James Koester is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Concord, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Brookstone in 2023, he worked at JDM Financial, Secure Asset Management, Capital Financial Services, and Concorde Asset Management. He is also involved with JD Mellberg Financial, focusing on annuities and life insurance for retirees and those planning retirement. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm utilizes strategic and dynamic asset allocation models, a turnkey asset management platform, and sub-advisory relationships to deliver its investment solutions.

Sarah Rhodes is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining &PARTNERS in 2026, she worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank NA for a combined 12 years. &PARTNERS serves a diverse range of clients including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, utilizing fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis.

William Dunlop Jr. is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes service with the City of New York Fire Department and Centennial Security Integration. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a particular focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and various wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Brent Hann is a financial advisor with OSAIC Institutions, Inc., holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His career background includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Linden Thomas & Company Securities, The Smith Companies/Capitas Financial, and AXA Distributors, among others. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and access to alternative investments and lending solutions, operating a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model with both discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Michael Conerly is a CFA® charterholder with five years of industry experience. He is currently with Savant Wealth Management and previously worked at Exencial Wealth Advisors, Wells Fargo, and Columbia Threadneedle. Savant Wealth Management serves individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and high-net-worth clients with comprehensive wealth management, portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and family office services. The firm employs a combination of evidence-based, model-driven asset allocation and actively managed strategies across various asset classes, supported by in-house accounting, legal, and trust services.

Brandon Rogers is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Prime Capital Financial. He has held roles at firms including United Planners' Financial Services of America and Cambridge Investment Research. Rogers is also involved as a regular volunteer with Salisbury Civitan and is president of Weswurth Strategies LLC, an entity unrelated to investment services. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm that serves individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with a wide range of services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan, and family office offerings. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and oversees accounts on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Dylan Thurman is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Mooresville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TIAA and First Citizens Bank. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities by providing advisory and brokerage services that include portfolio management, financial planning, and tax-aware strategies. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and applies various analytical methods to manage portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Kevin Spence is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 26 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His prior roles include positions at TIAA CREF Individual & Institutional Services, Cary Street Partners, Luxon Asset Management, and HSBC Technology & Services USA. He serves as a FINRA arbitrator, contributes scholarly articles on regulatory compliance, participates as a speaker at financial services industry conferences, and is a council member of the Securities Industry Continuing Education Programs. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail clients. The firm offers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan sponsor-chosen investment lineups.

Tod Wells is a CFP® with 33 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at &PARTNERS since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2016 to 2024, as well as Merrill from 2005 to 2011. He is also a partner in DWM, LLC, a non-investment-related entity. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan advisory services, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis along with both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Corie Basham is an Investment Advisor Representative at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2026. Prior to that, she worked at Fifth Third Bank, Randstad, and Enterprise Rent a Car. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional accounts through both advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers various managed account programs via the Passageway platform, utilizing third-party portfolio managers, and provides a range of investment options from mutual funds and ETFs to separately managed accounts and direct indexing.

Karen Hough is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Thrivent Financial For Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2006. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan,” while keeping planning and portfolio management services separate.

Caleb Wyckoff is a financial advisor with Merrill in Huntersville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. He has worked at Bank of America N.A. and Merrill since 2023 and previously spent seven years at Harris Teeter. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program, offering model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Laura Spivey is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Cornelius, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Her prior work includes two years at Movement Mortgage before joining Edward Jones in 2018. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a broad range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds. The firm operates under a fiduciary standard and is notable for its extensive retail advisor network and affiliated capabilities beyond advisory services.

Amy Sigmon is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Davidson, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. She has been with Wells Fargo since 2016 and previously worked at Omnistar Financial Group and Thrivent Investment Management. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Boyd Hough is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Salisbury, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 44 years of industry experience and has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a broad, goal-based planning approach. The firm’s planning services address various financial topics and can be combined with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option, while keeping planning and asset management separate.

David Nifong is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 25 years of industry experience, including prior roles at LPL Financial, Independent Advisor Alliance, and Wells Fargo Clearing. He serves as president of an architecture committee in Bryson City, NC. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, pension plans, and charitable organizations by providing financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary management through multiple platforms and maintains proprietary model strategies under the Founders Gate Capital brand.

Alan Burke is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has owned an accounting firm, Alan F. Burke, CPA, PA, since 1989 and serves as treasurer for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he manages a property business and leads a local band through Studio512, LLC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and nonprofit organizations, delivering tailored, non-discretionary advice supported by analytical modeling and technology-driven tools.

Lexter Fennell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Concord, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Raymond Halstead is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 credential and four years of industry experience. He is also the managing partner of REH CPA, PLLC, an accounting firm, and serves as managing partner of Halstead Real Estate Investments. Outside of his advisory role, he is an executive board member and treasurer for FeedNC, a local food bank, and president of the Morrison Executive Suites Owners Association. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide advisory firm serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with access to model portfolios, third-party managers, and customizable strategies across various program structures.

David Vespoli is a financial advisor with OSAIC, holding a Series 66 designation and 22 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Morgan Stanley, UBS Financial Services, LPL Financial, and Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd. Since 2009, he has also been involved with Stratos Wealth Partners, providing investment advisory services and managing fixed insurance products. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including retail investors, retirement plans, charities, and corporate clients, offering brokerage and advisory services through a multi-advisor platform. The firm emphasizes model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization, supporting discretionary and advisor-managed strategies along with access to third-party money managers and alternative investments.