Chad Weatherman is a Certified Financial Planner® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving at Mariner Wealth Advisors since 2023. His prior roles include positions at Beacon Pointe Advisors, DMJ Wealth Advisors, and Millennial Wealth Design. Mariner Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party managers to provide customized portfolio solutions and maintains integrated tax and accounting services uncommon for a firm of its size.

Shawn Will is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. since 2016 and has also worked with Principal Life Insurance Company since 2013. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions.

Alexander Gracia is a CFP® and ChFC® with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2005 and also holds an agent position at Agia. He serves as a notary public for loan and disbursement documentation related to the WakeMed plan. 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 serving approximately 294,000 clients through a network of over 1,200 advisors.

Vincenzo Catullo is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked in various roles within Truist and its predecessor entities since 2001. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, implementing advice through a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and extensive inter-affiliate integration.

Gregory Weiss is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 26 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2003. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Weiss Property Holdings, LLC, which buys and manages real estate. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, and licensed insurance services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs strategic and tactical asset-allocation approaches and offers portfolio management through model portfolios, separately managed accounts, and an automated Guided Investing platform.

Jacob Hollifield is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Fifth Third Bank, Best Buy, Yogurt Mountain, and North Carolina State University. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in freelance photography. Fifth Third Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities through investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers access to a variety of managed account programs via the Passageway platform, combining third-party portfolio management with customizable investment strategies.

Philip Shelton is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain IRA and retail brokerage account holders. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Debra Allen is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Greenville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and possessing 21 years of industry experience. She has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2004 and has worked with First-Citizens Bank & Trust Company since 2003. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension plans, and business entities. The firm employs a range of portfolio management strategies, including wrap programs, guided investing platforms, and tax-aware services, leveraging its affiliation with a bank holding company to offer integrated banking resources alongside investment solutions.

Lang Mac Bain is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Raleigh, NC, with nine years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2016. First Citizens Investor Services provides investment advisory, brokerage, and licensed insurance services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of strategic and tactical asset-allocation approaches and offers portfolio management through model portfolios, separately managed accounts, wrap-fee programs, and an automated Guided Investing platform.

Tabitha Concepcion is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with 12 years of industry experience, currently with Truist Advisory Services. Her career includes roles at Truist Investment Services and BB&T affiliates dating back to 2013. Outside of her advisory work, she co-owns Red Barn Naturals, a farm producing natural personal care products from dairy goat milk, and owns The Homestead, an agricultural business. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs, utilizing a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary strategies with integration across affiliated entities.

George Fotiou is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with a Series 65 designation and one year of industry experience. He has prior experience as owner and CEO of Limani Insurance, LLC and People First Retirements, LLC, where he was involved in insurance sales and services. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm relies on discretionary model portfolios and supports third-party RIAs with sub-advisory and model-licensing arrangements.

John Vagianos Jr. is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience, currently with Creative Planning since 2018. Prior to that, he worked at Scottrade for four years. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and is based in Raleigh, NC. Creative Planning provides comprehensive investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning–led investment process that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and supplemental approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting, supported by a broad advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Zachary Carver is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently advising at Cerity Partners LLC since 2025. He previously worked at Cook Wealth Management Group, LLC for five years and held roles at TRP Sumner PLLC, Petway Mills & Pearson PA, and Bunch & Company, LLP. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including individuals, families, trusts, estates, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing using proprietary quantitative screens combined with third-party managers and individual securities, and also operates multiple private-market offerings and affiliated business units.

Iantha Wortman is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, based in Durham, NC. She has two years of industry experience and has previously worked at Equitable Advisors LLC and Lighthouse Lending. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation and investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Thomas Beck is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC for 10 years and has also been involved with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and Raleigh Parks & Recreation/Raleigh Aquatics. Outside of finance, he operates a freelance photography business and serves as a board member for the Raleigh Area Masters swim team, in addition to contributing as a photographer and blogger for a local live music website. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse clientele including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services with a combination of in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Julie Carroll is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 23 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a co-trustee of a family trust in Warsaw, North Carolina. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and other entities, offering brokerage services, financial planning, and multiple advisory programs.

Nicholas Creekmore is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Janney since 2020. Prior to this, he was employed at MORSCO and East Carolina University. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Jeffrey Thompson is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm operates a vertically integrated advisory model that includes both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management under a fiduciary standard.

Dan Thomason III is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Durham, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with First Citizens Investor Services since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he owns several rental properties managed by third parties. First Citizens Investor Services provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm offers portfolio management through various programs and integrates banking resources as a wholly owned subsidiary of a bank holding company.

Salvatore Bottone is a CFP® and Series 66-licensed financial advisor with three years of industry experience, currently with Janney Montgomery Scott in Raleigh, NC. His prior experience includes roles at George Pickett & Associates and various other positions before joining Janney. Outside of advising, he serves as the head JV men's soccer coach and assistant varsity coach at Cardinal Gibbons High School. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate sponsors, and municipal clients, providing investment advice through in-house and third-party managers across multiple advisory programs.