Querube Mena is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Lakeway, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has eight years of industry experience. Mena has worked at GWFS Equities, Inc., MML Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Charles Schwab. 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 certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within integrated recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Gene Dooley is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, based in Austin, TX, and has 16 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Raymond James Financial Services, Bank of America, and Merrill. Dooley serves on the advisory council of Thornburg Investment Management and is involved with Seton 50, a nonprofit supporting Dell Seton Medical Center. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an SEC-registered, enterprise-scale RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through both proprietary and third-party solutions.

Emma Melone is a financial advisor with D.A. Davidson & Co. in Austin, TX. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been in the industry since 2025. Prior to her current role, she held positions at Equitable Advisors, LLC and worked in various capacities including at Illinois State University and Cintas Corporation. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, comprehensive financial planning, and a Private Wealth program for high-net-worth clients, operating under fiduciary standards and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative investment analysis.

Armando Hernandez is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2010. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model distinguishes between one-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management, utilizing both model and customized portfolios.

Paul Rhyne is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously served in the US Army and US Coast Guard. He is a board member of O.U.R.R.R Worldwide Servant Leadership Academy, a nonprofit focused on providing leadership opportunities and mentorship to underprivileged children. 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.

Christopher Jones is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 38 years of industry experience. He has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015, with additional experience at PlanWise Financial Group and as owner of Reed Lake Private Wealth. Outside of his advisory roles, he serves as a co-trustee for a non-client trust. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser that supports a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and services, including wealth management and retirement plan consulting, while providing operations, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support to its affiliated advisors.

Cleopatra Morales is a CFP® and ChFC® with 22 years of experience in the financial industry. She is affiliated with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) and has worked at Tony DeLeon & Associates since 2021. Morales has a long tenure with New York Life-related firms, including NYLIFE Securities and New York Life Insurance Co., dating back to 2003. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and plan sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored solutions across multiple program types and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Ezra Lagan is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining &PARTNERS, he worked at Dimensional Fund Advisors and Foreside Fund Services, LLC. He is also a partial owner and operator of a food truck in Austin, Texas. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm provides a range of services including investment advisory, brokerage, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing a mix of proprietary and third-party investment strategies.

Angelena Armstrong is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 15 years of industry experience. Before joining TIAA-CREF in 2019, she worked with TD Ameritrade Investment Management and Scottrade. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in fitness as a Pilates instructor and yoga teacher. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, utilizing model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard.

James Barnard is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and has previously worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. Barnard also operates as an independent insurance agent through Hart Financial Group. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a multi-manager investment approach that incorporates both affiliated and third-party managers.

William Cornforth is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Cornforth is active as a musician, songwriter, and producer, and serves as president of his homeowners association. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. provides a range of investment advisory, brokerage, financial planning, and retirement plan services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers adviser-led programs including model portfolios, third-party money manager accounts, and workplace education, combining advisory services with an active broker-dealer distribution model and a broad affiliate network.

Keith Baker II is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) in Austin, TX, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. He has 29 years of industry experience and has operated his own firms under the names Keith A. Baker and Associates and B2 Wealth Solutions, through which he sells New York Life products and brokers non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional clients, and plan sponsors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored advice delivered through multiple program types, with the majority of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Bryce Meares is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 23 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. Meares is involved in health and life insurance sales through Hart Financial Group and serves as a consultant providing 401(k) education and assistance to employees at Parsley Energy. Hightower Advisors delivers investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm emphasizes a multi-manager approach, incorporating affiliated and third-party managers, proprietary research, and a variety of investment strategies.

Mark Hughes is a financial advisor with Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked with Coordinated Financial, LLC, Ameritas Investment Corp, and Ameritas Life Insurance Corp, among others. Hughes is also a partner at The National Wealth Group, where he is involved in recruiting and training new agents. Ameritas Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, charitable and corporate entities, and retirement plans. The firm offers fee-based asset management, retirement-plan advisory, and utilizes model portfolios, third-party sub-advisers, and custom strategies, serving clients on discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Chia You Tsai is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network based in Austin, TX. He holds a Series 66 designation and has six years of industry experience. Prior to joining Commonwealth and Allfluent Wealth Management in 2020, he worked at IBM for twelve years. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients, providing a range of advisory programs and back-office support including operations, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice management. The firm offers various portfolio management solutions and operates under a platform model that supports advisors in delivering customized investment advice.

D'onte Cole is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior experience at firms including J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, and Charles Schwab. In addition to his advisory work, he is appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors. The firm utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts via Envestnet’s platform and employs model-based and overlay investment strategies.

Benjamin Bowman is a Certified Financial Planner™ at Valic Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2015 and has also held a role at Agia since 2022, where he is involved in non-securities insurance products. 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, consulting services, and discretionary unified managed accounts supported by a centralized technology platform and a large network of investment advisor representatives.

Nickelle Leist is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. She has nine years of industry experience and has worked at Park Avenue Securities and Guardian Life Insurance Company since 2017. Prior to that, Leist was with Pinney Insurance for seven years. Park Avenue Securities LLC, operating as Park Avenue® Wealth Management, is a dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers brokerage services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and a range of investment advisory programs.

Gail Kincannon is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 36 years of industry experience. She has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2006 and has been involved with The Ranier Financial Group, LLC since 2009. Outside of her advisory work, she holds mineral ownership producing minerals in Oklahoma. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual and institutional investors, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored solutions through multiple program types and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Ryan Mc Coneghy is a financial advisor with Cerity Partners LLC based in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Austin Private Wealth, ENZI Wealth, Ameriprise, and Janus Distributors LLC. Outside of finance, he is active as a musician. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a diverse national client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and quantitative screening, offering a range of investment and consulting services including private-market investment programs.