Richard Sofka is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 17 years of industry experience. He is currently with Raymond James & Associates and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill for 14 years. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing roughly $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering financial planning and consulting with a range of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Laura Weiner Smith is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Lorain, Ohio, holding a Series 63 designation and 20 years of industry experience. She has been with Ameriprise and its affiliates since 2009. Ameriprise offers a retirement-income planning service focused on clients approaching or in retirement who meet specific asset criteria, providing detailed written recommendations on income sources, Social Security, and tax-efficient withdrawal strategies. The firm combines research, modeling, and tax analysis to deliver tailored, algorithm-supported advice primarily for assets managed within Ameriprise.

Erica Brown is a Financial Consultant who collaborates with clients to develop holistic, all-weather financial plans tailored to their specific goals, investment preferences, and risk tolerance. She applies her expertise to create customized strategies that address individual financial needs. Her professional experience includes roles as a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments from 2021 to 2025 and as a Registered Client Associate at Wells Fargo Advisors from 2018 to 2021. These positions have contributed to her knowledge and skills in financial planning and client service.

Dawn Dempsey Smerke is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds a Series 63 designation and has 38 years of industry experience. She has owned and operated Dempsey Financial Services LLC since 1996, providing investment and retirement strategies for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits. Dawn is also involved in selling fixed insurance products, including health, life, disability, annuities, and long-term care insurance. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party investment managers.

Timothy Leonard is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 30 years of industry experience. He held prior roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC from 2009 to 2016 before joining his current firm. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the finance committee of Holy Name High School in Parma Heights, Ohio. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm combines research and analytics with a broad range of financial products delivered through its bank and insurance affiliates.

Gary Mendelow is a financial advisor with LPL Financial and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 23 years of industry experience and has previously worked at Lincoln Investment and Legend Equities Corporation. Outside of his advisory work, he is a co-owner of MENDYFERGU LLC and the owner of K AND G PARTS PLUS, both non-investment related businesses. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

Jennifer Dieffenbacher is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial with 31 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Raymond James Financial Services in various capacities since 2003. Outside of her advisory role, she is a Registered Sales Associate for TDM Financial LLC, operating as an associate employee. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning using analytical tools and supports municipal and public-finance work through a unique affiliation with a municipal advisor.

Frederick Schirmer is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position he has held since 2022. He partners with clients and families to develop and maintain comprehensive financial plans. He has been with Fidelity Investments since 2015, progressing through various roles including Financial Representative, Investment Solutions Representative, Branch Financial Representative, Central Relationship Manager, Relationship Manager, and Planning Consultant. This extensive experience within Fidelity Investments has provided him with a broad understanding of financial planning and client relationship management. Outside of his professional work, Frederick enjoys golf and traveling.

Amy Dienes is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Westlake, OH, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. She has worked at UBS since 2007 and was previously with Mcdonald Investments. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients through a combination of brokerage and investment advisory offerings, utilizing proprietary capital market assumptions and research to tailor plans based on clients’ goals and risk tolerances. The firm integrates institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and provides a broad range of capital markets and advisory solutions.

William Hornung is a CFP® professional with 38 years of industry experience currently with Raymond James & Associates. He has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. Hornung is based in Westlake, Ohio. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutional clients, charitable organizations, and government entities. The firm offers financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary solutions supported by a nationwide adviser network and a range of portfolio management styles.

Jeffrey Kobak is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Westlake, Ohio, holding a Series 63 designation and 29 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2023, he worked for The O.N. Equity Sales Company and Ohio National Life Insurance for 17 years. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management with access to model portfolios and research from LPL and third-party subadvisors.

Michelle Reynolds is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 28 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutional clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory programs with tailored investment strategies implemented through both in-house and third-party managers.

Melana Carbary is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors since 2013. She also operates a yoga instruction business and provides divorce planning workshops through Burning River Advisory Group. Additionally, she is involved in coaching related to divorce planning with EnlightenHer, LLC. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals utilizing multiple custody and platform arrangements and a mix of proprietary and third-party investment strategies.

Christian Riemenschneider is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Westlake, Ohio, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 38 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2019, and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner in a restaurant and bar business in Cleveland. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer providing advisory programs and tailored financial planning services to individuals and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and uses structured planning tools and investment research to support its financial planning process.

Brian Gadomski is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 15 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior work includes roles at Hazel Iris Boutique and PNC Funds Distributor, LLC. He is part of Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company that provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients. The firm utilizes a systematic investment approach combining fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction across a broad range of mutual funds, ETFs, and ETPs.

Brady Wells is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work history includes roles at GreenBud, LLC and TrueGreen Global, as well as positions outside finance such as ice hockey coaching. Outside of his advisory career, Wells serves as an assistant ice hockey coach for the Cleveland Wildcats and is involved in recreational activities at Beechmont Country Club. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a wide range of advisory programs for both individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and strategies. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and delivers services through a combination of direct client relationships and corporate financial planning agreements.

Tara Jones is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Edward Jones, she worked at Intralot for eleven years. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds.

Robert Kaluza is a financial advisor at Merrill with 14 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill since 2009 and Bank of America, N.A. since 2012. 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. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Haley Ottelin is a financial advisor at Fidelity with seven years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Key Investment Services, Voya Financial Advisors, and Glass Financial Advisors. Prior to her advisory career, she was employed for nine years at The Cheesecake Factory. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and a Charitable Gift Fund. The firm uses a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage model portfolios, and it serves a broad client base with discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services.

Casey Treen is a Financial Consultant currently working at Fidelity Investments since 2022. He has previously held positions as an Independent Investment Advisor at Phillips Financial Advisors from 2021 to 2022 and as a Senior Financial Consultant at Charles Schwab from 2016 to 2021. His professional focus is on developing detailed and understandable financial plans tailored to his clients' individual goals. Outside of his professional work, Casey enjoys spending time with his wife and two children. His personal interests include cooking, baking, playing board games, and following football, particularly Cleveland sports. He also enjoys riding on the towpath during his leisure time.