Kathleen Focht is a financial advisor at Sapere Wealth Management, LLC with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Sapere Wealth Management since 2005. Her prior experience includes roles at Sapere Wealth Creation, LLC and Carlton Dixon. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and trust entities. The firm employs a top-down, global-macro investment approach focused on absolute returns, combining public equities, registered funds, and privately offered vehicles with an emphasis on active liquidity management.

Bryan Stark is a financial advisor with Stark Financial Advisers, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. and R.M. Stark & Co., Inc., as well as over three decades at U.S. Airways. Stark Financial Advisers, Inc. manages approximately $94.7 million on a discretionary basis for individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and other business entities. The firm employs an asset-allocation driven approach that incorporates both fundamental and technical analysis, offering strategies ranging from conservative to aggressive and including derivative use in separately managed accounts.

David Beach Jr. is a financial advisor at Mill Capital Management, LLC in Concord, NC, with three years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 and Series 66 designations. Prior to joining Mill Capital Management in 2026, he worked at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. for five years and Wells Fargo Bank for nineteen years. Mill Capital Management serves individual clients, including high net worth individuals, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a large-cap equity strategy focused on value-oriented U.S. large- and mid-cap companies and manages approximately $1.49 billion in client assets with a compact advisory team.

Carlton Dixon is a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC®) with 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Sapere Wealth Management, LLC and Sapere Wealth Creation, LLC since 2004. In addition to his advisory role, he is also licensed as a life insurance agent. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and trust entities. The firm employs a top-down, global-macro investment approach focused on absolute returns, combining public equities, registered funds, and privately offered investment vehicles while emphasizing active liquidity management.

Brian Seay is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has been with Mill Capital Management, LLC since 2021 and previously worked at Wells Fargo from 1994 to 2021. Mill Capital Management serves individual clients, including high net worth individuals, and charitable organizations by providing discretionary investment management and financial planning. The firm employs a concentrated large-cap equity strategy focused on high-quality, value-oriented U.S. companies, combining internal management with selective use of external managers.

Ryan Knight is a financial advisor at Family Wealth Partners, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and Founders Federal Credit Union. Prior to his financial career, he was employed at Liberty University, Pelican's Snoballs, and Lancaster County School District. Family Wealth Partners serves individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and pension/profit-sharing plans, offering discretionary investment management, financial planning, pension consulting, and estate plan coordination. The firm employs a diversified, model- and research-driven investment process that includes fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and a range of traditional and alternative securities.

Scott Trease is the sole advisor at Sapere Wealth Management, LLC in Matthews, NC, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 39 years of industry experience. He has been associated with Sapere Wealth Management and affiliated entities since 2002. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and trust entities. The firm employs a top-down, global-macro investment approach with an absolute-return focus, combining public equities, registered funds, and privately offered funds while emphasizing active liquidity management.

Blake Hedrick is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Family Wealth Partners, LLC since 2022 and previously held roles at LPL Financial, Independent Advisor Alliance, and TIAA-CREF. Family Wealth Partners serves individuals, business entities, charitable organizations, and pension plans with discretionary investment management, financial planning, pension consulting, and estate plan coordination. The firm employs a diversified, model- and research-driven investment process that includes fundamental analysis, modern portfolio theory, and both long- and short-term trading, covering a broad range of traditional and alternative securities.

Joseph Brooks is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience. He is currently with Sapere Wealth Management, LLC and has prior experience at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Nfp. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary portfolio management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as institutional and trust entities. The firm employs a top-down, global-macro investment approach with an absolute-return focus, combining public equities, registered funds, and privately offered vehicles, while emphasizing active liquidity management.

Richard Rust is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and two years of industry experience. He has held multiple roles within the Principal Financial Group family, including positions at Principal Bank and Principal Life Insurance Company. Outside of finance, Rust creates and markets music and digital art commissions for personal clients. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering a mix of non-discretionary and discretionary services supported by proprietary and third-party models. The firm is part of the Principal Financial Group, enabling integrated access to affiliated products and services.

