William Blackford is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Spartanburg, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. He has been with Janney Montgomery Scott since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Chairman of the Board for the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium, a local municipal venue for entertainment and events. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plans, charitable organizations, and municipalities, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs.

Erin Despres is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, bringing 12 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and SunTrust Investment Services prior to Truist. Outside of her advisory work, she is a sales consultant for nutritional supplements and environmentally friendly cleaning products. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and integrates AI-enabled equity research, serving clients through a multi-affiliate platform.

Edwin Waingart is a CFP® with 24 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Janney Montgomery Scott where he has worked since 2019. Prior to Janney, he spent six years with Raymond James & Associates. He serves as president of the Exit Planning Institute’s Greenville chapter, a local professional advisory network. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm offers a broad range of services to individuals, families, institutions, and municipalities through a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management, as well as brokerage and advisory programs.

Randall Coan is a financial advisor with TD Private Client Wealth LLC in Greenville, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 11 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Charles Schwab and USAA Financial Advisors. Outside of finance, he is involved in several business ventures, including a brewery, remodeling and tile work, and voiceover media. TD Private Client Wealth LLC provides discretionary wrap-fee managed account programs and brokerage services to institutional and high-net-worth private clients. The firm blends strategic and tactical asset allocation using both affiliated and third-party managers and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Dwight Mcpherson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 21 years of industry experience. His career has included extensive tenure at BB&T and its successor entities prior to joining Truist. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an Assistant Scout Master with the Boy Scouts of America, focusing on youth leadership and character development. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager relationships and integrates third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment and manager-selection processes.

Thomas Ownbey is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked in various roles within Truist and its predecessor firms since 2011. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm’s approach includes asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that blends discretionary and non-discretionary strategies with third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Michael Helms is a CFP® and PFS™ with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at WealthShield Partners, LLC and Evergreen Financial Services, Inc. Helms is also a licensed accountant and provides CPA and tax services to clients. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services offers financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a diversified investment approach that combines passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee and manages over $122 billion in assets through a large advisor network and multiple program options.

David Wyatt II is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) based in Greenville, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 20 years of industry experience. He has worked in various roles at New York Life Insurance Company, Nylife Securities LLC, and Wyatt Brothers Financial LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a deacon at Holland Park Church in Simpsonville, SC. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and corporate sponsors. The firm offers tailored advice through multiple program types, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Kenneth Brace is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at NewEdge Securities, Raymond James & Associates, JMI Sports, and Peach Bowl Inc. Mr. Brace serves as Treasurer for the Greenville Clemson Club, a nonprofit organization. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management and consulting services and utilizes multiple program structures with centralized due diligence and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Frank D. Ascenzo IV is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Greenville, SC. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equity Services, he worked at Ameriprise and National Life Group. He is also active as an insurance agent with Stone Press Financial Group. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms, often utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and combines long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading.

Gabriel Bowman is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base through a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory programs, offering investment advice via both in-house portfolio management and third-party managers.

Gregory Allen is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. He serves as the financial secretary for Tucapau Baptist Church, managing bill payments and disbursements. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various investment adviser and promoter arrangements.

Trista Shigley is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with one year of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked with Truist and its predecessor entities since 2014. She serves as a board member of the American Bankers Association Trust School. 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 combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Robert Dibenedetto is a financial advisor at HB Wealth with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC for six years. His background also includes roles at the University of South Carolina and in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congressman Trey Gowdy. HB Wealth Management provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative due diligence across public and private investment strategies and offers services including outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) and institutional advisory solutions.

Ariel Lee is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with six years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. Prior to joining Guardian Life and its affiliate Park Avenue Securities, Lee worked at Edward Jones for four years and has experience in the automotive industry. Outside of financial advising, Lee is involved in community and nonprofit activities, serving on boards such as The Shepherd's Center of Spartanburg and the Alzheimer's Association of South Carolina, and participates in advisory roles including with Focal AI. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser fully owned by Guardian Life. The firm serves individual, pension, charitable, and corporate clients with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment models and offering hybrid digital advisory solutions.

Robert Solarchik is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His career includes roles at National Life Group, NYLIFE Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory work, he operates an insurance brokerage under the name 1847Financial, focusing on Penn Mutual life products. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines advisory and broker-dealer services and manages approximately $8.37 billion in discretionary assets under management as of December 2025.

Peyton Steigerwald is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC in Greenville, SC. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe, he held positions at Clemson University and the College of Charleston. In addition to his advisory role, Steigerwald is an insurance agent with Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC. 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-focused investment approach, utilizing both active and passive strategies with a formal due-diligence process, and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles alongside advising a registered interval fund.

Dena Wofford is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott and holds a Series 66 designation. She has 19 years of industry experience and has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2015. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, providing brokerage services, financial planning, consulting, and various wrap and advisory programs.

Nathaniel Crosby is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, following previous roles at Bb&T Securities and Scott & Stringfellow. In addition to his advisory work, he has been involved with Greenville Technical School for over two decades. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting and employs AI-enabled tools to support its investment research and manager oversight.

Collin Bode is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at LPL Financial and Block Advisors. Outside of finance, he owns Collin Bode Photography, a separate business focused on photography. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and technology tools to support client and advisor needs.