Lucia Cruz is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 21 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Agia, AIG Capital Services, American General Life Insurance, VALIC Financial Advisors, and JP Morgan. Outside of finance, she operates a photography business providing portrait, event, and art print services. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors.

Christopher Halaska is a financial advisor at Corient with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked previously at Avalon Wealth Management and Memorial Herman Health System. He serves as an advisory board member for The University of Texas at Austin Master's in Finance program, providing mentorship and program guidance. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and uses risk management tools and stress testing to align portfolios with client objectives.

Constantinos Parlas is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at AIG Capital Services since 2016 and with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2014. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-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.

Jessica Knutson is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic Financial Advisors, she worked at Cetera and Fidelity Investments, and has a background that includes roles outside the financial industry. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs and other financial planning and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and providing optional tax and impact overlay services.

Justin Kibler is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley, Merrill, and JPMorgan Securities LLC. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with a focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs managed by a centralized Investment Management Team and Wealth Portfolio Managers.

Jared Sandlin is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2017 and also holds a position as an agent with Agia, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. Prior to Valic, he was employed with NCSA Next College Student Athlete. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models and operating with approximately $26.4 billion in discretionary assets under management.

Matthew Crouch is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2014 and is also associated with Agia as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Douglas White is a financial advisor at Farther with seven years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including NEXT Financial, TCG, Family Houston, and Edward Jones. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform as well as in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using proprietary model portfolios, algorithmic rebalancing, and a mix of ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income, supplemented by AI tools subject to internal controls.

Derek Thorp is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at LPL Financial LLC, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Chase Investment Services Corp. Thorp is also the owner of MFG Wealth, LLC, a private entity facilitating securities, advisory, and insurance business. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and managing over $210 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad adviser-support platform that includes managed-account programs and access to third-party asset managers, offering a range of investment options and back-office services.

Christopher Sarofim is a financial advisor at Fayez Sarofim & Co. with 29 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He has been with Fayez Sarofim & Co. and its affiliated entities since 2010, including Sarofim International Management Company and Sarofim Trust Co. Fayez Sarofim & Co. provides discretionary investment management to a diverse group of institutional and individual clients, including pension plans, endowments, foundations, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a bottom-up research process with a focus on large-cap, high-quality companies and offers a range of equity and fixed-income strategies while generally avoiding derivatives, leverage, short selling, and market timing.

Tharindu Wanigatunga is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic Financial Advisors, he worked in various roles across multiple industries, including medical technology and laboratory services. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts, leveraging centralized technology and model solutions to support its large client base.

John Lytle is a financial advisor at Corient in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation with 12 years of industry experience. He previously worked for Avalon Wealth Management LLC and Avalon Investment & Advisory for 10 years. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach integrating in-house strategies, third-party managers, and risk management tools, with capabilities in private funds and affiliated trust services.

Megan Assenmacher is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience. She is currently with Empower Advisory Group and has previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. 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, using an integrated service model connected to Empower’s administrative platforms.

Ryan Griswold is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at firms including Invesco and Axa Advisors, LLC. His background also includes roles outside the financial industry at Samuels Jewelers and Texas Christian University. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a mix of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients that include large institutional investors such as sovereign wealth funds.

Marlon Scott is a financial advisor at Carson Wealth with 21 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His career includes roles at firms such as Merrill, Ameriprise Financial Services, and LPL Financial. He serves as President of the UNT Alumni Association and Vice President of the INROADS Houston Alumni Association. Carson Wealth is an SEC-registered investment adviser with more than 650 advisors and oversees approximately $50.6 billion in assets. The firm provides discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing model portfolios guided by an Investment Committee and offering tailored solutions including custom indexing and alternative investments.

Patrick Reilly is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 registrations and five years of industry experience. His prior work includes automotive sales roles and earlier positions within Valic Financial Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he also serves as an agent for non-securities insurance products with AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, using centralized technology and third-party models to serve a substantial client base.

Michelle Wilburn is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 11 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Valic Financial Advisors for eight years and has been with Empower-related firms since 2023. Wilburn is also involved with Catbirds, a business she has been connected to for over a decade. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to select IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm offers integrated services tied to its recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Bernice Castaneda is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Securities, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., and USAA. She is also involved as an agent offering non-securities insurance products through Agia. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm provides discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Meagan O'Shaughnessy is a financial advisor at Corient with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 designations. Her prior experience includes roles at JPMorgan Securities LLC, JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, the University of Texas McCombs School of Business, and Morgan Stanley. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools and alternative investments as appropriate.

Brian Watts is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Valic since 1999, including a role at SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. since 2014. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services through its broker-dealer operations.