Leland Slack is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to his current role, he has worked in various service and delivery positions, including as a delivery driver for Uber Eats and an agent selling non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors is a large SEC-registered investment adviser serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm emphasizes centralized technology and model solutions, managing approximately $29.2 billion across more than 1,200 advisors.

Charles Cooley III is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2019 and has additional experience with Agia and Firehouse Subs. Outside of his advisory role, he manages a short-term rental property on Airbnb. 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, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

James Lambert is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1997 and has also worked at Agia since 2022. Outside of his advisory role, Lambert manages an LLC involved in rental property management and serves as trustee of a revocable living trust. 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, wrap programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Sonya Coleman is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. She has worked with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Bankers Life Securities, and Bankers Life & Casualty, as well as Fidelity Investments and PNC Bank. Outside of her advisory roles, she operated Swag Shoppe LLC for eight years. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create tailored asset allocations and ongoing portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Charles Walker is a CFP® with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with Wealthspire Advisors since 2019 and previously worked at SunTrust Advisory Services and related SunTrust entities from 2014 to 2019. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, nonprofit organizations, and trustees, providing wealth management, financial planning, and trust-administration services. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach that emphasizes diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and ongoing portfolio management.

Gavin La Dore is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior experience at Ameriprise Financial and has been involved with various organizations including Sacred Heart Outreach Camp and Maryland Football. Additionally, he is appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. 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 for portfolio construction and management.

Nikita Lodha is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and has been associated with SunTrust Bank and SunTrust Investment Services, Inc. since 2012. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party manager arrangements. The firm integrates multiple affiliates to offer a range of services including the AMC Advantage manager-selection program and AI-enabled research tools.

Devin Williams is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has worked previously at firms including Forthright Capital Partners, Aston Carter, and Cassaday and Company. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that supports a national network of approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and serves hundreds of thousands of individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad platform including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Linly Ramlal is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. She has held roles at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also involved with Taylor Properties as a real estate agent. Transamerica Financial Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to individual investors, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and businesses through a large advisor network and multiple program platforms. The firm primarily implements its advisory model through model portfolios and third-party managers, offering a broad range of services including proprietary and externally managed portfolios and retirement plan administration.

Melinda Manning Robinson is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 16 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including T Rowe Price and Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors LLC. Outside of her advisory role, she works part-time at TJ-Maxx in Pasadena, Maryland. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, leveraging integrated platforms for recordkeeping and administration. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and savings rates in its planning services and serves a large participant base relative to its adviser headcount.

Donald Ferguson Jr. is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 32 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Keeney Financial Group, Inc. and Triad Advisors, Inc. He is also the owner of DFergs, LLC, a stockholder entity based in Ocean City, Maryland. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a manager-focused, asset-allocation approach that combines active and passive strategies with ongoing performance monitoring. The firm sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and serves as an operating general partner for multiple private funds.

Bernard Makino is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Commonwealth Financial Network and operated Makino Financial. Outside of his advisory role, he has experience running Ugly Moose LLC for five years. Independent Financial Group, LLC is a dual-registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm offers brokerage, portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan services through a national network of Investment Adviser Representatives, utilizing multiple advisory programs and third-party asset managers.

Robert Christian is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation and Paladin Advisor Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with seven years of industry experience. Prior to his financial services career, he worked for 25 years at the Annapolis Fire Department and also spent time at the Maryland Department of Health. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as a fiduciary for many plans and offering participant-level investment options. The firm employs a strategic asset allocation framework with risk-based mutual fund portfolios and supports plan sponsors and participants through education, personalized planning, and counseling services.

Robert Hopkins is a financial advisor at William Blair with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Brown Advisory Securities, LLC for 17 years before joining William Blair in 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the boards of the Baltimore Cemetery Association and the Maryland Historical Society, chairs the investment committee of St. John’s Church, Western Run Parish, and is president of the Thomas Wilson Foundation for the Children of Baltimore City. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, and corporate clients. The firm employs active, research-driven strategies across various asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Lissett Johnson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. She has held roles within various Truist entities since 2019 and previously worked at M&T Securities and M&T Bank from 2014 to 2019. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Tracy Clark is a CFP® with 20 years of industry experience, currently advising at Valic Financial Advisors since 2018. Her prior roles include positions at Capital One Advisors, LLC and Capital One Investing, LLC from 2016 to 2018. She is also an agent with Agia, involved in non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including 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.

Arturo Romo is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Columbia, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing seven years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, and Wells Fargo Bank NA. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital strategy platform that uses algorithm-driven risk assessment and implements investments via mutual funds and ETFs with annual rebalancing.

Gregory Palacorolla is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with MAI Capital Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2021, following a 13-year tenure at Geier Asset Management, Inc. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary 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 manages $72.3 billion in assets and offers a broad range of customized portfolio strategies supported by integrated financial planning and monitoring processes.

Joseph Garrison is a CFP® professional with 21 years of experience in financial advising. He has worked at Wealthspire Advisors since 2018 and previously spent 14 years with Strategic Wealth Management Group, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, Mr. Garrison serves as a board member and Treasurer for Leadership Howard County, Inc., a nonprofit focused on community leadership development. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations, providing wealth management, financial planning, and trustee services. The firm employs a relationship-driven, customized investment approach emphasizing diversified, institutional-style asset allocation and ongoing portfolio review.

Matthew Clark is a financial advisor at William Blair with 14 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Brown Advisory Securities, LLC for 10 years before joining William Blair in 2021. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.