Christopher Bleeker is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with two years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including Cetera Wealth Services, LLC and Commonwealth Financial Network. His background also includes teaching roles at Mars Hill University and several secondary education institutions. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of independent advisors, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers across various program structures.

Ralph Williamson is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and possessing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked with Raymond James Financial and its related entities since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in agriculture through Creekfield Farm LLC and serves as president of PineTrust Wealth Partner, LLC, a support company related to his advisory activities. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a wide range of clients including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm uses a combination of fact-finding, risk profiling, and modeling tools to tailor non-discretionary planning and consulting to client goals.

Floyd Pate III is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Southern Pines, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL in 2012, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, BB&T Investment Services, and Morgan Stanley Dw Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in operating an equine farm through MPC Farms, LLC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Todd Stout is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at RBC since 2008, with a three-year tenure at City National Bank prior to that. Stout serves as Treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Southern Pines Business Association. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various wrap fee advisory programs and customizes investment strategies based on each client’s Advisory Risk Profile, utilizing a combination of in-house and third-party managers.

Colleen O'Donnell is a financial advisor at Cetera with 21 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. Her prior work includes a decade at Merrill and roles at firms such as Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and Griz Global Solutions. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services. The firm operates a multi-manager platform allowing advisors to implement various investment strategies across multiple program structures and custodial relationships.

Stephen Mc David is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Fayetteville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P. since 1996. Mc David serves as vice president of the Cafe Fear Republican Men's Club. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a nationwide network of over 23,000 advisors, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies under a fiduciary standard.

Timothy Gendron is a financial advisor with Merrill in Southern Pines, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo Clearing Services, and State Farm. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Joshua Polidori is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Cetera. His prior roles include positions at Commonwealth Financial Network and Tucker Bria Wealth Strategies. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in contracting for BrandedSurveys, a non-investment-related activity. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm offering a broad range of portfolio management and consulting services to individuals, employer-sponsored plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm operates a multi-manager platform, providing access to both affiliated and third-party managers across various program structures and investment authorities.

Jody Johnson is a financial advisor with Ameriprise Financial Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 39 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise since 2005 and also owns a business called NaturaLead. Ameriprise Financial Services is a large, diversified advisory firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering specialized retirement income planning services that emphasize tax-aware withdrawal strategies and dependable income sources.

Bryan Griffin is a financial advisor at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for 23 years before joining Raymond James in 2025. Griffin is the president of PineTrust Wealth Partners, a support company related to his work at Raymond James. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. offers financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutional entities. The firm provides tailored, non-discretionary planning using various analytical tools and supports clients through advisory programs and consulting services.

Hayden Ayers is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He has worked at Charles Schwab since 2020 and previously was employed at ProVantage Corporate Solutions and Campbell University Athletics. He serves as assistant treasurer for the Southern Pines Rotary Club, assisting with transaction records. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. provides wealth advisory, brokerage, custody, and financial planning services primarily to high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory program and affiliated managed accounts. The firm’s model combines non-discretionary advice with access to discretionary separately managed accounts using multi-asset model portfolios and centralized operational support.

Taylor Clement is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cetera. His prior roles include positions at Commonwealth Financial Network and Edward Jones. Outside of his financial advisory work, he serves as mayor of the Town of Southern Pines and has involvement in entrepreneurial ventures including a yoga studio and a music-related business. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm offers diverse portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with access to various third-party managers and customized investment strategies.

Tia Chick is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, holding a Series 66 designation and five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2026, she worked at Edward Jones for six years and has a background in real estate sales with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. Outside of her advisory role, she provides notary public services at no charge and owns a horse boarding business. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. offers financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse clientele that includes individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm provides tailored, non-discretionary planning supported by analytical tools and maintains specialized programs such as municipal advisory services and employer SIMPLE IRA consulting.

William Wick is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 43 years of industry experience. He previously worked at UBS Financial Services from 2008 to 2020 before joining Wells Fargo in 2020. Outside of his advisory role, he has a 25% ownership interest in a real estate development company, Trout River Properties, LLC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory options. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader range of financial products, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Stephen Peterson is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Fayetteville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. He has been with Edward Jones since 2023 and previously worked in various roles including at Brock Cabinets and Salem Methodist Church. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, and manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets.

Samanthia Smith is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 28 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® and Series 66 designations. Her prior experience includes roles at LPL Financial, Fidelity Bank of NC, Truist Advisory Services, and BB&T. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as treasurer for a nonprofit organization supporting low-income people with dementia. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and municipalities, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting supported by a broad range of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Kenneth Heaney is a financial advisor at OSAIC with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Securities America Advisors, SSN Advisory, and National Planning Corporation. Heaney also owns K2 Financial, a term life insurance business with limited activity. OSAIC serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, charities, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of brokerage and advisory services with an emphasis on model-based asset allocation and portfolio optimization within a multi-advisor platform.

Patrick Bria is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Cetera Investment Advisers LLC and Cetera Wealth Services, LLC since 2026, and previously spent 13 years with Commonwealth Financial Network. Bria is also co-owner of Tucker Bria Wealth Strategies, a private entity facilitating securities, advisory, and insurance business. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a wide range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services.

Merralee Thorpe is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Southern Pines, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Edward Jones since 2007. She serves as a member of a local board of directors outside of her advisory role. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including high-net-worth households and charitable organizations. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets through a broad network of advisors and offers a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, SMAs, and affiliated mutual funds under a fiduciary standard.

Ryan Plentzas is a financial advisor with LPL Financial holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining LPL Financial in 2025, he served three years in the United States Army and held various roles at the University of Tampa, Derryfield Country Club, Bridgton Academy, and Manchester High School. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with research-driven tools and a broad range of investment strategies.