Michele Smith is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 33 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Morgan Stanley and its affiliated entities prior to joining Truist in 2022. Michele serves as a board and finance committee member for Pleasant Garden Baptist Church, advising on the church's budget and funding. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, 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.

Rodney Segraves is a financial advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at Triad Hybrid Solutions since 2019 and Kestra Financial Services, Inc. from 2016 to 2019. He is also a CPA and operates his own public accounting practice specializing in tax preparation and accounting. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers a range of investment programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, combining fundamental and technical analysis with tactical trading and structured products.

Christopher Peele is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He previously worked at Bank of America for five years before joining SunTrust Advisory Services and SunTrust Investment Services, where he has been employed for nine years. Outside of his advisory role, Peele serves as a board member of the Greensboro Symphony, focusing on engaging young professionals and promoting community participation in music education. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and manager relationships, integrating resources across affiliated entities to deliver its AMC Advantage manager-selection program.

John Rich is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with Oppenheimer since 2009, having previously worked at Stanford Group Company. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm provides a variety of programs and advisory services including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Cheryl Vinson is a Series 65 licensed advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with six years of industry experience. She has been with Bankers Life since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as a trustee for an irrevocable trust and holds a secretary/treasurer position with a local business networking organization. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management as well as retirement plan consulting. The firm employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and manages portfolios using various securities with ongoing reviews and rebalancing.

Pamela Stearns is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 14 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and previously led Stearns Financial Services Group for 13 years before joining Hightower Advisors in 2020. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers alongside proprietary research and various investment vehicles.

Luke Mills is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. He is currently with Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services and previously worked at Fidelity Investments. Mills’s background includes experience outside financial services at PetSmart. 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, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Benjamin Vess is a financial advisor at Davenport & Company LLC in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at Bank of Botetourt and held various roles including at Radford University and Lowe's Companies, Inc. Davenport & Company LLC serves individual and institutional clients with a range of services including asset management, retail brokerage, fixed income, public finance, and investment banking. The firm’s asset management team focuses on separately managed accounts, mutual funds, ETFs, and unified managed accounts, and it is adviser to six proprietary mutual funds.

Cecelia Anderson is a financial advisor at Davenport & Company LLC with 24 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Davenport & Company since 2009, including a recent tenure starting in 2023, as well as prior experience at Citigroup Global Markets and Wells Fargo Clearing. Davenport & Company serves individual and institutional clients such as banks, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, nonprofits, and corporations. The firm offers a range of services including asset management, retail brokerage, fixed income, public finance, and investment banking, with a focus on dedicated portfolio manager teams and multiple advisory programs.

Steven Holbrook is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Greensboro, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has worked at Oppenheimer since 2013, with prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a non-voting board member for a local homeowners association. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of investment programs and advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, with a notable portion of assets managed non-discretionarily while maintaining custody of client assets.

Joseph Vartanian is an Investment Advisor Representative with Kestra Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016 and also serves as an advisor at Gate City Advisors, where he is associated with the book "The Retirement Income Toolkit." Outside of his advisory roles, he is a partner at Gate City Property Group, a real estate business in Greensboro, NC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including plan sponsors, institutional investors, and individuals. The firm offers a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice, supporting complex products and discretionary trading within its supervisory framework.

Cynthia Reavis is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Burlington, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Co, Merrill, and other firms. Outside of her advisory work, she is also 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.

Steven Marasco is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and previously worked at BB&T Investment Services and BB&T Securities. Outside of advisory work, Marasco provides general business consulting to a coffeehouse in Greensboro, NC. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, combining discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enhanced research.

Jared Morris is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing, as well as Allegacy Federal Credit Union and BB&T. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants. The firm offers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates in its financial planning approach.

Stephen Carruthers is a financial advisor with VALIC Financial Advisors in Greensboro, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. He has a legal background as a licensed attorney in North Carolina, formerly operating a consumer bankruptcy law practice and currently serving as counsel of record in a pending chapter 13 bankruptcy case. Carruthers also holds a position with 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, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Robert Nocera is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has 15 years of industry experience, including roles at New York Life Insurance Company since 2010. Nocera’s current focus is with Eagle Strategies and Nylife Securities LLC, where he has worked since 2022. Eagle Strategies serves both individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, managing a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Ralph Howell III is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Dmj Wealth Advisors, LLC and Proequities, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, Howell is a partner in the CPA firm DMJ & Co., PLLC, where he is in charge of the tax department. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse range of clients, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a multi-manager investment approach, utilizing third-party independent managers selected through a formal due-diligence process, and offers services such as discretionary wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and outsourced CIO solutions.

Susan Finley is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and has been involved with the National Network of Digital Schools since 2014. Outside of her advisory role, she operates as a wedding minister and officiant through Weddings by Susan and serves as a substitute musician and preacher with Mt. Hope United Church of Christ. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and back-office support, including investment management, compliance, and technology, allowing advisors discretion in portfolio construction alongside managed model portfolios.

Alvan Aron Jr. is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Greensboro, NC, bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2002 and also holds a position as an agent with Agia, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based 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, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Angela Kenan is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 35 years of industry experience. She has worked at multiple Ameritas entities since 2006 and has been with Southeast Financial Services, Inc. since 1989. Outside of her advisory work, Kenan is involved in managing rental properties through CARTY PROPERTIES, LLC. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and platforms, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services.