Stephen D Patton

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 with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has three years of industry experience, including prior roles at Capital Analysts and Lincoln Investment. Outside of her advisory work, she consults on protective clothing product development for Worldwide Protective Products. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to individual, institutional, and high-net-worth clients. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary advice supported by analytical tools and supports a broad network of advisors and affiliated firms.

Philip Jefferson is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. His prior experience includes roles at Truist Investment Services, NCF Financial Services, and Invest Financial Corporation. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with a range of investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

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 with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 30 years of industry experience. His previous professional roles include positions at LPL Financial, Crown Capital Securities LP, and Westside Swarm RFC. Outside of advisory work, he leads the finance committee at his local church and has entrepreneurial experience as president of Tommy's Bodacious Foods. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base with financial planning, investment management, retirement plan advisory, and financial-wellness services. The firm offers tailored portfolio management solutions through independent Financial Professionals, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies across multiple custody and platform arrangements.