S. Paulina Nemec is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Woodstock, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 29 years of industry experience. She has worked with New York Life Insurance Company and Nylife Securities Inc. since 2002. Outside of her advisory role, she volunteers at Gilchrist Hospice Care, participating in fundraising events and facility support. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional plans, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client and plan sponsor objectives, with most regulatory assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Briana Lantuh is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Before joining William Blair, she held various roles across sectors including technology and education, with positions at Carahsoft Technology Corp. and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension funds, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Thomas West is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1998 and also holds a position at Agia. Outside of finance, West is an artist who creates paintings. 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-developed UMA models and operating at scale with over $26 billion in discretionary assets.

Ryan Hartsock is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Pasadena, MD, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Principal in 2025, he worked at T. Rowe Price for 12 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is an owner and operator of Black Tie Oyster LLC, a catering company specializing in raw bars for events. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Bradley Williams is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Lowe Wealth Advisors, LLC and Wilmington Trust Investment Advisors, Inc. before joining MAI Capital Management in 2025. MAI Capital Management provides investment management, wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm offers customized portfolio strategies and integrates financial planning and tax services while managing $72.3 billion in assets under management as of May 2026.

Sarah Rutherford is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds a Series 66 designation. She has seven years of industry experience, including roles at Merrill and Park Avenue Securities. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory solutions, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and digital platforms.

Dana Mazzarella is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with eight years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 registrations and has been with Kestra Advisory since 2021. In addition to her advisory role, she works as an administrative assistant at Asher Financial Services, where she is involved in tax preparation and client support activities. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves a diverse client base including large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Michael Stokvis is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC specializes in financial planning and discretionary managed account programs for individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary portfolio management using model portfolios or customized strategies under a fiduciary standard.

Daniel Brown is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Cypress Wealth Management, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Ameriprise Financial Services. Outside of investment advisory, he serves as an expert witness and consultant for attorneys on medical malpractice and personal injury cases. Independent Financial Partners offers investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent representatives. The firm emphasizes a decentralized advisory model and provides specialized retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting services.

Andrew Thompson is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has worked with several firms including LPL Financial and Triad Advisors. His roles have spanned both advisory and brokerage services within the Wealth Enhancement network. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services (WEAS) offers financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach combining passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Julie Babcock is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 23 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Lockton Financial Advisors, LLC, Lockton Companies, LLC, and Lockton Investment Advisors, LLC between 2007 and 2021. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in client assets using a financial planning–led investment process that includes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and supplemental approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Andrew Burton is a CFP® professional with 10 years of industry experience, currently serving at Valic Financial Advisors. His prior work includes roles at Agia, State Farm VP Management Corp, and Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co. Outside of his advisory duties, Burton is a board member of the St. Gerard Young Men's Association and serves as a varsity baseball assistant coach at Perry Hall High School. Valic Financial Advisors is a large 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 utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts with Envestnet’s platform and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through an extensive network of advisors.

Karina Funk is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience, currently serving at Brown Investment Advisory & Trust Company since 2009. She is based in Baltimore, MD. 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 approach to construct concentrated portfolios and offers a variety of strategies including sustainable-investment options, along with model portfolios and sub-advisory services.

Zachary Haussler is a CFP® and Series 66 credentialed financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has a background that includes roles at LPL Financial and the Wealth Enhancement Group. Outside of his advisory work, Haussler is employed with the Baltimore Blast in a non-investment-related capacity. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach that combines passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Thomas Hunt is a CFP® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. He previously worked at JPMorgan Securities LLC and JPMorgan Chase Bank NA. Hunt is a board member of the Chesapeake Planned Giving Council, a nonprofit organization focused on planned giving in the greater Chesapeake region. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering asset allocation, fiduciary support, and a third-party manager selection program. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches and employs AI tools alongside traditional research in its investment process.

Bryan Lopez is a CFA® charterholder with 15 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at HB Wealth, where he has worked since 2025. Prior to that, he spent 21 years at WMS Partners LLC and serves as the chief compliance officer for WMS Partners during the wind down of legacy private funds. HB Wealth Management is a registered investment adviser that provides wealth management, investment management, and financial planning services to individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, corporate entities, foundations, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm’s investment approach combines quantitative and qualitative due diligence across public and private strategies, managing accounts typically on a discretionary basis while aligning portfolios with clients’ objectives and risk tolerance.

Daniel Martinez is a financial advisor with T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. in Baltimore, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and six years of industry experience. He has been with T. Rowe Price since 2018 and has prior work experience in various roles including positions at Applebees, Muscle Maker Grill, and Baia Restaurant. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. offers individualized retirement planning and discretionary investment management focused on retirement goals, employing model allocations invested exclusively in proprietary T. Rowe Price mutual funds and ETFs. The firm uses goal-based financial planning tools and delivers ongoing plan reviews primarily to households with substantial investable assets.

Lauren Serafini is a CFP® professional with two years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. Her prior experience includes roles at Berman McAleer, Merrill Lynch, The Financial Gym, Commonwealth Financial Network, and Serafini Financial Services. 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 utilizes a financial planning–led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by various portfolio management techniques and comprehensive retirement plan services.

Thomas Thibeault is a financial advisor at William Blair with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Chapin Davis, UBS Financial Services, Mount Vernon Associates Inc, and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Eric Armentrout is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at T Rowe Price and Equitable Advisors. 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 emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services closely with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.