Gian Carlo Ornelas is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with two years of industry experience. He is currently with Mariner Wealth Advisors, where he has worked since 2021, including prior experience at Shankland Financial Advisors and Illinois State University. Outside of finance, he has experience in the automotive service sector with Platinum Car Wash. Mariner serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, high-net-worth households, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and integrates tax and accounting services alongside traditional portfolio management.

Kathleen Kelly is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 22 years of industry experience. She has worked at William Blair since 2019 and previously spent 15 years at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and private investment opportunities.

Paul Schee is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Mariner since 2022 and previously spent nine years at Capstone Financial Advisors. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers a wide range of services such as investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services, utilizing both in-house research and third-party managers across various asset classes.

James Gazis is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Independent Financial Partners since 2025. Prior to this, he spent 15 years at Balanced Asset Strategies, Ltd and three years at Commonwealth Financial Network. He is the owner of Balanced Asset Strategies, Ltd, an investment-related business focused on wealth management. Independent Financial Partners offers investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform serving tens of thousands of clients and is notable for its specialized retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting capabilities.

Charles Schuster is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Monroe Capital LLC and Madison Boats LLC, along with four years at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing over $295 billion in client assets through more than 1,100 advisors.

Rachel Kowalczyk is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner. She previously worked at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC from 2013 to 2017 before joining Mariner Wealth Advisors in 2018. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party managers to implement customized portfolios and provides integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness solutions.

Trevor Johnson is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Fifth Third Securities since 2021. Outside of his advisory role, he is active as an online seller on eBay and TCGPlayer.com and creates trading and playing card content on YouTube. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, trusts, and retirement accounts, offering investment advisory and brokerage services through various program types and third-party portfolio managers on its Passageway platform.

Corey Speck is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Mariner with three years of industry experience. He has been with Mariner since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of the Rolfe Pancreatic Cancer Foundation, where he helps raise funds and coordinate events. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations through investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm offers customized discretionary portfolios supported by in-house research and third-party managers, along with integrated tax, accounting, and family office services.

Erin Schuster is a financial advisor with Private Advisor Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. She has worked at Harvest Financial Planning, Harvest Wealth Partners, and LPL Financial since 2014. Additionally, she serves as a board member for the Hanover Central Athletic Boosters. Private Advisor Group serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans by providing portfolio management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and managed account solutions. The firm uses a fiduciary-based advisory model and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary services, leveraging technology platforms and third-party managers.

Thomas Ferraro is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at Merrill, Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank NA, and Securian Financial Services. Outside of his advisory role, he coaches wrestling and other sports for the County of Charleston School District and serves as a coach at Ida Crown Hebrew Academy. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs. The firm integrates internal standards and oversight committees to select and monitor managers and provides a range of execution and custody services alongside specialized products for high-net-worth clients.

Laurence Mccarthy is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Munster, IN, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 13 years of industry experience. He has been associated with NYLife Securities LLC since 2013 and New York Life Insurance Company since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in insurance brokering through Simplicity Life and Rafferty and Associates, Inc. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutions, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through multiple program types and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Alexandria Dotson is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at PNC Investments since 2016 and at PNC Bank from 2016 to 2018. Outside of her advisory role, she has been involved as a property owner-landlord. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services, including a model-based digital discretionary portfolio program available by invitation to employees. The firm’s approach uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and approved model strategies managed by PNC or third-party strategists, focusing on mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Patrick Rule is a financial advisor with William Blair in Clarendon Hills, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2016. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division serves individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients through discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, offering proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Stephen Berenson is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. He has seven years of industry experience, including roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant. Outside of advisory work, he is a managing partner at RL Tax and Bookkeeping, LLC, which provides tax accounting services. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations through a network of independent representatives. The firm offers a broad range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing multiple program structures and centralized due diligence to support advisor and client needs.

Robert Magnesen is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Fifth Third Securities since 2014, having worked at Fifth Third Bank since 2009. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, and institutional investors. The firm provides multiple discretionary managed-account options and features such as direct indexing and a tax-overlay service, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Michael Shean is a financial advisor at TLG Advisors, Inc. with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Simplicity Investments, MML Investors Services, Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Lenox Advisors, Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent specializing in individual and group life and health insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. manages approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets and serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors. The firm offers investment supervisory and portfolio management services, comprehensive financial and estate planning, ERISA fiduciary services, and a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios, utilizing fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory across its investment approach.

Andrea Longhi is a financial advisor with Creative Planning, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing nine years of industry experience. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2021, he worked at Raymond James Financial Services and Money Managers Financial Group. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure while offering a range of institutional and retirement plan services.

Kellen Cross is a financial advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors with a Series 65 credential and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Mariner, he held roles at the University of Kansas, Infinitas, Edison Spaces, and Royal Blue Capital. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios supported by an internal investment team and integrates tax and accounting services uncommon for firms of its size.

Juan Martin is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley, E*TRADE Securities LLC, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Martin earned an MBA from the University of Iowa. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across wealth segments including workplace, high-net-worth, and ultra-high-net-worth, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm implements multi-asset, multi-manager strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs and maintains unique market roles such as swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Katherine Murphy is a financial advisor at William Blair with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2006. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary models and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.