John Christolini is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Prudential Investment Management Services LLC and Global Portfolio Strategies, Inc. Christolini has been with Empower Advisory Group since 2024. 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 account holders. The firm’s approach integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and savings rates within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.

Hayriye Aslan is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over twenty-one years of experience in the investment and financial services industries. She supports clients by developing personalized financial strategies tailored to their individual goals, drawing upon a holistic approach to wealth management. In her role as a Senior Financial Advisor and Senior Portfolio Advisor, Hayriye assists clients with a range of services including college education planning, family wealth management, retirement planning, tax minimization, and investment strategy, among others. Prior to joining Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, Hayriye gained experience in the stock, bond, and repo markets, and has expertise in annuities, life insurance, and consumer banking. She holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Hartford and a Bachelor's degree from Bilkent University. Hayriye has earned professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). She is committed to putting her clients’ needs first and continues to expand her knowledge through various training and certification programs. Outside her professional pursuits, Hayriye participates in community volunteer activities. Her personal interests include cooking, interior decorating, music, reading, soccer, and spending time with her family.

William Mcdonald is a financial advisor at NewEdge Advisors with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at GWM Advisors, LLC, TIAA-CREF, Merrill, and MSI Financial Services. 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 adviser representatives. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and centralized due diligence supported by technology tools.

Elizabeth Lott is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has worked at firms including LPL Financial, The Prudential Insurance Company of America, and Horace Mann Companies. Outside of finance, she is involved in dance and fitness instruction, teaching at the Farmington Valley YMCA and Farmington Valley Academy Montessori, and owning East Coast Dance & Fitness. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

David Coburn is a financial advisor with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC in Manchester, CT, holding 37 years of industry experience. He previously led Coburn & Meredith, Inc. for 38 years before joining Integrated Wealth Concepts and LPL Financial in 2021. Integrated Wealth Concepts serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, family office, and retirement plan advisory services, employing a primarily long-term investment approach with customized portfolios using mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income.

Eric Macway is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc., holding the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and having 20 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2014. Outside of his advisory work, he volunteers as a youth soccer and basketball coach in South Windsor, CT. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory services, and access to third-party money managers for individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs a combination of in-house and external strategists, model portfolios, and technology tools to deliver mainly non-discretionary investment management through a large network of advisors.

Kendra O'Reilly is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 26 years of industry experience. Prior to joining NewEdge in 2021, she worked at Key Investment Services LLC for five years. 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, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and technology tools to support advisor and client needs.

Anthony Muscarella is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Money Concepts Capital Corp, where he has worked since 1998. He has 27 years of industry experience and also owns an accounting and tax services business serving small businesses and individuals since 1986. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a range of managed programs and investment strategies, including proprietary retirement model portfolios, and serves approximately 14,700 clients through 431 advisors.

Kathleen Thompson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Empower Advisory Group in 2025, she worked at Voya Financial and its affiliates for 11 years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to IRA and retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s services are integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focus on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Brandon Holland is a financial advisor with Foundations Investment Advisors LLC in West Hartford, CT. He holds a Series 65 credential and has been active in the financial industry since 2023. His prior experience includes roles at Fuchs Financial and the IFS Institute, as well as positions in education at Central Connecticut State University and Bristol Central High School. Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC provides financial planning and portfolio management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and retirement plans. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analyses and uses model portfolios with an asymmetric rebalancing approach.

Daniel Plis is a financial advisor at Citizens Securities, Inc. with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at PNC Investments for eight years before joining Citizens Securities in 2022. Citizens Securities serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors as well as retirement plans, offering both investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm provides advisory programs such as a digital advisory platform and a Managed Account program, while also operating as a broker-dealer and insurance agency.

Randy Herz is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and 65 credentials and over 30 years of industry experience. He has worked with Ameritas Advisory Services since 2021 and has been involved with various Ameritas entities, including Ameritas Life Insurance and Ameritas Investment Corp., for over 20 years. Herz is also a partner at Herz Financial, LLC, where he is licensed to sell fixed insurance products. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a range of investment management and financial planning services, utilizing model portfolios, mutual funds, ETFs, and individual securities, supported by multiple program platforms and third-party technology.

Ashley Brown Bairos is a CFP® professional with five years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network. She has held multiple roles in financial services since 2021 and serves as a head coach for a youth hockey team during the winter season. Additionally, she manages finance operations within a separate financial platform and works as an insurance agent. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a broad range of managed-account programs, access to third-party managers, and comprehensive back-office support, including trading and reporting services.

Keith Leece is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at TIAA-CREF since 2013, with prior experience at LPL Financial and an earlier tenure at TIAA-CREF. Outside of his advisory work, he has pursued an apprenticeship as a barber. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and corporate entities, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm provides both one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management using model and customized portfolios within a vertically integrated structure.

David Gillard is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 22 years of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities since 2014 and Ameriprise in 2002. He serves as a director of The Life Farm Company, a nonprofit farm offering activities and events for children and the elderly. Park Avenue Securities LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers advisor-led discretionary management alongside model-based strategies and digital advisory solutions, with tailored client relationships spanning financial planning, consulting, and ERISA-related retirement plan services.

Charles Yannich Jr. is a financial advisor with United Planners Financial Services of America, holding a Series 66 designation and 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and has co-founded a marketing entity called Retirement and Money Strategies. Yannich also serves as a notary in Stonington, CT. United Planners Financial Services serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan services, and brokerage solutions through a network of 477 independent advisors. The firm operates an open-architecture platform and features a limited partnership ownership structure in which financial professionals hold a majority interest.

Mark Van Valkenburg is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Liberty Partners Financial Services, Modern Capital Advisors, and Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation. He is also involved in wholesale distribution of financial products through Frontier Brokerage Insurance Services. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services, with an investment approach grounded in fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory.

Brett Esterson is a CFA® charterholder with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC. He previously held roles at Aetna Capital Management, Cigna Investments, Inc., and Aetna CVS. Outside of his advisory work, he is president of the Temple Sinai of Newington and head of logistics for the West Hartford Travel Basketball youth sports league. Focus Partners Wealth provides wealth management and advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Matthew Haddock is a financial advisor with Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC in Manchester, CT, holding a Series 65 credential and six years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at United Capital Financial Advisors, LLC, Gaudreau Wealth New England, Mid Atlantic Capital Corporation, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Innovative Wealth Managers. Outside of advising, he owns Woods Hollow Leather Co., a personal merchandise business. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans through a network of independent advisors. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, and family office services, using customized portfolios of mutual funds, ETFs, equities, and fixed income with a primarily long-term investment approach.

Gerald Goldberg is a financial advisor with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Colony Group, LLC, GYL Financial Synergies, LLC, Wells Fargo Advisors, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Prudential Equity Group, LLC. He serves as managing member of several non-investment related LLCs, overseeing their day-to-day administrative activities. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, corporate, and institutional clients with wealth management and advisory services, employing a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.