John Martin II is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with six years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license. Prior to joining Verity in 2024, he worked at Irongate Partners, Inc. for four years and serves as president of J. Lee Martin II, CPA, PA, an accounting firm. Verity Asset Management provides discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services to individuals, corporate and institutional clients, and other investment advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment process emphasizing tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes and offers both internally managed and third-party manager models.

Douglas Sandler is a CFA® charterholder with 33 years of industry experience. He is currently with RiverFront Investment Group, LLC, where he has worked since 2015. His prior experience includes roles at ALPS Distributors, Inc. and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory work, Sandler serves on the board of an early venture fund and volunteers as a free ski coach. RiverFront Investment Group provides investment management services to individual investors, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a Price Matters® valuation framework combined with tactical asset allocation and security selection across global fixed income and equities, implementing strategies through various model delivery platforms and customized portfolio solutions.

Christopher Bolles is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 19 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Verity since 2006, including its predecessor entities. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual investors, corporate and institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes and offers discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services.

Kenneth Savage is a financial advisor at World Equity Group, Inc. with 23 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at World Equity Group since 2019, previously serving at Triumph Wealth Advisors, Inc. and Taylor Capital Management. He is also the owner of Savage Capital Management, where he sells fixed indexed annuities, Medicare supplement, and life insurance products. World Equity Group, Inc. provides fee-based investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers managed portfolios through its wrap-fee programs that combine discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Charles Roberson is a financial advisor with Level Four Advisory Services, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mid-Atlantic Securities, Inc. and CSR Enterprises, LLC. He serves on the board of Operation Stand Down, a Tennessee-based nonprofit assisting veterans. Level Four Advisory Services is an SEC-registered enterprise investment adviser managing over $5 billion across more than 13,000 client relationships. The firm serves a diverse client base with fee-only financial planning, asset management, and retirement plan advisory services, utilizing model portfolios and a combination of internal and third-party management.

Joseph Gay Jr. is a financial advisor at Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at several firms including Cetera Investment Services and Securities America Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he is co-owner of Ferrell Farms, LLC, a family farm where he oversees rentals and leases. Capital Investment Advisory Services, LLC provides investment advisory and supervisory services to individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm offers customized investment management through discretionary mandates, third-party managers, and private-label model portfolios, supported by ongoing monitoring and a blend of analytical methods.

Jerome Pinckney III is an investment advisor with Calton & Associates, Inc. in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Calton & Associates in 2019, he worked at Triad Advisors, Inc. from 2016 to 2019. Outside of his financial advisory role, he is a commercial airline pilot and currently serves as a First Officer for American Airlines. Calton & Associates serves individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and other retail clients by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm offers a range of investment program structures and analytic approaches, including both fee-based and commissionable products through its dual registration as a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

Joe Pearce is a financial advisor with The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 27 years of industry experience. He has been with The Strategic Financial Alliance since 2005. The Strategic Financial Alliance serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities by offering portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and access to third-party managers through various portfolio programs. The firm uses a combination of in-house management and co-advisory arrangements, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Martin Shapiro is a financial advisor at Brookwood Investment Group with 40 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 63 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Woodbury Financial Services, Arbor Point Advisors, and Securities America, among others, and he has been involved in insurance sales through his own business since 1985. Shapiro also serves as managing director of Redwood Tax Specialists and works as an independent mortgage loan originator. Brookwood Investment Group is a multi-advisor registered investment adviser managing over $1 billion for more than 3,000 clients. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services, using a variety of passive, active, tactical, and blended investment strategies.

Robert Ciullo is a financial advisor at Mariner Independent with 37 years of industry experience. He holds the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 66 licenses. Prior to joining Mariner Independent in 2024, he worked at firms including Triad Advisors, Alera Group, DeVoe & Company, Creative Planning, SBSB Financial Advisors, Pagnatokarp Partners, and Charles Schwab. He serves as a Town Council Member in Oak Island, NC. Mariner Independent provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers portfolio management, model portfolios, third-party manager access, and retirement plan services through a platform that integrates institutional and retirement plan resources.

Jerome Pinckney Jr. is a financial advisor at Calton & Associates, Inc. with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Calton & Associates since 2019. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at Triad Advisors, Inc. and has been a partner at Providence Investment Advisors, LLC since 2007. Outside of his advisory roles, he is a member of the Scott Hill Wesleyan Chapel Men's Club and serves as an independent sales agent for Medicare Supplement Insurance. Calton & Associates serves individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and other retail clients by offering portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers. The firm provides tailored investment recommendations with multiple program structures, combining discretionary and non-discretionary management options alongside brokerage and insurance products.

Barry Bieler is a financial advisor with Kovack Advisors, Inc. in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His career includes prior roles at Invest Financial Corporation, PNC Wealth Management, and J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons, LLC. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in youth soccer as a grassroots referee. Kovack Advisors, Inc. is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutional clients, and government entities with over $6 billion in assets under management. The firm utilizes a risk-tolerance based approach with both internally developed and third-party managed models, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management across multiple custodians.

Brett Tushingham is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience. He is currently with Savvy and previously led his own firm, Tushingham Wealth Strategies, LLC, for ten years. He is also licensed to sell life and health insurance through his business, Tushingham Insurance Strategies. Savvy provides investment and financial planning services to individuals, trusts and estates, businesses, ERISA plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a primarily index-based, long-term approach while incorporating active equity portfolios and tax-aware direct indexing, using third-party sub-advisers and technology platforms to support customized client strategies.

Maria Crayton is a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. with 29 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has worked at firms including Merrill, BB&T Securities, Suntrust Advisory Services, and Truist Investment Services. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a broad client base, including employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm operates under the Advisers Act fiduciary standard and offers specialized services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory and a Private Wealth program for high-net-worth clients.

Meredith Woods is a financial advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors with a Series 65 credential and two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Refusing to Settle, LLC, Gordon Management, LLC, and Meredith Rawlings Professional Coaching. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party managers to create customized portfolios and provides integrated tax and accounting services alongside its portfolio management.

Leigh Voli is a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network with five years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 credential and has previously worked at RBC Capital Markets and V & V Financial. Her background also includes roles outside finance, such as involvement with Satellite Bar and Lounge and Hotel Ballast. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving approximately 2,900 affiliated advisors and managing about $212.7 billion in client assets. The firm offers a range of managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody services, supporting advisors with trading, reporting, and portfolio implementation options.

Cigi Blair is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with eight years of industry experience. Blair holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Merrill, Truist Investment Services, and Edward Jones. 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 emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and employs a model integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Chad Slate is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and has held prior roles at Pathfinder Wealth Consulting, Raymond James Financial Services, and Pamela Fortenberry. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser supporting a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and hundreds of thousands of clients. The firm offers a range of advisory services, including managed-account programs, access to third-party asset managers, retirement consulting, and custody/clearing services.

William Small is a financial advisor at J.W. Cole Advisors, Inc. with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Securities America Advisors, Inc. and Investacorp Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory work, he owns a business selling baseball cards. J.W. Cole Advisors is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, charities, corporations, and retirement plans through a national network of over 400 independent representatives. The firm offers portfolio management, fee-based financial planning, access to third-party managers, and various managed account solutions, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches.

Scott Meyerson is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Wilmington, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 34 years of industry experience. He has been with Commonwealth since 2012. Outside of his advisory role, he owns My Time Holdings, LLC, an entity involved in managing real estate in Cullowhee, NC. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients, providing a range of advisory programs, wealth management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm supports affiliated advisors with operations, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management services.