Ralph Eugene Hughes

Carla Souther is a CFP® with 27 years of industry experience, currently associated with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. since 2012. She serves as president and member of CNS of Wilkes County, LLC, a real estate brokerage, and is a board member of the nonprofit Womens Worth Alliance, where she contributes to content development and networking. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a wide range of clients, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs analytical tools and risk profiling to deliver tailored, non-discretionary planning and supports both advisory programs and institutional consulting.

Kathleen Shepherd is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial with three years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked with Capital Analysts and Lincoln Investment. Outside of her advisory role, she consults on protective clothing product development for Worldwide Protective Products. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, utilizing tailored, non-discretionary planning and analytical tools to support individual, institutional, and high-net-worth clients.

Philip Jefferson is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advice. The firm’s process is driven by investment policy statements and modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

Sam Morrison is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2017. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked at Bbtis for one year. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a broad range of advisory programs and investment solutions through a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Les Dyer is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 36 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. for 25 years. Outside of his advisory role, he co-owns a small farm where cattle are raised and hay is grown, and he serves as a board member for the Wilkes Heritage Museum. OSAIC serves a wide range of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated advisors, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers. The firm employs various asset-allocation tools and supports both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Thomas Ren is a financial advisor at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at LPL Financial, Crown Capital Securities LP, and Westside Swarm RFC. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in managing Tommy's Bodacious Foods and serves as lead of the finance committee at his local church. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm that serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals using multiple platforms and discretionary or non-discretionary strategies.