Tara Hughes

Michael Zotto is a financial advisor with Zone Investment Management, LLC in New Bern, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 27 years of industry experience. Prior to founding his current firm in 2021, he worked at Jarred Bunch Consulting, LLC, INVST, and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC. Zone Investment Management is an independent registered investment adviser serving individual and high-net-worth clients with ongoing portfolio management. The firm employs a variety of analytical methods and offers investment solutions including insurance products, equities, and exchange-traded funds, managing accounts on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Paul Scavuzzo is the sole advisor at PJ Scavuzzo, Inc., an independent firm based in New Bern, NC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 44 years of industry experience. He has led PJ Scavuzzo, Inc. since 2009. PJ Scavuzzo, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment advice to a range of clients including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a broad and active investment strategy that includes fundamental and technical analysis, options transactions, margin trading, and short sales, tailoring portfolios to each client’s investment objectives and risk tolerance.

Deborah Tayloe is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 21 years of industry experience. She is the principal of Tayloe Financial Services, LLC, an independent firm she has led since 2007. Prior to founding her firm, she worked at Linsco/Private Ledger Corp. In addition to financial advising, she provides income tax preparation services for individuals and couples through her firm. Tayloe Financial Services serves individual clients with discretionary portfolio management, comprehensive financial planning—including Social Security retirement reviews—and basic tax return preparation. The firm employs a fundamental analysis investment approach focused on long-term holdings, broad diversification, and client education.

John Noto is a financial advisor at Noto Capital with 26 years of industry experience. He has managed Noto Capital Management since 2002. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Noto Capital is an independent advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, and corporations with discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes publicly traded securities with a total-return focus, employing a buy-and-hold strategy centered on dividend growth and price appreciation while incorporating political-risk analysis in its investment process.

David Blain is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license, with 22 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has been with BlueSky Wealth Advisors, LLC (formerly D.L. BLAIN & CO., LLC) since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, he owns Swift Creek Plantation LLC, a real estate holding and development company in New Bern, NC. BlueSky Wealth Advisors primarily serves individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $850 million in discretionary client assets and focuses on strategic asset allocation with an emphasis on low-cost, tax-efficient investments, complemented by selective use of active managers.

Christie Bonacci is a financial advisor at BlueSky Wealth Advisors, LLC with six years of industry experience. She holds the PFS™ and Series 65 credentials. Prior to joining BlueSky in 2019, Christie worked at Deloitte & Touche, LLC and Marc Jessup Insurance Services. She is also an adjunct professor at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, where she teaches audit and assurance. BlueSky Wealth Advisors provides comprehensive financial planning and discretionary investment management primarily to individual clients, including high-net-worth individuals, as well as trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm manages approximately $850 million in discretionary client assets and employs a strategic asset allocation approach with a focus on low-cost, tax-efficient investments.