Amy Simonson is a financial advisor with Verity Asset Management in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has been affiliated with Verity Financial Group and Verity Asset Management since 1996 and served in executive roles at PlanScope360, LLC, focusing on finance, operations, and strategic business development. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered, multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $1.15 billion and serving individuals, retirement plan sponsors, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a largely model-based investment process emphasizing tactical asset allocation and acts as a manager-of-managers through customized model portfolios and sub-advisory arrangements.

William Orchard Hays III is a financial advisor with HBW Advisory Services LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Silver Oak Securities, Cetera Wealth Services, and multiple financial services firms he has been associated with since 2005. He is also involved with Stepwise Financial, an independent financial professional business. HBW Advisory Services manages approximately $1.75 billion in client assets and offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, families, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm employs a blended investment approach, utilizing third-party money managers and multi-manager diversification, and is noted for its institutional and intermediary services alongside a high client load per advisor.

Jason Cook is a financial advisor with Berthel, Fisher & Company Financial Services, Inc. He holds the CFP® designation and has 25 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at BFC Planning, Inc., Stokes, Cook & Associates, and involvement with the Graham Area Business Association and Graham Fire Department. Outside of advising, Cook has volunteered as a firefighter and participates in charitable organizations such as the Burlington Shrine Club and Bingham Masonic Lodge. Berthel Fisher & Company Financial Services provides investment advisory and financial planning services primarily to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $906 million in client assets and offers a range of investment platforms, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, with services tailored to client needs.

Kurt Hollar is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with multiple entities under the Verity name since 1997. His prior experience includes work with The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments and Verity Investments, Inc. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes, offering discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services.

Mitchell Ludwig is a CFP® professional with seven years of industry experience, currently associated with UNITED PLANNERS' FINANCIAL SERVICES of AMERICA. His prior work includes roles at OSAIC, FSC, Wealthcare Capital Management LLC, and The Family Firm. He is also involved as an Associate Partner in Carolina Wealth Partners, a marketing entity based in Raleigh, NC. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm offers advisory and brokerage services through independent Investment Adviser Representatives and employs a mix of custodians and third-party managers to implement client strategies.

Samantha Mcdevitt is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 12 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Truist Advisory Services and affiliated firms since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she is a member of S Enterprises LLC, where she is involved in farming, livestock, and photography activities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools in its manager selection and oversight processes.

Whitney H Ill is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning, Whitney worked at Collective Wealth Partners and GRID 202 Partners. Outside of financial advising, Whitney is involved in entrepreneurial ventures including ownership in an ecommerce business and a quick-service restaurant franchise. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base ranging from individuals to institutions. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure while managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Diane Bonner is a Certified Financial Planner® with 22 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC since 2025. Her prior experience includes roles at Arky & Miller Financial Group, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Truist Investment Services. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered firm providing wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and institutions. The firm’s investment approach focuses on customized, primarily long-term portfolios utilizing ETFs, mutual funds, and other securities, supported by an extensive network of advisors and sub-advisory arrangements.

Daniel Knox is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2002 and has been associated with Agia since 2022, where he acts as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-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 and management.

James Contino is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in the financial industry. He is affiliated with Valic Financial Advisors and has worked at AIG Valic since 2003 and Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in non-securities insurance product sales. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, utilizing centralized technology and model solutions to manage roughly $29.2 billion in assets.

Gary Gaulden is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in financial advising. He currently works with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC and has previously held roles at Securities America, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He also operates a satellite office for client services in Atlantic Beach, NC under Gaulden & Associates. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers various managed programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis and partnering with multiple platform providers.

Jeffrey Marko is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at DMJ & Co., PLLC, where he is a partner, and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP. He serves on the finance committee of Housing for New Hope, a nonprofit organization. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party platforms and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and private funds.

Robert Scholes is a CFP® and CFA® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. Prior to joining Allworth Financial in 2025, he worked at Investors Trust Company, Cook Wealth Management Group, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Before his financial advisory career, he spent nine years at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allworth Financial serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs both quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies and provides educational content through various media.

Tonja Womble is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 23 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2013. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches alongside third-party manager arrangements and AI-enabled research tools.

Thomas Storrie is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2017. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 12 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in fixed insurance sales conducted under Crossbridge Financial Group. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a range of advisory programs and services. The firm provides operations, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support, enabling advisors to offer customized portfolio solutions and model portfolios to retail and institutional clients.

Jonathan Robinson is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Chapel Hill, NC, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations and with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Oppenheimer since 2003. Robinson serves as co-trustee of the Joseph W. Robinson and Kathleen Ann Robinson Family Trust, a non-investment-related role involving the liquidation of personal assets. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of investment programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

Joseph Denney is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at BB&T Investments, Bb&T Securities, and Wells Fargo Clearing prior to joining Truist in 2021. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Jane Okulski is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Chapel Hill, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked at Oppenheimer since 2017 and previously held roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. and Transamerica Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory work, she serves on the Reynolda House Advisory Council, assisting with event coordination and planning for the museum. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, with a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary advisory approaches.

Thomas Mountain is a financial advisor with VALIC Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2000 and is also currently an agent with Agia. Outside of his financial career, he co-manages a social media account focused on tabletop RPG gaming terrain and miniatures with his son. VALIC Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning through a large network of advisors. The firm uses discretionary unified managed accounts with Envestnet’s platform and emphasizes centralized technology and model solutions to manage roughly $29.2 billion across nearly 300,000 clients.

Jennifer Jamerson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 26 years of industry experience. She has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2010 and also holds an agent position at Agia, where she is involved with non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-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 through its broker-dealer operations.