Jerrica John is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services with Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Principal Advised Services, she worked at Principal Financial Services and held various roles in mortgage and staffing industries. Outside of her advisory work, she is the managing director of Juke Properties, LLC, a real estate business focused on buying, renovating, and managing rental properties. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates proprietary models and third-party methodologies, serving clients through its affiliation with the Principal Financial Group family.

Gerald Craig is a financial advisor at IFG Advisory, LLC with over 33 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has worked at IFG Advisory since 2016. Prior to this, he has been associated with LPL Financial and Carolina Planning Consultants, LLP for over two decades. IFG Advisory, LLC provides comprehensive investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm employs a variety of analytical approaches and utilizes sub-advisors and third-party managers to tailor investment strategies that align with client objectives.

Derek Ahrens is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at several Principal affiliates since 2025. Prior to his financial services career, he held various roles in the automotive and retail sectors. He previously sold life insurance from April to October 2024. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates proprietary models with third-party methodologies and leverages its affiliation with Principal Financial Group to offer access to proprietary funds, bank products, and trading services.

Eric Mohammed is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 11 years of industry experience. His prior work includes six years at Wells Fargo Advisors and ongoing roles with multiple Principal entities since 2021. He also serves as a retirement consultant, providing one-on-one investment advice to retirement plan participants eligible for distribution. Principal Advised Services delivers investment advice and related services mainly to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, offering both non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm integrates third-party methodologies with proprietary models and benefits from its affiliation with the Principal Financial Group family, enabling access to a range of proprietary products and resources.

Evan Normile is a financial advisor at Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 license with two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ryder System, Inc. and Dick's Sporting Goods, and he currently serves as a retirement consultant providing one-on-one investment advice to Principal retirement plan participants. Evan also holds an assistant vice president role at Principal Bank, where he is involved in sales of bank deposit products. Principal Advised Services provides investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients. The firm offers non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program, leveraging both proprietary models and third-party methodologies within the Principal Financial Group family.

William Swecker is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Swecker holds roles across multiple Principal affiliates, including serving as an investment adviser representative providing retirement plan distribution advice. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients, combining third-party methodologies and proprietary models. The firm operates within the Principal Financial Group family, providing integrated access to affiliated products and discretionary investment management through its SimpleInvest program.

Laura Fellows is a financial advisor with Principal Advised Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and seven years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Principal Financial Services, MWA Financial Services, Eagle Strategies, and New York Life. Outside of her advisory duties, she serves as a board member for Many Paws, a nonprofit focused on care for abandoned older dogs with special medical needs. Principal Advised Services offers investment advice and related services primarily to retirement plan participants and retail IRA clients through a range of non-discretionary recommendations and a discretionary, wrap-fee investment management program called SimpleInvest. The firm leverages proprietary models and third-party tools, serving clients with products integrated across the Principal Financial Group family.

Thomas Burick is a financial advisor with Credit Union Investment Services in Concord, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. He has worked with Members Trust Company since 2023 and has been affiliated with Credit Union Investment Services, SECU Life Insurance Company, SECU Brokerage Services, and State Employees' Credit Union since 2015. In addition to his advisory roles, he serves as a financial advisory services specialist at State Employees' Credit Union and as an agent with SECU Life Insurance Company. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement and financial planning, and a wrap-fee program. The firm recommends mostly low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs, fixed-income products, and employs a goals-based, long-term planning approach.

Zachary Cox is a financial advisor with Lombard Advisers Incorporated and holds a Series 66 designation. He has less than one year of industry experience and has previously worked at FD Transaction Advisory, CohnReznick, Benchmark International, and held various roles at the University of Alabama. Lombard Advisers provides personalized investment management services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and small businesses. The firm offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing methods such as fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis, and manages approximately $670 million in assets.

Ruth Stene is a financial advisor with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. She has previously worked at LPL Financial, Bank of America, Merrill, and Kennedy Consulting LLC. Stene is licensed as a non-variable insurance agent, focusing on life, health, annuity, and long-term care products. Great Valley Advisor Group is an SEC-registered, multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm emphasizes individualized portfolio construction and ongoing oversight, utilizing a combination of in-house strategies and third-party managers across various platforms.