Christopher Ford is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 40 years of industry experience. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and at SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 1996. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm implements advice through discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support manager selection and ongoing oversight.

Christopher Sislo is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC. He previously worked for HHM Wealth Advisors, LLC for 10 years. In addition to his advisory role, he works seasonally as a tax preparer. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base, including individuals, small businesses, and charitable organizations, providing asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and a variety of analytical strategies.

Timothy Mc Dermott is a financial advisor with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and eight years of industry experience. His background includes roles at several firms, such as Guardian Investment Advisors LLC and AE Wealth Management, LLC. Outside of advising, he is involved in insurance sales through Guardian Investment Advisors. Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC provides financial planning and portfolio management services to individual and high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, offering tailored advice through model portfolios and employing third-party sub-advisers and custodians.

Lemana Fermic is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., bringing two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Bankers Life Advisory Services, she held roles at Bankers Life Securities, Bankers Life & Casualty, and Primerica, with earlier work experience in the hospitality sector. She is also appointed as an insurance agent authorized to write Medicare Supplement, annuity, life, health, and long-term care insurance products. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves primarily mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, offering discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm integrates fundamental, technical, and cyclical analyses to create tailored asset allocations and manages portfolios across a broad range of securities with periodic reviews and rebalancing.

Sheila Brooks is a financial advisor at Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at SouthBridge Capital Partners LLC, The Leaders Group Inc, Union Financial, Principal Life Insurance Company, Principal Securities Incorporated, and Axa Advisors, LLC. Brooks also works as an independent insurance agent. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans by offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both as an SEC-registered investment adviser and a FINRA-member broker-dealer, managing a significant portfolio of discretionary and non-discretionary assets while working with third-party asset managers.

Joseph Donnovin Jr. is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 44 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Benjamin F. Edwards in 2011, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of services including wrap-fee advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and investment management consulting, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Travis Poole is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Principal Financial Services. He previously worked at Northwestern Mutual for 15 years before joining Principal Securities Inc., Principal Life Insurance Company, and operating Poole Wealth Management since 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he owns an RV rental business and manages a seasonal vendor space and food sales operation during the world’s longest yard sale. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Charles Beech Jr. is a financial advisor at SPC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with SPC and Sigma Financial Corporation since 2006, following a year at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. His primary location is Chattanooga, TN. SPC provides investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm supports a large advisory network and delivers tailored, discretionary investment advice through various account programs, maintaining close affiliations with broker-dealers and insurance agencies.

Robert Berz is a financial advisor with Integrity Alliance, LLC in Chattanooga, TN, holding a Series 63 designation and over 56 years of industry experience. He has a long-standing career that includes ownership of Berz Financial Partners since 1960 and involvement with Kestra Advisory Services for nine years. In addition to advisory work, he owns an insurance firm, Bluffview Insurance Group, which advises clients on family and business protection strategies using life insurance products. Integrity Alliance serves a diverse client base including individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans through a large network of over 300 advisors managing approximately $5.4 billion in assets. The firm offers a range of investment and financial planning services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party portfolio management platforms and supports advisors with both brokerage and advisory capabilities.

Jonathan Dutton is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 21 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Freedom Street Partners, Raymond James Financial Services, and Ameriprise Financial Services. He is involved as an agent servicing insurance policies at Tandem Financial Partners and serves as an advisor and managing partner of the same firm. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is a large-scale SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management alongside financial planning and consulting services.

Matthew Grant is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds the Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Truist Bank for eight years and was involved in the restaurant business at Bar Liva Restaurant for five years. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs.

Trey Norris is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with one year of industry experience. He is currently with Empower Advisory Group and previously worked at Edward Jones and Thrivent Financial. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s approach integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates, delivered through platforms connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative services.

Kolby Wilson is a financial advisor with Mariner, holding a Series 65 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Mariner in 2024, he worked at Capital Planning LLC, SageView Advisory Group, and GuideStone Financial Resources. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services, utilizing a combination of in-house research and third-party managers across a wide range of asset classes and strategies.

Amber Gardner is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Truist Investment Services and SunTrust Bank. Gardner serves as an executive board member of Signal Centers, a nonprofit focused on literacy, special needs, and early childhood education in Chattanooga, TN. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Shawn Schwarz is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2019 and also has a concurrent affiliation with the University of Tennessee Chattanooga since the same year. Prior to joining Truist, he worked at SunTrust and held roles at the Bank of Nova Scotia and ABC Christian Book Store. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary management and integrates multiple inter-affiliate resources to support its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

Brianne Brucker Derveloy is a financial advisor at CWM, LLC with five years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several firms including Family Wealth Management Group and WCG Wealth Advisors. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as the non-employee treasurer for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Chattanooga, participating in finance committee and board of trustees activities. CWM, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, foundations, endowments, corporations, and institutional clients through a network of over 600 advisors. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan services, typically managing discretionary accounts using model portfolios and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

Jeffrey Roberts is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2016 and has been with Truist Bank since 2008. Based in Chattanooga, TN, he is part of a large enterprise advisory firm with a broad range of capabilities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Paul Gaither is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advisory services. He currently works at Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC and previously held roles at Raymond James Financial Services, Ameriprise Financial Services, Mass Mutual Investors Services, and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as Interim Director of Music Ministries at Covenant Presbyterian Church and sings tenor in a quartet. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through Steward Partners-branded solutions and third-party money managers.

James Brannon III is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Chattanooga, TN, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2009 and has prior experience at firms including Ameriprise and Mass Mutual Investors Services. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies supported by advanced operational tools.

James Belew III is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Morgan Stanley and Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. since 2019. Prior to his career in finance, he held positions at Western Union, DISH Network, and Uber. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management serves both individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning programs and managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets. The firm employs structured planning processes and comprehensive investment and estate strategies.