Hense Ellis is a financial advisor at Retirement Plans, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Foundations Investment Advisors LLC and Insight Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is the managing member of Gilmer Hills Holdings, LLC, a non-investment related business. Retirement Plans, LLC serves individual investors and small businesses with retirement-focused financial planning and investment management. The firm emphasizes a risk-controlled, diversified asset allocation using ETFs and considers market cycles and valuations, typically operating on a non-discretionary basis with a focus on client education and written communications.

Logan Youngblood is a financial advisor at Aston Sandel with a Series 65 designation and no prior industry experience. Before joining Aston Sandel in 2025, he worked at L3Harris Technologies and was involved with the Association for Computing Machinery at Auburn University. He is also the managing member of an insurance agency providing property and casualty products. Aston Sandel is a registered investment adviser offering discretionary portfolio management to individuals and businesses, including high net worth clients. The firm uses a long-term growth strategy combining fundamental and technical research with macroeconomic and sentiment analysis to build diversified portfolios primarily consisting of stocks, ETFs, and bonds.

Timothy Aja is the principal of Aja Financial LLC, an independent advisory firm based in Opelika, Alabama. He holds a Series 66 designation and has eight years of industry experience. Prior to founding Aja Financial, he worked at several firms including Arbor Point Advisors and Securities America. He is also an officer in the U.S. Navy Selected Reserves. Aja Financial provides discretionary investment management and comprehensive financial planning for individuals, high-net-worth clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach, primarily utilizing passive mutual funds and ETFs, with cyclical analysis as its main investment method.

Laurel Buckalew is a financial advisor with Insignia Wealth Advisory in Opelika, AL, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Raymond James Financial Services, and Edward Jones. She is a partial owner of Piedmont Fertilizer Company. Insignia Wealth Advisory provides wealth management services to individuals, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering both investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a combination of passive and active strategies, including fundamental and technical analysis, and serves a client base that includes institutional accounts with primarily non-discretionary asset management.

A. Lipscomb is a financial advisor at Lipscomb Investment Group, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Lipscomb Investment Group since 2015. Outside of advising, he has a limited partnership interest in a family business involved in commercial and residential rentals in Auburn, Alabama. Lipscomb Investment Group is a four-advisor team managing approximately $78.6 million for about 155 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and pension consulting, and is noted for sponsoring a wrap fee program that consolidates costs and employs specialized tools for retirement-account management.

Thomas Meagher is a financial advisor at Lipscomb Investment Group, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation with four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Lipscomb, he worked at Pharmavite LLC for eight years. He is part of a four-advisor team based in Auburn, AL. Lipscomb Investment Group manages approximately $78.6 million for about 155 clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates. The firm provides discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and fee-based consulting, and is notable for sponsoring a wrap fee program combined with active management of held-away retirement accounts using specialized technology.

Davis Lipscomb is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Lipscomb Investment Group, LLC since 2015 and previously associated with Lipscomb Wealth Partners, LLC. He is a co-owner of PxL Family Office, LLC, a family office joint venture, and holds a 50% ownership in Lipscomb Agency, an insurance business. Lipscomb Investment Group is a four-advisor registered investment adviser managing approximately $78.6 million for around 155 clients. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates, offering discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, pension consulting, and fee-based consulting, with a distinctive wrap fee program and specialized retirement account management tools.

Stuart Henley is a financial advisor with Harmony Asset Management LLC in Auburn, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Calton & Associates, Inc. He has been with Harmony Asset Management since 2018. Harmony Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth investors, as well as mission-based organizations. The firm emphasizes long-term, risk-averse total-return strategies using fundamental analysis and diversified multi-asset allocations, supplemented by proprietary technical models to time trades.

Blayne Barber is a financial advisor with Smith Thornton Advisors, LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. He is also the owner of Move My Can, a service-based convenience business, and co-hosts the Entrusted Podcast, which focuses on stewardship through interviews with successful individuals. Barber serves as a regional advisory team leader for the College Golf Fellowship in Auburn, Alabama. Smith Thornton Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm tailors advice based on clients’ objectives and risk tolerances, employing various investment strategies and conducting regular account reviews.

