Mark Smith is a financial advisor at Stifel with 38 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has been with Stifel Nicolaus since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Mark A Smith Aircraft Sales, a business specializing in the sale of aircraft. Stifel serves a broad range of clients including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering brokerage and investment advisory services supported by proprietary investment analysis and allocation methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group.

Erik Selness is a CFP®-designated financial advisor with Raymond James Financial, bringing 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. since 2015. Outside of his advisory role, Selness serves on the finance and investment committee of the First Presbyterian Church of Highlands, assisting with the management of church endowments. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning, investment consulting, and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and institutions. The firm offers tailored, non-discretionary planning and consulting using analytical tools and supports a wide network of advisors with institutional and municipal advisory services.

William Barr is a CFP® professional with 37 years of experience in financial advising, currently serving at Edward Jones since 1988. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Franklin, NC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Marty Cline is a financial advisor with OSAIC in Salem, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and having 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Royal Alliance Associates, Inc. since 2016. OSAIC serves a broad mix of retail and institutional clients through a large network of financial advisers and offers integrated brokerage, investment advisory services, and access to third-party money managers and wrap programs. The firm employs asset-allocation tools and automated rebalancing to manage portfolios that may include various securities and alternative investments.

Russell Hawkins II is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, serving as a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Franklin, NC. He has 14 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a residential rental property. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with comprehensive investment advisory programs and a broad national presence. The firm offers a range of managed solutions, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds under a fiduciary standard.

Clay Rucker is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 41 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James & Associates since 1997. Rucker serves on advisory boards for the Church of the Incarnation and the Highlands Cashiers Health Foundation, focusing on finance and investment committees. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dual-registered broker‑dealer and investment adviser serving a broad client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary solutions, drawing on a range of portfolio management styles and extensive affiliated research.

Edward Krakovsky is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds the ChFC® designation and the Series 63 license. He has 29 years of industry experience, including roles at Cetera Advisors LLC since 2013 and as a consultant at Grace Hayden MacNaught since 2025. In addition to his advisory work, he consults on transitioning books of business with former clients. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform that includes affiliated and third-party managers, with over $256 billion in assets under management.

Granville Younce is a Certified Financial Planner® with 31 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked with Wells Fargo since 2011, initially at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC before joining Wells Fargo Clearing in 2016. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage solutions. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers a range of investment and financial products supported by research and analytics.

Charles Strickland Sr. is a ChFC®-designated financial advisor with 41 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. He has previously worked at Lincoln Financial Securities Corporation, Invest Financial Corporation, and Jefferson Standard Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the boards of Nantahala Bank & Trust Company and Provision Financial Resources of NC Baptists, and volunteers with Truett Baptist Church. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals, utilizing various investment platforms and proprietary and third-party strategies.

Ara Joyce is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Clayton, GA, with 15 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2011. Outside of his advisory role, Joyce is involved in operating a craft brewery, Currahee Brewing, where he hosts nonprofit and trivia events. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies and maintains a large national presence with over 23,700 financial advisors and $1.01 trillion in assets under management.

Wesley Mckenna is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Salem, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Nationwide Advisory Services, Inc. for 18 years before joining LPL Financial in 2017. Outside of advising, he owns an insurance agency, McKenna Agency, Inc. LPL Financial is a national SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of advisory programs and financial planning services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by in-house and third-party research.

Gary Brown is a financial advisor at Merrill with 43 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Merrill since 1982, including a concurrent role at Bank of America since 2017. 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, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.