Paul Sortino is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. (ESI Financial Advisors) based in Timonium, MD. He holds the CFP® designation and securities licenses Series 63 and Series 65, with 18 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Worthington Financial Partners since 2010 and Equity Services, Inc. since 2007. Outside of advising, Sortino serves as a general board member and co-chair for the Maryland chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Equity Services, Inc. provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm operates with multiple advisory platforms, frequently using third-party asset managers and model portfolios, and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Kevin Balliet is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with two years of industry experience. He has worked at PNC Investments LLC since 2023 and has been with PNC Bank NA since 2019. He holds a Series 66 designation. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an online discretionary model account offered as an invitation-only employee pilot. The firm’s approach involves algorithm-driven portfolio selection and delegation of investment implementation to third parties, using mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Kathy Morris is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Severn, MD. She holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has 17 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower Financial Services, Inc., she worked for MissionSquare Retirement (formerly ICMA Retirement Corporation) for 18 years. 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 integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Kenneth Stuzin is a CFA® charterholder based in Baltimore, MD, with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Brown Investment Advisory & Trust Company since 2001. Brown Advisory provides investment management and advisory services to a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, including high net worth individuals, endowments, foundations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental research process to construct concentrated portfolios across various mandates and offers a combination of internally managed strategies and external manager access.

Joshua Rowe is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 65 license with seven years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at HB Wealth, where he has worked since 2025. Prior to that, he spent four years at WMS Partners, LLC, and three years at Orinda Asset Management. Outside of his advisory work, Rowe serves as an adjunct faculty member at Johns Hopkins University, teaching an economics course twice a week. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser providing wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management with a capital markets-driven approach and incorporates a combination of quantitative and qualitative due diligence across a range of public and private investment strategies.

Ryan Terrents is a financial advisor with William Blair, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He has held roles at Coppermine, Heritage Financial Consultants, and other organizations prior to joining William Blair. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients, employing an active, research-driven approach across various asset classes and providing access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Angel Hawthorne is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Advised Assets Group, LLC, GWFS Equities, Inc., and ICMA Retirement Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he markets telecommunications services as an independent representative with ACN, Inc. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Thomas Kenney is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily for individuals with existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as for trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm operates within a vertically integrated group and serves as an adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Jeffrey Weiner is a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Benjamin F. Edwards since 2013. He serves as co-trustee for trusts for close family friends and as trustee for his grandchildren’s trust. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer with approximately 436 advisors and $15.7 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, corporations, retirement plans, trusts, foundations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory services and investment strategies that include firm-developed and third-party models with ongoing oversight from an Investment Strategy Committee.

Robert Nordeen Jr. is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2009. He is also affiliated with RetirementQuest Planning Services. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their clients with a range of advisory programs and services, including wealth management and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides operational, trading, technology, investment management, and compliance support, enabling advisors to offer customized portfolios and model-based investment solutions.

Robert Weisman is a financial advisor at SPC with over 31 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has worked at Parkland Securities, LLC since 2014. He has also been an independent insurance agent and operated his own firm, Robert Weisman & Assoc., since 1989. SPC serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and ERISA-related retirement plan services through a network of over 460 advisers managing approximately $5.66 billion in assets.

Melissa Placek is a financial advisor at T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has worked previously at Samuel, Son & Co, East Coast Poured Floors, Transportation Impact, and the Baltimore Orioles. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services offers a retirement-focused advisory program that combines nondiscretionary financial planning, retirement income planning, and discretionary investment management primarily using proprietary mutual funds and ETFs. The service is designed for individual investors and households with a focus on retirement goals and includes online planning tools and annual reviews.

Erika Pagel is a financial advisor at Brown Advisory with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Brown Advisory since 2012. Brown Advisory provides investment management and advisory services to a diverse client base, including high net worth individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a bottom-up, fundamental research process to construct concentrated portfolios and offers a range of strategies, including sustainable-investment options, as well as model portfolios and sub-advisory services.

Carly Neidecker is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at T. Rowe Price, Brown Advisory, and Wells Fargo Advisors. In addition to her advisory role, she is involved with JLB Wealth Management Group, providing financial planning and investment advising services. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm provides a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, investment advice, and employee education, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets under management.

Mandie Peters is a financial advisor with Integrity Alliance, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has worked at firms including Capital Analysts, Lincoln Investment, and Questar Capital Corporation. In addition to her advisory role, she is an insurance agent specializing in life, fixed annuity, Medicare, and long-term care products. Integrity Alliance is a large advisory enterprise serving individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a network of over 300 advisors managing approximately $5.4 billion in assets, utilizing various investment approaches and platforms.

Shantel Washington is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. She previously worked at ICMA Retirement Corporation for 10 years and is currently involved in real estate through Affordable Luxury Realty LLC and Affordable Luxury Corp, where she focuses on purchasing, renovating, and selling homes. Washington also serves as an agent for non-securities insurance products with Agia. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based 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-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Angela Treff is a CFP® with 27 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Kestra Advisory Services. She has held roles at Kestra since 2009 and has owned Craig & Treff Financial Services since 2004, where she provides income tax preparation, planning, and insurance services. Treff also serves on the finance committee of the Maryland Yacht Club. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, providing services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves a diverse client base that includes large institutional investors.

Jason Ruch is a financial advisor at T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Prior to joining T. Rowe Price, he worked for OrthoMaryland for ten years. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services offers a retirement-focused advisory program combining nondiscretionary financial planning, retirement income planning, and discretionary investment management, primarily serving individual investors and households. The firm uses model portfolios invested exclusively in T. Rowe Price mutual funds and ETFs, employing tax-aware strategies and Monte Carlo simulations to support financial planning and account management.

Seth Higgins is a financial advisor with HB Wealth who holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining HB Wealth, he worked at Equitable Advisors and Leadline Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a varsity lacrosse assistant coach at McDonogh School and helps run lacrosse camps and tournaments through Millon Events. HB Wealth Management provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combined quantitative and qualitative investment process spanning public and private strategies and offers advisory services including outsourced chief investment officer solutions.

Jennifer Whelley is a financial advisor with T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. in Baltimore, MD. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has eight years of industry experience. Her career includes multiple roles at T. Rowe Price as well as a tenure at Fidelity Brokerage Services LLC. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. provides retirement-focused financial planning and investment management to individual investors and households, using model portfolios invested exclusively in T. Rowe Price mutual funds and ETFs. The firm offers nondiscretionary planning combined with discretionary account management, utilizing tools such as Monte Carlo simulations and tax-aware strategies.