Patrick Riley is the principal advisor at Optimal Planning LLC in Concord, NC, with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at LPL Financial from 2013 to 2016. In addition to his advisory role, Riley is an insurance agent with Wealth Management of the Carolinas, dedicating about 20% of his time to this activity. Optimal Planning LLC offers investment management, financial planning, and educational seminars to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and businesses. The firm primarily utilizes passive investment strategies with index mutual funds and ETFs, complemented by fundamental and cyclical analysis, and manages the majority of client assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Alexandra Rickard is the sole advisor at Rickard Investment Consulting, LLC, a state-registered advisory firm based in Concord, NC. She holds a Series 65 credential and has professional experience spanning roles at Novant Health, Bonded Logistics, and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Rickard Investment Consulting, LLC provides investment advisory services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio analysis, ongoing monitoring, and periodic review meetings. The firm uses fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios across cash, equity, and fixed income, incorporates options strategy education, and operates on a non-discretionary basis.

Seth Waller is a financial advisor at Falcon Financial with 16 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at Trident Insured LLC and Falcon Investment Strategies, LLC. Outside of advisory services, he is involved in managing a youth baseball organization where he has coached and overseen the team. Falcon Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $85.6 million in client assets and employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental and technical analysis, tactical tilts, and option strategies.

Colton Strawn is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with seven years of industry experience. He is currently with Copperleaf Capital, LLC and has prior experience at Fidelity Investments, Uber, Lyft, The Vanguard Group, Signature FD, and State Farm. Outside of his advisory role, he is licensed to sell health, disability, and life insurance products, including Medicare Supplement insurance. Copperleaf Capital serves individual and high-net-worth families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, insurance product implementation, and digital currency management, using a values-driven planning process and a combination of fundamental research, technical signals, and sub-advisory management.

Stephen Gegorek is a financial advisor with Falcon Financial in Salisbury, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Strategic Planning Group, and Park Avenue Securities. Outside of his advisory work, he is a licensed agent involved in the sales of fixed and traditional insurance products. Falcon Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $85.6 million in client assets and employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, as well as option strategies and tactical trading.

John Harris is a financial advisor at WMC Capital Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Brookstone Capital Management and Wealth Management of the Carolinas, where he serves as president of a separate insurance business focused on fixed insurance products. WMC Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individual and institutional clients, utilizing primarily passive investment strategies with an emphasis on asset allocation and periodic rebalancing. The firm also offers educational seminars on personal finance and manages accounts according to individualized investment policy statements.

Peter Ross is a financial advisor at Brookstone Wealth Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Copperleaf Capital, LLC and Fidelity Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is licensed as an insurance agent and sells health and life insurance products. Brookstone Wealth Advisors provides investment management primarily through sponsored and pooled vehicles, serving retirement plans, trusts, and other institutional clients. The firm employs a mix of active and passive strategies within model portfolios and offers discretionary account management supported by a networked operating structure and affiliated entities.

Leo Theriault is a financial advisor at Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and is based in Concord, NC. Family Wealth Partners Concord, Inc provides individualized investment advisory, financial planning, and wealth coaching to individuals and businesses. The firm emphasizes asset allocation and a Free Market Portfolio approach, offering fee-based advice and acting as a co-advisor on managed asset programs through Matson Money.

Charles Parks is a financial advisor with C F Parks Inc in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc. for 30 years and has been involved with C F Parks Inc since 1988. Parks is also president of Parks Financial Services, Inc., an accounting and tax services firm. C F Parks Inc serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, and small businesses, managing approximately $85.7 million for about 192 clients. The firm uses proprietary model portfolios tailored to client goals and risk tolerances, focusing on equities, ETFs, and select mutual funds, and provides discretionary investment management alongside financial planning and affiliated accounting services.

Ryan Peterson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Copperleaf Capital, LLC since 2004. In addition to his advisory role, he is licensed as an insurance producer, selling health, disability, and life insurance products, including Medicare Supplement insurance. Copperleaf Capital serves individual and high-net-worth families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, insurance product implementation, and digital currency management, using a values-driven planning process and a combination of fundamental research, technical signals, and third-party sub-advisory management.