Nathan Mitchell is a financial advisor with ValMark Advisers, Inc. in Opelika, Alabama. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining ValMark, he worked at Smith-Kastner Wealth Management and spent nine years at Animal Care Center. Mitchell serves on the boards of the Opelika Chamber Foundation and the Kiwanis Club of Opelika. ValMark Advisers provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, plan sponsors, and institutional clients through a network of approximately 280 advisors. The firm offers diversified, goal-based portfolios primarily using mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, supported by proprietary platforms and comprehensive back-office services.

Nathan Kastner is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at ValMark Advisers, Inc. since 2011. He is also a managing member of Smith-Kastner Wealth Management, LLC, where he provides financial advice and manages operations. Kastner is involved in conservatorship and trustee services and serves as treasurer for Rotary International in Opelika, AL. ValMark Advisers provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, plan sponsors, and institutional clients through a network of approximately 280 advisors. The firm emphasizes diversified, goal-based model portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, and third-party managers, supported by proprietary platforms and comprehensive back-office services.

Charles Gable is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at ValMark Advisers, Inc. since 2018. His prior experience includes roles at Fidelity Bank and a brief period as a self-employed advisor. Outside of investment advisory, he operates a tax return preparation service and serves as an estate administrator. ValMark Advisers provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, plan sponsors, and institutional clients through a network of approximately 280 advisory representatives. The firm utilizes diversified, goal-based model portfolios primarily implemented with mutual funds, ETFs, and approved third-party managers, and offers a range of proprietary and third-party investment programs and support services.

Christopher Buxton is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at Creative Financial Designs, Inc. since 2011. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and is the managing member of Buxton Investment Management, LLC, where he dedicates significant time to investment services. Creative Financial Designs serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and retirement plans, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services. The firm uses asset-class model allocations informed by third-party research and provides strategies from passive to tactically managed portfolios, including a suite of Biblical Responsible Investing options.

Jeffrey Nance is a financial advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Arbor Point Advisors, Securities America, Inc., Lincoln Financial Advisors, McDonald & Hagen Wealth Management, LLC, and LPL Financial, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved with 20/20 Wealth Management Group, LLC, where he sells life, health, Medicare supplemental insurance, and annuities. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $12.47 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, charities, corporations, retirement plans, and institutional entities, offering a range of services such as managed accounts, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and lending solutions.

Brian Ledbetter is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, based in Auburn, Alabama. He has 23 years of industry experience and has been with Valic since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as treasurer for Auburn First Baptist Church, where he assists with budgeting and trust fund investment reviews. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Robert Bowman is a financial advisor with First Command Advisory Services in Opelika, Alabama. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience. He has been with First Command in various capacities since 1999. First Command serves individual, high-net-worth, corporate, and charitable clients through a multi-service platform that includes financial planning, discretionary asset management, brokerage, insurance, and banking products. The firm emphasizes advisor-led planning relationships, structured 12-month financial coaching engagements, and manages model portfolios based on fundamental analysis and modern portfolio principles.

Kevin Grotlisch is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at PNC Investments since 2017. Prior to that, he was with Cetera Investment Services and Regions Bank from 2015 to 2017. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary account pilot that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and implements approved model strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.

Thomas Campbell is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and previously worked with Kestra Investment Services, LLC starting in 2005. Outside of his advisory work, Campbell serves as a director for the Crippled Children's Foundation, a community charitable organization. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse clientele, including plan sponsors, institutional investors, and individuals. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and access to various management platforms and third-party solutions, serving clients with over $79 billion in assets under management.

Sheila Bendall is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Auburn, AL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. She has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1998 and also serves as an agent for Agia, offering non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating at scale with over 1,200 advisors.

Regan Stanfield is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving at RBC Rochdale, LLC since 2019. Prior to this, he worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. from 2014 to 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he is a sole proprietor of a jewelry distribution business and serves as an adjunct professor and occasional speaker at Auburn University. RBC Rochdale serves a diverse client base including high net worth individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, employing an active multi-strategy investment process that integrates quantitative and fundamental analysis. The firm manages approximately $73 billion in assets and offers discretionary portfolio management, sub-advisory services, and investment vehicles through a proprietary Galaxy asset-allocation tool.