James Hoke is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, where he has worked since 2015. He has 10 years of industry experience and serves as a board member for several local organizations, including the Kenly Area Chamber of Commerce, the Tobacco Farm Life Museum, and the Johnston County Tourism Authority. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits, offering holistic, goal-based financial planning that covers a wide range of topics without direct portfolio management or discretionary trading authority.

Tyler Lindsey is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Lindsey, Lindsey & Mueller CPA’s, where he provided tax preparation services. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and trusts, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory through a network of independent Financial Professionals. The firm provides a range of investment solutions, including proprietary and third-party model strategies, with flexible custody and platform arrangements tailored to client objectives.

Scott Macdonald is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and the founder of the Special Needs Team. He has dedicated over thirty years to providing financial advice and guidance tailored to the unique needs of disabled, special-needs, and elder-abuse victims and their families. His team collaborates closely with attorneys, caregivers, trustees, fiduciaries, and benefits counselors to address both the near- and long-term financial requirements of their clients. Scott has extensive expertise in managing Special Needs Trusts, court-supervised trusts, probate investing, and understanding the California Probate Code and the Uniform Prudent Investor Act. He employs sophisticated modeling tools and analytics to support the financial and quality-of-life goals of special-needs populations. His approach is collaborative and firmly centered on client well-being. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the California State University system and carries the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. Scott has been recognized by Forbes as one of the Best-in-State Wealth Advisors from 2020 through 2025. He is active in his community through involvement with the Rotary Club of Tahoe Incline, the Society for disAbilities, and the Tahoe Fire Helicopter Project. Outside of work, Scott enjoys boating, fishing, hiking, skiing, and spending time with his family.

Nichola Agins is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Raymond James & Associates is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment consulting services, utilizing multiple portfolio management styles supported by in-house research and affiliated sub-advisers.

Mark Scarbrough is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Cary, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with MML Investors Services and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is the president and owner of Mainmast Financial Group, Inc., and an owner/member of Encompass Financial Partners, LLC. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, focusing on collaborative client engagements and recommending investment strategies without discretionary authority.

Joshua Filyaw is a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, where he collaborates with clients to develop comprehensive financial plans tailored to their unique goals and preferences. He began his role as a Financial Consultant in 2024, having previously served as a Planning Consultant at Fidelity from 2022 to 2024. Prior to joining Fidelity, Joshua worked as an Investment Resource Consultant at Wells Fargo Advisors from 2021 to 2022 and as a Personal Banker at Wells Fargo Bank from 2019 to 2021. Outside of his professional work, Joshua has interests in baseball, cars, football, running, singing, and traveling.

Brett Campbell is a financial advisor at Cetera with 18 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation and Series 66 license. Brett is also the owner of Brett Campbell LLC, an entity established for personal tax strategy, and serves as an investment committee member for Apex Baptist Church, where he assists with financial recommendations and asset allocation decisions. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm serving a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform that includes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers, managing over $256 billion in assets through a network of more than 10,000 advisors.

Quinn Angel is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Quinn has worked at Merrill since 2022 and has a diverse background including roles in education and retail. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

James Forrester is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates, holding a Series 66 credential and over 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James & Associates since 2015. Outside of advising, he owns a commercial fishing boat and is a one-third owner of a water disaster mitigation equipment sales and leasing business. He also serves as president of the board for Pine Knoll Townes Phase 1. Raymond James & Associates is a large dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser overseeing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities, offering a range of financial planning, investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary services.

Luke Hopkins is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Mass Mutual Investors Services and First Command Advisory Services. Outside of his advisory role, he holds a 25% ownership interest in Legacy Vault App LLC, a marketing-related business. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages roughly $671 billion in assets and employs over 14,000 financial advisors, offering both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research and analytics.

Scott Blanchard is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Raleigh, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been active in the industry since 2024. Prior to joining LPL Financial, he was associated with Charles Schwab and Steward Wealth Strategies. Outside of finance, his background includes roles in education and the restaurant industry. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services, providing both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by internal and third-party research.

R. Grove Jr. is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management with over 32 years of experience. He specializes in working with a select number of high-net-worth families and businesses, developing, executing, and tracking sophisticated financial management and portfolio strategies. His approach combines investment management with personalized financial services to help clients achieve financial security by simplifying complex financial landscapes. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Carolina and is a Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® designee. Grove takes a goals-based approach to wealth management that integrates his team's certifications with detailed knowledge of each client's family priorities and resources to design customized strategies. His areas of client focus include college education planning, divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, personal retirement planning, portfolio management services, and socially responsible, values-based, and ESG investing. Outside of his professional duties, Grove lives in Cary, NC with his wife and has three adult children. He enjoys golfing, running, and spending time with his family. He is the co-founder and Vice President of The Continuous Blessings Foundation and has served on the finance committee at his church, as a board member for the Y Guides of the Triangle, and Life Experiences, Inc.

Douglas Molstad is a CFP® professional with 35 years of experience in the financial industry. He currently works with LPL Financial and has previously been associated with National Planning Corporation and Beacon Financial Group, where he has maintained a longstanding affiliation. Molstad also holds a role as an independent fixed insurance agent, providing insurance illustrations and application assistance to clients. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, financial institutions, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management with support from LPL Research and third-party subadvisors.

Mark Despagni is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Cary, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 14 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is a baseball instructor. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a range of advisory programs and investment solutions. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and operates a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Erik Williams is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Raleigh, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and four years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Fidelity Investments, Kreative Intelligence LLC, UNC Greensboro, and Wells Fargo. Outside of his advisory work, he is an officer at Kreative Intelligence LLC, a company that sells custom goods. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management provides a range of advisory programs to individual and institutional clients, offering tailored financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and a structured discovery process. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and delivers both direct and employer-sponsored financial planning services.

James McMahon is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with a Series 66 designation and experience in the financial industry dating back to 2017. Prior to joining Edward Jones in 2025, he worked at PhilomathPM, The Emmes Company, Q2 Solutions, and HHMI. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, including various household types, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a wide range of advisory programs and investment solutions through a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Grady Sykes III is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with LPL Enterprise and is also the owner of Sykes Capital LLC, a securities sales firm based in Jacksonville, FL. His prior experience includes roles at Revision Wealth Management, Trinity Wealth Securities, and Florida Financial Advisors. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations, providing financial planning, advisory services, and access to model portfolios and third-party asset managers through an integrated platform that combines advisory programs with brokerage and insurance products.

Samuel Sugg is a CFP® professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wachovia Bank, N.A. He holds a 25% ownership interest in RBSM LLC, a small investment-related business in Raleigh, NC. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans. The firm’s IPS-driven investment approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary services, including an expanded range of financial products such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Kyle Jaquez is Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a role he has held since 2019. He partners with individuals and families to assist in making informed decisions regarding their financial plans. His work includes helping clients choose appropriate investments aligned with their future goals, building retirement income plans based on lifestyle and living expenses, discussing tax-efficient investing strategies, and assisting with estate planning considerations to ensure alignment with clients' preferences. Kyle has been with Fidelity Investments since 2008, progressing through various roles including Financial Consultant, Investment Consultant, Central Relationship Manager, Guidance Support Specialist, Workplace Planning and Guidance Representative, and 401k Specialist. He holds a California Insurance License. Outside of his professional life, Kyle enjoys boating, family activities, golf, lake-related activities, snowboarding, and traveling.

Cecilia Garcia Leija is a financial advisor at Merrill with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. She has worked at Merrill since 2019 and previously held positions at Carolina Country Club and the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers a range of model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.