Lauren Woodward is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. She has worked at Kaplan Financial Group and Virginia Tech, with prior roles in public education and local government parks and recreation. Woodward is also involved in fixed insurance sales. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets, offering a broad platform including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody services.

Brian Thornton is a CFP® credentialed financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, based in Bethesda, MD. He has 26 years of industry experience, including roles at Principal Securities Inc. since 2009 and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2008. Thornton is also a designated bank officer supporting Principal retirement plan account relationships. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm’s advisory offerings include direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Jeffrey Mc Closkey is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 12 years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer for the Poolesville Area Chamber of Commerce, a nonprofit organization focused on local business and community development. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program, using a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies supported by third-party platforms and extensive inter-affiliate integration.

Amy Cousins is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 11 years of industry experience. She has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2020 and has been associated with New York Life Insurance and its affiliated entities since 2015. Amy also operates BluePoint Financial, LLC, through which she brokers non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutions, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm delivers advice through multiple program types, emphasizing tailored recommendations and primarily managing assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Ari Wiener is a CFP® professional at MAI Capital Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. His career includes roles at firms such as Charles Schwab Corporation and TIAA prior to joining MAI Capital Management. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm employs a range of investment strategies and combines portfolio management with financial planning, tax, and bill-pay services.

John Rogers is a financial advisor with United Planners' Financial Services of America in Rockville, MD. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 36 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at R&G Insurance Associates Inc and multiple Nationwide entities, where he worked from 1988 to 2019. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm delivers advisory and brokerage services through independent representatives, using various custodians and third-party managers, and emphasizes non-discretionary account management alongside formalized advisor transition support.

Frederick Cornelius III is a CFP® and CFA® with 24 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Creative Planning in North Bethesda, MD, having previously worked at Burt Associates, Inc. for 24 years. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in assets and employs a financial planning-led investment process with an emphasis on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by various tactical approaches and comprehensive retirement plan services.

Joseph Sladek Jr. is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2016, following a three-year tenure at Wells Fargo Advisors. Sladek and his wife own a rental property that they use as an investment. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model that distinguishes between one-time planning and ongoing portfolio management.

I Shiuan Lee is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Gaithersburg, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Lee has 11 years of industry experience, having worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2015 and with World Financial Group since 2013. Lee is involved in the sale of insurance and non-insurance products affiliated with Transamerica Financial Advisors. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, providing proprietary and third-party model portfolios and programs with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Liam Desmond is a financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors in Potomac, MD, holding a Series 65 designation with one year of industry experience. His career includes roles as a student from 2014 to 2023 and advisor positions at Wealthspire Advisors beginning in 2023. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers customized wealth management and investment advisory services, utilizing a relationship-driven process and institutional-style asset allocation across a range of portfolio guidelines.

Steven Collins is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 23 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Woodbury Financial Services Inc and Independent Financial Group. In addition to his advisory role, Collins sells term insurance and fixed annuities through Collins Capital Management. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Broderick Young is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 26 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Eagle Strategies (NY Life). His career includes roles at Crystal Clear Financial Group, Reveal Wealth, and New York Life. Outside of his advisory work, he serves on the board of Studio for Wellness & Education, contributing to the organization’s guidance and strategic development. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional sponsors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis through various program types linked to insurance and annuity products.

Eric Blackman is a financial advisor with United Planners Financial Services of America, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Equitable Advisors, LLC and Ernst and Young, as well as academic positions at the University of Maryland and Robert H. Smith School of Business. United Planners Financial Services is a national wealth-management enterprise serving a diverse client base that includes individual investors, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and institutional clients. The firm employs independent Investment Adviser Representatives who use a combination of custodians, third-party money managers, and platform programs to implement client-directed investment strategies.

Charles Smith is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 credential and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Morgan Stanley and SunTrust Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for Boy Scouts of America Troop 68. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and consulting supported by a dedicated Equity Research team and integrates services across affiliated entities.

Christopher Romano is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, based in Bethesda, MD, and has 14 years of industry experience. He also holds a senior vice president role at The Meltzer Group, a consulting firm where he has worked since 1999. Romano’s career includes consulting and corporate benefits activities with NFP, in addition to his advisory responsibilities at Kestra. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients such as sovereign wealth funds and other large institutional investors.

Lawrence Weber is a financial advisor at Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. with 24 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Voya since 2014. In addition to his advisory work, he operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in fixed insurance products. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a diverse client base, including individuals, institutional clients, and corporate retirement plans. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services through multiple program structures, emphasizing non-discretionary recommendations.

Joshua Olds is a CFA® charterholder and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses, with 19 years of industry experience. He is currently an investment advisor representative with NewEdge Advisors, LLC, where he has worked since 2024. Prior to that, he was a member of New Potomac Partners, LLC for ten years. Mr. Olds serves on the Wealth Management Sub-Committee of an educational programs group affiliated with the DC Society Board. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and nonprofits through a network of independent advisers. The firm offers diverse portfolio management and consulting services, combining in-house manager selection with third-party models and advisor discretion, and employs centralized due diligence and technology tools to support client needs.

Sarah Burdette is a Series 66-licensed advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, where she has worked since 2026. She has seven years of prior experience at Aeon Wealth Management and additional experience with Osaic Wealth Inc and Smokehouse Live. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, charitable organizations, and government entities. The firm provides a range of services including investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments through multiple advisory programs.

John Nauss III is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF in Silver Spring, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2013. TIAA-CREF’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans. The firm offers customized portfolio management alongside model portfolio options and serves as adviser to the TIAA Donor Advised Fund.

David Shober is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds a Series 66 designation and has 23 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Woodbury Financial Services, SSN Advisory, ACI Partners, and National Planning Corporation. Outside of his advisory work, he owns SZC Financial Planning & Management and is involved in offering fixed annuities and life and LTC insurance through SZC Financial (Insurance). Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a diverse range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan design, vendor searches, and manages discretionary and non-discretionary services supported by due diligence, serving clients including large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.