at Cone Advisory Group, Inc. with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Symmetry Partners and AlphaStar Capital Management. Outside of advising, he manages several real estate-related business interests. Cone Advisory Group, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting. The firm emphasizes mutual funds, ETFs, model portfolios, and third-party money managers in its investment approach.

Curtis Cone Jr. is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Cone Advisory Group, Inc. in Ayden, NC, with one year of experience in the financial industry. His work history includes roles at Cone Advisory Group since 2018 and prior experience at Skylight Inn BBQ and East Carolina University. Cone Advisory Group, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, managing approximately $17.3 million for around 200 clients. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, with an investment approach that emphasizes mutual funds, ETFs, and the use of third-party managers through model portfolios and co-advisory arrangements.

Charles Foss is a financial advisor with Gradient Investments, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. He has been with Gradient Investments since 2015 and also leads The Foss Agency Inc., where he serves as president and insurance agent. His outside business activities include managing insurance services through The Foss Agency. Gradient Investments, LLC provides discretionary investment management to a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a proprietary investment framework and offers various model and custom portfolios managed primarily on a discretionary basis.

Mark Conway is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Cambridge since 2016 and also operates his own firms, Conway & Co Inc., an insurance agency, and a real estate brokerage where he serves as broker-in-charge. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations, offering comprehensive financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals. The firm provides a range of investment solutions including proprietary model strategies and access to unaffiliated portfolio managers, with both discretionary and non-discretionary options tailored to client objectives.

Justin Hardee is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Kinston, North Carolina, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing and Equitable Advisors. Outside of advising, he is involved in real estate investment activities through several entities in Greenville, North Carolina. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network provides investment and fee-based financial planning services to individuals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of planning options using proprietary research and tools, with clients choosing if and how to implement recommendations across brokerage or advisory programs.

Matthew Malone is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Kinston, NC, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2007. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.