Michael Branda is a CFP® and ChFC® with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Equity Services, Inc. since 1993 and has worked with National Life of Vermont since 1989. Outside of his advisory role, he volunteers with the University of St. Thomas as part of its development and planned giving committee and serves on the board of his local homeowners association. Equity Services, Inc., doing business as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm employs multiple advisory platforms that combine long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading and utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

Chris Cookson is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services based in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 29 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at BB&T Securities, UBS Financial Services, Morgan Stanley, and Citigroup Global Markets. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner at Telos Holdings, a holding company focused on real estate investment deal reviews and acquisition strategy. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Kenneth Fiawoo is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at Corebridge Capital Services, Inc. and American General Life Insurance for 11 years. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning services through a large network of advisors, utilizing discretionary unified managed accounts and technology-driven model solutions.

Ryan Fletcher is a financial advisor at Corient with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Avalon Wealth Management LLC and Avalon Investment & Advisory. Fletcher has been with Corient and its related entities since 2023. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach combining in-house strategies with third-party manager solutions, using risk management tools and alternative investments where appropriate.

Michael Modisette is a CFA® charterholder with 30 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Valic Financial Advisors, joining the firm in 2026, and has prior experience at PNC Investments, BBVA Wealth Solutions, and Invesco Advisers. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, utilizing centralized technology and model solutions to manage its client base.

Charles Hays Jr. is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He also serves as an agent for AGIA, selling non-securities insurance products. 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.

William Lee, Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at Fayez Sarofim & Co. and its affiliated entities since 2010. Fayez Sarofim & Co. provides discretionary investment management to a diverse client base including pension plans, endowments, foundations, and registered investment companies. The firm employs a bottom-up research approach focused on large-cap, high-quality companies with a long-term investment horizon and offers various equity and fixed-income strategies while generally avoiding derivatives, leverage, and market timing.

Randall Hale is a financial advisor at Corient with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has previous experience at PwC and Avalon Advisors. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that incorporates both in-house and third-party strategies, risk management tools, and may include alternative investments where appropriate.

Dada Jagiere is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation. His prior experience includes roles at Wfgia and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as well as work as an Uber driver. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a broad client base that includes individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party model portfolios, with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

Jennifer Bauman is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 15 years of industry experience. She has worked at Agia and Valic Financial Advisors since 2023. Outside of her advisory role, she is an appointed agent for non-securities insurance products with Agia. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors. The firm manages approximately $29.2 billion and serves nearly 300,000 clients with a technology-driven and model-based approach.

John Buchan is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and having three years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Primerica Advisors, Primerica Financial Services, and eleven years with Katy ISD. Additionally, he serves as an agent selling non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and unified managed account solutions through a large network of advisors and employs a technology-driven approach to manage approximately $29.2 billion in assets.

Todd Bornholtz is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2016. Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning services through a large network of advisors, utilizing discretionary unified managed accounts and technology-driven solutions.

David Gregory is a financial advisor at Goldman Sachs Wealth Services with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC since 2019, following seven years at The AYCO Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Goldman Sachs Wealth Services advises a diverse client base including individual investors, corporate participants, executives, and institutional clients. The firm offers customized financial planning and portfolio management supported by proprietary strategic models and access to a broad range of affiliated resources and services.

Daniel Legaye is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at AIG Capital Services, America General Life Insurance, Linden Thomas and Company Securities, and Moody Securities, among others. Valic Financial Advisors 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.

Matthew Murch is a CFP® professional with 14 years of experience in financial advising, currently with Cetera Planning Partners. His background includes roles at Avantax Advisory Services and various Cetera-affiliated firms. He is involved in Integrated Tax and Wealth Strategies, where he integrates tax planning with portfolio management, and also provides consulting and financial planning support to affiliated CPA firms. Cetera Planning Partners serves individual and high-net-worth clients, focusing on pre-retirees and retirees, offering investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement-related advice. The firm’s approach includes diversified allocations aligned with client objectives and risk tolerance, supported by a broader Cetera network that provides extensive custodial, clearing, and pension-related resources.

Sanjay George is a financial advisor at Corient with 11 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Rock & Co LLC, Rockefeller Financial LLC, and Raymond James & Associates. George is based in Houston, TX. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools and ongoing portfolio monitoring.

Jimmiral Taylor Lucas is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations with one year of industry experience. His career includes roles at multiple firms within the Empower network and other companies since 2017. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily for employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm utilizes an integrated model connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and focuses on long-term portfolio returns through a point-in-time financial planning approach and optional managed accounts.

William Marks is a financial advisor at Corient with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked for Avalon Wealth Management LLC and Avalon Investment & Advisory for ten years. Marks joined Corient and its related entities in 2023. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm employs a goals-based, team investment approach that integrates individual security and fixed-income strategies with third-party manager solutions and customized asset allocation.

Blaine Dahl is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Park Avenue Securities and Securian Financial Services Inc. He is also involved with Ash Brokerage, providing insurance products outside of those offered by Guardian. Guardian Life’s subsidiary Park Avenue Securities offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and digital advisory solutions, providing access to insurance products, alternative investments, and integrated lending options.

Elelumhe Garuba Hawthorne is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with 13 years of industry experience. She is currently with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., having joined in 2025 after roles at Agia and VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. She also works as an independent insurance agent, selling various life insurance products including whole life, variable life, indexed life, and term life policies. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale firm offering financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm utilizes investment policy statements, model portfolios, and technology-enabled tools to deliver both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management through a large network of adviser representatives.