Joseph Burns is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC. He has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services since 2016 and has longstanding experience with SunTrust Bank dating back to 2010. His earlier career includes roles at Banc of America Investment Services, Inc. and Wells Fargo Clearing. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a range of tools, including AI-enabled research, to support its investment oversight and utilizes the Envestnet platform for manager selection and ongoing client reviews.

Elizabeth Skettino is a CFA® credentialed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She is currently with Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc., having previously worked at Cullinan Associates, Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides manager research, global investment strategy, securities research, asset allocation analysis, and model-portfolio services to Wells Fargo affiliates and unaffiliated financial institutions. The firm delivers non-discretionary, impersonal model portfolios constructed through specialized divisions focused on rigorous research and evaluation.

Grant Palmer IV is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience. He currently works at Mariner and previously held positions at Waypoint Wealth Management, The Vanguard Group, Inc., and Buckingham Strategic Wealth. He also has background experience associated with Virginia Tech, including the Tennis Center and the university itself. Mariner serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, tax services, and family office capabilities, utilizing customized portfolios overseen by an Investment Committee and supported by extensive in‑house research and third‑party managers.

Christine Neese is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 29 years of industry experience. Her prior work includes roles at LPL Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates. She provides administrative support to Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services as part of her professional activities. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a large network of advisors. The firm employs a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management, supported by an internal Investment Committee and research targeting factor premiums, and offers a broad range of financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting services.

Brittney Ruth Johnson is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 14 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing employer retirement plan relationships. The firm combines point-in-time financial planning with ongoing portfolio management through model-based and customized strategies, operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes advisory services for donor-advised funds.

Anthony Gummo is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Investments since 2015. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through several model-based programs, including the Portfolio Solutions Strategist Digital Offering, an invitation-only employee pilot that uses algorithmically selected risk bands and discretionary model accounts managed by PNC or third-party strategists.

Kevin Battle is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 24 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2011. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plan relationships. The firm operates a fiduciary advisory model and manages portfolios through both model-based and customized strategies.

Cory Meckler is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he owns a vacation rental property managed by a rental company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary management, acting as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operating within a vertically integrated group that uses affiliated funds.

John Welch Sr. is a CFP®, ChFC®, and Series 63 credentialed advisor with 44 years of industry experience. He is currently with Equity Services, Inc. and National Life Group, having also worked at SagePoint Financial from 2014 to 2020. Welch participates in community activities as a volunteer finance committee member for Mt. Tabor United Methodist Church. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a broad clientele including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms that combine long-term strategies with options for shorter-term trading, utilizing third-party asset managers and model portfolios.

Stuart Hansen is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2004. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing employer retirement plan relationships. The firm offers a fiduciary standard in its RIA services and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund while operating within a vertically integrated structure.

Kate Lawson is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 11 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Securities from 2020 to 2023. Lawson serves as a board member of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association Charlotte Chapter, helping to promote alumni events and raise funds for scholarships. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning from ongoing portfolio management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund, operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds.

Lura Walton is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 10 years of industry experience. She has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC since 2016. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected with TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, corporations, and small retirement plans. The firm features a fiduciary advisory model that differentiates between one-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, offering both model and customized investment options.

Richard Fiest is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2015. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model separates one-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Courtney Huge is a CFP® with 10 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC in Charlotte, NC. She has worked at several firms including LPL Financial LLC and Cetera Advisor Networks, LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, and retirement-plan consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in regulatory AUM and employs a diversified, risk-class based investment approach combining passive and active strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Matthew Jarrett is a CFP® professional with 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory, where he has worked since 2026, and has previously held roles at Charles Schwab, Charles Schwab Bank, Fidelity, and Vanguard Advisers. Based in Charlotte, NC, Jarrett holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses as well. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations primarily for clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. The firm’s services emphasize asset allocation and investment selection guided by internal research and standard models, with client authorization required for all trades.

Marcus Richbourg is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has three years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he has worked at firms including UBS Financial Services and Wells Fargo Advisors. Outside of finance, he has worked in radio broadcasting with roles at Dick Broadcasting Company and Radio One. First Citizens Investor Services provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management solutions and employs a client process that incorporates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to guide investment allocations.

Monica Douglas is a CFP® and ChFC® with 14 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc., having worked previously at U.S. Bancorp Advisors, TIAA-CREF, and Vanguard Advisers. She is based in Charlotte, NC. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning primarily for clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients. Its services emphasize customized asset allocation and investment selection, using proprietary research tools and standard models, with trades executed only upon client authorization.

Gregory Marks is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 20 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with TIAA and TIAA-CREF since 2012. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Pride Mobility Products for 12 years. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning, discretionary managed accounts, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, and corporate entities. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Michael Jones is a CFP® professional with 29 years of industry experience. He is currently with Money Concepts Capital Corp and previously worked at firms including Prudential Insurance Company of America, GWN Securities Inc, and Merrill. Money Concepts Advisory Service provides investment advisory, financial planning, and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs model-driven, asset-allocation strategies and utilizes proprietary and third-party portfolio programs, supporting a network of several hundred advisors managing approximately $4.07 billion in assets.

Alexis Quen is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 65 license with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Alexis worked in various roles including at Wells Fargo and Voodoo Donuts. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides manager research, global investment strategy, securities research, asset allocation analysis, and model-portfolio services primarily to Wells Fargo affiliates and unaffiliated financial institutions. The firm delivers its offerings on a non-customized basis and focuses on research and model provisioning rather than direct portfolio management or individualized financial planning.