Myrle Simone is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Creative Planning, LLC and previously spent 18 years at Burt Wealth Advisors. Burt Wealth Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis across various time horizons and primarily allocates assets among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

James Stewart is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Carmichael Hill since 1993. Stewart is based in Gaithersburg, MD. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and offers services such as trust administration and insurance through affiliated entities, employing a customized approach across multiple investment strategies and platforms.

Christopher Persak is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2004. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Monique Sinmao is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company, Pontoro, and Marlo. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 31, 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that incorporates quantitative screening, manager selection, and access to alternative and private market solutions.

Michael Orleans is an investment advisor representative at Kestra Advisory with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked with Kestra Investment Services since 2010 and Kestra Advisory since 2016. Orleans serves as director of Special Needs Special Planning at The Meltzer Companies and has held leadership roles, including past president of Shared Horizons, where he participated on the finance committee. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including plan design, fiduciary consulting, vendor searches, and employee education, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets for clients such as sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors.

Manfred Klee Saieh is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 65 designation and has previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company and the United Nations Development Programme. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, charitable institutions, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets as of December 2025. The firm offers customized wealth management services and employs a client-specific investment framework that integrates quantitative screening, manager selection, and direct security selection, alongside access to alternative and private market solutions for qualified clients.

Shampa Bera is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. She has 26 years of industry experience, including 10 years with Truist Advisory Services and over 20 years with Truist Investment Services. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a beach condo rental business in Ocean View, Delaware. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches, supported by third-party manager platforms and AI-enabled equity research, with a focus on integrated inter-affiliate service arrangements.

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.

Nancy Hendershot is a financial advisor with Lincoln Investment in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and over 37 years of industry experience. She has been with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 1988 and operates Hendershot Financial Group, where she provides support for corporate responsibilities. Outside of her advisory roles, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the nonprofit Walk the Walk Inc. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC is a large enterprise firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, advisor-led consulting, and portfolio management through model portfolios and third-party managers, supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team.

Connie Rong is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2018. Prior to this, she was affiliated with World Financial Group and has experience at Freddie Mac as an operational control analyst. She is also involved in the sales of insurance products affiliated with Transamerica. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers through multiple program platforms, managing approximately $1.7 billion in regulatory assets under 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.

Linly Ramlal is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Laurel, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 28 years of industry experience. She has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also president of LKR Strategic Solutions Inc. Additionally, she works as a part-time real estate agent with Taylor Properties. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services through proprietary and third-party managed portfolios with both discretionary and non-discretionary program options.

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 with Independent Financial Group, LLC and holds a Series 66 designation. He has four years of industry experience, including roles at Commonwealth Financial Network and operating his own DBA, Makino Financial. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, and corporate plans. The firm employs model-based strategies combining active and passive approaches and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management.

Maria Nikitina is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies, she worked at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company, and has experience in nonprofit educational event organization related to sunburn prevention in children. She is also a partner at Cherry Blossom LLC, providing consulting on marketing strategy and personal branding. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

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.

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.

Arturo Romo is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management in Columbia, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Bank, accumulating a decade of related experience before joining PNC. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account for employees that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and implements portfolios via approved model strategies with mutual funds and ETFs.

Timothy Conley is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies with robust internal standards and oversight, supported by its large institutional scale and specialized market roles.

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.