Shira Katsir is a CFP® professional with nine years of experience in financial advising, currently serving at Hightower Advisors since 2020. Her prior roles include positions at Stearns Financial Group and CAPTrust. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm emphasizes a manager selection approach with multi-manager solutions, combining affiliated and third-party managers, and offers services such as discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting.

Jane Yarborough is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience, currently serving at Truist Advisory Services in Chapel Hill, NC. She has been affiliated with SunTrust Advisory Services and related SunTrust entities since 2006. Yarborough serves on the Board of Directors for Duke Memorial United Methodist Church’s Memorial Church Fund, a non-profit foundation account overseeing investment decisions for the church. 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 with non-discretionary consulting and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment strategies.

Molly Mccormack is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 26 years of industry experience. She has held her current role since 2005 and previously worked at Charles Schwab from 2003 to 2005. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division serves individual clients, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, offering financial planning and discretionary managed account programs. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model with both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, including customized portfolios managed under client-approved investment policies.

William Dotterer is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 25 years of industry experience. He has held his current role since 2011. Dotterer holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and other entities. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and donor-advised fund services.

Jay Barish is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has held roles at Crossbridge Financial Group, Murphy Matza Wealth Management, and Ameriprise. His background includes a longstanding tenure at Commonwealth since 2011. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive support platform featuring managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement and plan consulting, and custody services.

Joseph Pantoja is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining MAI in 2024, he worked at WCG Wealth Advisors, LLC for eight years and has been associated with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co and Treloar & Heisel, LLC for 20 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Treloar & Heisel, LLC, which provides fixed insurance sales and health, accident, and property & casualty insurance products. MAI Capital Management offers investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and provides a broad range of customized portfolio strategies and integrated financial planning services.

Ryan Mathis is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a fiduciary standard across its advisory services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated structure that utilizes affiliated funds.

Tyler Mills is a CFP® professional with eight years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Empower Advisory Group and Empower Financial Services, having previously worked at Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, T. Rowe Price, Bank of America, and Merrill Lynch. Mills is based in Durham, NC. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Michael Krisko is a CFP® professional with 23 years of industry experience, currently advising clients at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2013. He also spent a year at Ameriprise in 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Michael Krisko, Inc., which conducts securities and insurance business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm offers a wide range of managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services, supporting both individual and institutional clients.

Cody Jeffcoat is a CFP® professional with 21 years of industry experience, currently advising at Truist Advisory Services. He has held roles with Suntrust Investment Services and Suntrust Advisory Services since 2014. Outside of finance, he owns and operates a pottery business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a blend of discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Jessie Harris is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and is co-owner of Cardinal Hill Wealth Management. Prior to her current roles, she worked at Edward Jones for eight years. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive adviser-support platform, including managed account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody/clearing services.

Martin Hensley is a financial advisor at Foundations Investment Advisors LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has previously worked at firms including EQIS Capital Management and Capital Financial Advisory Group. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance sales through Full Court Wealth. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC serves a broad client base including individual and high-net-worth clients, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and registered investment companies. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and sub-advisory services, employing a blend of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis along with model portfolios and an asymmetric rebalancing approach.

John Netherton is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Truist Advisory Services since 2016 and Truist Investment Services since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in agricultural activities through his sole proprietorship, Netherton Outdoors, which includes farming mushrooms and harvesting honey. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by third-party platforms and manager arrangements, with an emphasis on inter-affiliate integration.

Ruijuan Hong is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with Series 66 licensure and one year of industry experience. Prior to her current role, she worked at World Financial Group Insurance Agency and has experience leading Hey Cream Inc as well as ongoing involvement with Shanghai PingYe Advertising Co., Ltd. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm provides both advisory and broker-dealer services, offering a range of proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Lance Dobler is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, based in Durham, NC. He has six years of industry experience, including roles at TIAA since 2012 and TIAA-CREF since 2025. Outside of his advisory work, Dobler owns and operates Diamond Glove Care LLC, a local business providing baseball and softball glove relacing and break-in services for youth players. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Ryan Cook is a CFP® and ChFC® with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2010 and also works as an agent with Agia. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a home in Nebo, North Carolina, which he rents out seasonally. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based 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.

Rameet Singh is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 11 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Edward Jones and JP Morgan Securities. Outside of finance, he operates a portrait and family photography business. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm provides a range of advisory services including customized portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds.

Brian Futch is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Truist Investment Services since 2005 and with Truist Advisory Services since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of a rental property management business where he oversees tax and insurance responsibilities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary manager arrangements along with AI-supported research and inter-affiliate integration.

Monsef Ouchou is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Fidelity Investments and several other firms. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders, using an integrated service model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Albert Waisanen Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with two years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors and Group Insurance Analysts/GIA Risk Management. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for The Park Homeowners Association Inc., where he participates in budget decisions and community meetings. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to donor-advised funds while operating within a vertically integrated group.