Chad Cooper is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 23 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities Corporation for 14 years. Cooper serves on the boards of the Central Florida Urban League and the Wesley Chapel Black Chamber of Commerce, and he holds leadership roles with NAIFA Florida. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and wrap-fee programs. The firm manages a multi-billion dollar asset base through thousands of Financial Professionals and a range of platform options.

Matthew Tihanovich is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has worked with several firms including Fidelity, Citizens Securities, Chase Investment Services, Huntington Investment Company, and has been with J.P. Morgan Securities since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm’s advisory process integrates centralized due diligence combining quantitative and qualitative research, and offers broader derivatives and commodities capabilities compared to many institutional advisory programs.

Timothy Gunn is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Lakeland, FL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 25 years of industry experience, including 18 years with Raymond James & Associates. Raymond James & Associates is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, institutional clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment consulting, and municipal advisory services.

John Craig is the Resident Director at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he leverages over 35 years of experience in providing wealth management advice to clients. He began his career at Merrill in 1987 in Norfolk, Virginia, and has since held leadership positions including branch manager roles in the Winter Haven and Lakeland offices. He currently leads the Blubaugh-Craig Group, combining his oversight experience with Merrill's open architecture platform to help families and businesses build and preserve their wealth. John holds a Bachelor's Degree from Washington and Lee University and is designated as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). His approach involves creating customized strategies tailored to each client's unique needs and goals, drawing on his extensive background assisting clients through various market cycles. John and his team utilize the resources of Bank of America and Merrill to provide comprehensive wealth management services, including investments, cash management, and corporate benefit programs to businesses, plan sponsors, and corporate executives. He is proficient in both English and Spanish.

Aaron Riley is a financial advisor at Thrivent Investment Management with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and previously worked at Northwestern Mutual and New York Life. Before entering the financial services field, he spent five years with the United States Postal Service. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers goal-based, holistic planning without discretionary trading authority and allows clients to combine these services with managed accounts under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan.”

John Ciko III is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 29 years of industry experience. His career includes multiple tenures at LPL Financial, as well as positions at Invest Financial Corporation and Gunnallen Financial, Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he has a non-investment business entity, Blue Sky Ventures 6173, Inc. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Joni Borawski is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 15 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her career includes roles at Fidelity Personal and Workplace Advisors, FIDELITY Brokerage Services LLC, PNC Wealth Management, Merrill, and Morgan Stanley. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to a diverse client base, including retail and institutional investors, utilizing a blend of proprietary fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm is notable for its use of systematic methodologies, AI-driven research, and its role in managing multiple registered investment companies and delivering model portfolios.

Michele Cash is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial and Allen & Company since 2022 and is also employed as a project manager at Barrett Media, LLC. Additionally, she works as a fitness instructor at Crunch Fitness. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Katrina Hirdes is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with two years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at LPL Financial since 2023. Prior to her advisory role, she held various positions including work in education and direct sales as a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant. LPL Financial is a national broker‑dealer and SEC‑registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third‑party asset management, and institutional platforms.

William Pflueger is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2016. He holds the Series 66 designation and is based in Brandon, Florida. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Ryan Neal is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Edward Jones since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at Berkadia Commercial Mortgage and the New York Department of Education. Outside of finance, Neal works as a personal trainer at LA Fitness in Tampa, FL. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Mark Alford is a CFP® with 15 years of experience currently serving at J.P. Morgan Securities. He has worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2017 and previously held roles at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of the financial industry, he is president of Polk County for Life, Inc., a nonprofit focused on education and promoting prolife and sexual purity values. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, and endowments, offering non-discretionary asset allocation advice, manager searches, and customized performance reporting with a focus on systematic due diligence and incorporating ESG considerations.

Michael Simon is a financial advisor at Cetera with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at multiple firms including LPL Financial, AXA Advisors, and HSBC. Simon is also an investment program manager for GTE Investment Group. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad range of clients including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and institutional accounts. The firm offers various portfolio management and consulting services through a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party managers.

Jonathan Tubbs is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 17 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC. He also has administrative responsibilities with Congdon and Company. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and corporate and charitable entities. The firm utilizes model-driven investment implementation and offers access to third-party asset managers, along with a range of financial planning and consulting services.

Heather Balfour is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 24 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Fidelity Investments and its affiliates for the majority of her career, with a three-year tenure at W&S Brokerage Services, Inc. from 2018 to 2021. Fidelity's Strategic Advisers LLC serves a broad client base, including retail and institutional investors, offering investment management and advisory services that incorporate proprietary research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm is notable for its use of systematic methodologies, its role as a commodity pool operator, and its advisory responsibilities to multiple registered investment companies and fund-of-funds.

Kathryn French is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Lakeland, FL, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations and over 27 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes 18 years at Allen & Company of Florida, Inc. and four years at Merrill. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supported by extensive operational and research tools.

William Rhodes is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors with seven years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Mass Mutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance, as well as over a decade with Iowa Northern Railway. He serves as a board member for the Shady Creek Preserve Homeowners Association. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse clientele of individual and institutional investors, including pension and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through multiple platforms and proprietary model strategies.

Christopher Mincey Sr. is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Edward Jones in Mulberry, FL, with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2014. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, managing approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Virginia Houghton is a financial advisor with LPL Financial based in Lakeland, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Allen & Company of Florida, Inc. for 15 years before joining LPL Financial in 2019. Houghton serves as chairman of the Morrison Foundation, a private nonprofit organization. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services through a network of representatives to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions, including access to model portfolios and third-party asset managers.

Karie Pate Valdes is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Lakeland, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and having eight years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Primerica Advisors since 2018, Liberty Tax, Randstad Staffing USA, and the Polk County Clerk of Court. She is also involved in a wellness business as a self-employed representative and serves as CFO for Notary Service of Florida. Primerica Advisors is a sponsor and discretionary portfolio manager of a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients. The firm operates at scale with nearly 3,700 advisors and approximately $15.5 billion in assets under management, delivering advisory services primarily through model-based investment strategies.