Thomas Miller is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. He has worked with SunTrust and its successor firms since 2005. Miller serves on the Board of Directors at the Chapel Hill Country Club, where he oversees club administration and activities. 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.

Haleh Moddasser is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 14 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 65 designation and previously worked at Stearns Financial Services Group for nine years before joining Hightower Advisors in 2020. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, combined with proprietary research and portfolio construction techniques.

James Shaughnessy II is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and at SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate platforms, to deliver comprehensive investment solutions.

Christopher Murphy is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Cary, NC, holding CFP® and ChFC® designations and bringing 39 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. and Paine-Webber Group. He is also owner and president of CMLZ, LLC, an entity created to operate a branch office. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a broad support platform including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Mark Courtemanche is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC in Cary, NC, holding the ChFC® designation as well as Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 20 years of industry experience, including roles at Pinnacle Retirement Solutions, Capital Investment Group, and Outer Banks Financial. He is involved in facilitating estate planning document services alongside his advisory work. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes model portfolio and direct asset management, operating at scale with standardized platform services.

Stephen Engelson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 33 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Truist Advisory Services since 2016, also affiliated with Truist Investment Services since 2010. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in purchasing homes for flipping in Durham, NC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a mix of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by advanced research tools and inter-affiliate integration.

Crystal Woodberry is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Merrill and First Citizens Securities Corporation. 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 including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs.

David Castro is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services, Kovitz Investment Group Partners, and other firms. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs an enhanced open architecture investment approach combining active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds, and offers services including financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to affiliated private funds.

Michelle Disney is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. She has worked at Allworth Financial since 2022, following previous roles at Adams Chetwood Wealth Management, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Allworth Financial serves individual and high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial and wealth planning, portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and variable annuity sub-account servicing. The firm uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis through an Investment Committee to implement customized investment strategies across various asset classes and offers specialized portfolios, alongside educational resources such as newsletters, podcasts, and seminars.

Mark Nachimson is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2004. He also holds a role with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. Nachimson is a limited partner in a family limited partnership established for estate planning purposes. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, along with corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, employing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Jonathan Ludwig is a financial advisor at United Planners Financial Services of America and holds a Series 65 credential. He has one year of advisory experience and previously worked at Accenture Federal Services as a Growth & Strategy Manager. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives and employs a combination of custodians, third-party managers, and platform programs to implement client strategies.

James Appleby is a CFP® certified financial advisor with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2018, including leadership roles at Truist Investment Services and Bb&T Securities. Appleby serves as a local board member for Beginnings, a nonprofit focused on education and assistance for children with hearing loss. 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 and AI-enabled equity research tools.

Rajesh Chundi is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Change Healthcare Inc. and Optum Services Inc. Outside of advising, he serves as a database administrator for the Orange Water and Sewer Authority and operates Chundi Financial Services, LLC. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers across multiple platforms such as Transamerica ONE and the TFA365 Advisory Program.

Sarah Hickey is a Planning Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role she has held since 2023. She has accumulated over a decade of experience in financial services, working in various capacities including service management, investment solutions, and client relationship management. Her professional background includes positions at RBC Wealth Management, Fidelity Investments, Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, J.P. Morgan Wealth Management, and Barclays Wealth. Throughout her career, she has focused on understanding clients' unique needs and circumstances to develop financial plans that align with their goals and values. Outside of her professional work, Sarah has interests in art, food, parenthood, and yoga.

Jacob Niles is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Raleigh Capital Management and Fidelity Investments. Outside of advisory work, he is also an insurance agent with Raleigh Wealth Solutions. 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 retail brokerage clients. The firm uses an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focuses on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Hans Scheil Jr. is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC in Durham, NC. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has 20 years of industry experience. He is also the CEO of H.E. Scheil & Associates, Inc., an insurance agency based in Durham. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm employs a range of strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models, incorporating proprietary funds and external sub-advisors, while also acting as a sub-advisor to other advisory programs.

James Chetwood III is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience and is currently affiliated with Allworth Financial, L.P. He has worked at firms including Adams Chetwood Wealth Management, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an elder on the board of The Summit Church and is the author of *Retire to the Fullest: Four Dimensions of Financial Peace of Mind*. Allworth Financial provides services to a broad client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors as well as institutions. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting, employing a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies.

Kennedy Taylor is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with five years of industry experience. He currently works at Empower Advisory Group and previously was employed by Fidelity Investments and First Citizens Bank & Trust Co. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, delivering services through an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its financial planning, serving a large participant base with a higher client-to-advisor ratio than many peers.

James Simone is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 30 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2013. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and corporate entities, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm also advises donor-advised funds and combines point-in-time planning with ongoing portfolio management under a fiduciary standard.

Robert Mouro is a CFP® with 22 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2019 and previously held roles at Bank of America and Merrill. He serves on the advisory board of the Northwest Cary YMCA, acting as an ambassador for the organization in the community. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large enterprise firm managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm offers a wide range of services to individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, utilizing in-house and third-party portfolio management across multiple advisory programs.