Diego Velez is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2021 and previously spent eight years with Wells Fargo Bank. 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, participant advice, and a manager-selection program that combines discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate resources.

Gary Stevens II is a CFP® with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He currently works at Creative Planning, where he has been since 2021. His prior experience includes roles at Lockton Investment Advisors, Lockton Financial Advisors, Lockton Companies, Bank of America, Merrill, and T. Rowe Price Investment Services. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, foundations, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Chima Uzobuihe is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2016 and also has roles with Deloitte, Maryland Health Benefits Exchange, Essential Benefits Alliance, and World Financial Group. Outside of his advisory work, he manages Medicare enrollment services through Essential Benefits Alliance, LLC. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, estates, and businesses. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers, delivering services through a large advisor network and multiple program platforms.

Paul Newton is a financial advisor with Centaurus Financial, Inc. in Bowie, MD, holding a Series 63 designation and 33 years of industry experience. He has worked at Centaurus Financial since 2010, with prior experience at Securities America Advisors and Securities America, Inc. Newton is also the owner of PLN & Associates, Inc., where he provides tax advice to clients and oversees tax preparation services. Centaurus Financial, Inc. serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, small businesses, corporations, trusts, and foundations. The firm offers a range of financial planning and portfolio management services, employing both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements with a mix of analytical approaches and specialized advisory options.

Jomo Hylton is a financial advisor with Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include work with Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company, Mass Mutual Investors Services, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and Metlife Securities Inc. Outside of financial advising, he is involved in retail sales of art through Amana Media, LLC, and owns a music and film production business called Amarna LLC. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans through advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm operates both advisory and broker-dealer services and works with third-party asset managers to provide tailored investment strategies.

Ingrid John is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 13 years of industry experience. She holds the PFS™ and Series 65 designations. Prior to joining Hightower in 2021, she worked at Alexandria Capital, LLC for eight years. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of individual and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm’s approach includes multi-manager solutions, proprietary research, and access to a variety of investment vehicles, serving clients such as pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and trusts.

Christabelle Cook is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Alexandria, VA, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Principal Securities, Principal Life Insurance, and Hartford Funds. 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 financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money managers through various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Valery Volkau is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning services with ongoing portfolio management utilizing model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard.

Avanee Patel is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 16 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Citi since 2006. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a wide range of investment advisory programs, broker-dealer execution, and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies with internal standards and oversight committees to select and monitor managers, and it operates at a large institutional scale with unique market roles and commercial arrangements.

Adri Lourens is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 10 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Voya and Voya Financial Advisors before joining her current firm. Additionally, she is appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. 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 consulting services, utilizing discretionary unified managed accounts and a combination of centralized technology and model solutions.

Lee Springer is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott who holds a Series 66 designation and has 25 years of industry experience. He has worked at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2018 and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. 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 wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and multiple wrap/advisory programs.

Andrew Morgan is a financial advisor at Chevy Chase Trust Company with a Series 65 designation and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Chevy Chase Trust Company in 2022, he worked at Fannie Mae for six years. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, personal trust, family wealth and financial planning, as well as institutional custody and access to collective investment funds. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focusing on secular trends and sector themes, combining fiduciary trust and custody functions with investment management.

Matthew Kroehler is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 26 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Janney since 2018, following roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. 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 wide range of clients, including individuals, families, trusts, corporate plan sponsors, and municipal clients, offering a variety of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Steven Taylor is a CFP® with 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has been with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. since 2026 and previously worked for ICMA Retirement Corporation for 20 years. He is based in Washington, DC. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial that serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, unified managed accounts, and retirement advisory services using a combination of in-house and external strategists and technology-enabled tools, operating primarily on a non-discretionary basis.

John Majkowski is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC. He has been with Steward Partners in various capacities since 2016 and previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors. He is the owner of The Verus Team, a financial services support company based in Washington, DC. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory, financial planning, and managed account solutions.

Michael Gildenhorn is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Chevy Chase Trust Company with 36 years of industry experience. He has worked at Chevy Chase Trust Company since 2005 and previously spent 15 years at Asset Management Inc. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients by providing investment management alongside trust, custody, and financial planning services. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focused on secular trends and sector themes, combining fiduciary trust and custody functions with investment management.

Damon Ridley is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at LPL Financial and the Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialists. He has been involved in realty since 2007 alongside his advisory career. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach that combines passive and active management, quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Jordan Yeomans is a financial advisor with Voya Financial Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His career includes positions at Charles Schwab Bank, Charles Schwab & Co., T. Rowe Price, Merrill, and State Farm agencies. Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate that serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning and portfolio management services, utilizing both in-house and third-party strategies with an emphasis on both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Zachary Villavicencio is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including Citigroup, Merrill, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo in various capacities over the past decade. 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 a manager-selection program, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by AI-enabled research and inter-affiliate integration.

Jason Labarge is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 13 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Madison Avenue Securities, Cetera, and Summit Financial Group. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as treasurer for the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Coalition to End Homelessness and is an author of a recently published book. AE Wealth Management provides fee-based portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, trusts, and ERISA plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes a model portfolio and discretionary asset management approach supported by fundamental, technical, and cyclical investment strategies.