Sean Williams is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Cadence Wealth Partners, LLC since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at Instrumental Wealth, LLC and Northwestern Mutual. Outside of his financial advisory work, he owns and operates a business creating wooden gifts such as cutting boards and bottle openers. Cadence Wealth Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, business owners, and family offices with portfolio management, financial planning, and business consulting. The firm focuses on long-term discretionary portfolio management using a blend of analytical methods and emphasizes tax-efficient asset location and opportunistic rebalancing.

Nicholas O'kelly is a CFP® with two years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cadence Wealth Partners, LLC. He previously served 13 years in the United States Army and has worked at multiple firms including Realta Equities, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, O'kelly is a board member of The Davis Focus Project, a military non-profit focused on optimizing human performance through natural mental health modalities, and serves as an ambassador for the mental health organization Give an Hour. Cadence Wealth Partners provides portfolio management, financial planning, and business consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, business owners, and family offices. The firm employs a disciplined investment approach with customized Investment Policy Statements, discretionary portfolio management, and specialized services including held-away account management and business-owner focused programs.

Luann Barnes is a financial advisor at WMC Capital Management, LLC with 13 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Brookstone Capital Management and Beatty Financial Group. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved with Mount Moriah Lutheran Church, where she is authorized to submit trade instructions for the church’s brokerage account. WMC Capital Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm primarily uses passive investment strategies focused on asset allocation and periodic rebalancing, complemented by fundamental and technical analysis.

Russ Adams is a Series 65 licensed advisor with Falcon Financial in Salisbury, NC, and has three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Falcon Investment Strategies, he worked in real estate and as a professional golfer and caddie. He is also an independent licensed insurance agent specializing in life, health, and Medicare insurance. Falcon Financial provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm manages approximately $85.6 million in assets and employs a diversified investment approach that includes fundamental, technical, cyclical, and charting analysis, with regular portfolio reviews and tactical adjustments.

Jeffrey Vaughn is an investment advisor with Synergy Investment Group, LLC in Kannapolis, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and over 31 years of industry experience. He has worked at StoneX Securities Inc. since 2012 and Synergy Investment Group since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, Vaughn is involved in insurance sales and serves as president of Vaughn Wealth Management Inc. Synergy Investment Group serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and various financial planning options. The firm focuses on asset allocation strategies using mutual funds and ETFs, with the flexibility to include individual equities, fixed income, and other instruments, managing approximately $53 million in client assets.

David Smith is a financial advisor with Thomas Smith and Associates, Inc. in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Thomas Smith and Associates since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Second Creek Development, a family office managing private family investments. Thomas Smith and Associates provides discretionary investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to high-net-worth individuals and trusts. The firm manages fully diversified portfolios with an emphasis on tax and cost efficiency, serving a small number of clients with tailored investment approaches.

Brad Playford is a CFP® with 17 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Copperleaf Capital, LLC. His prior experience includes 16 years at The Vanguard Group and involvement with multiple businesses such as Top Shelf Bartenders and Az Poker Tables. He also holds licenses as an insurance producer for health, disability, and life insurance products. Copperleaf Capital serves individual and high-net-worth families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, insurance product implementation, and digital currency management, using a values-driven planning process and a diversified investment approach incorporating fundamental research, technical signals, and third-party sub-advisory management.

Paul Clark is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Mill Capital Management, LLC. Prior to joining Mill Capital in 2021, he worked at Wells Fargo for ten years. Mill Capital Management serves individual clients, including high net worth individuals, and charitable organizations, providing discretionary investment management focused on a concentrated, value-oriented large-cap equity strategy. The firm integrates financial planning with its investment services and manages approximately $1.49 billion in client assets with a team of three advisors.

Kenneth Miller is a financial advisor with Integrated Financial Strategies, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has worked at Integrated Financial Strategies since 2015 and also operates Miller Financial Inc., an insurance agency focusing on life, health, and group insurance sales. Integrated Financial Strategies is a registered investment adviser serving individual clients, corporations, and business entities with portfolio management, retirement income planning, and financial planning services. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and charting analysis to construct diversified portfolios and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary management alongside web-based consulting and wrap fee programs.

Jonathan Rhoney is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional at Mill Capital Management, LLC with five years of industry experience. He has been with Mill Capital since 2021 and previously worked at Wells Fargo from 2003 to 2021. Mill Capital Management serves individual clients, including high net worth individuals, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a concentrated, value-oriented large-cap equity strategy and manages approximately $1.49 billion in client assets with a team of three advisors.