Jens Mueller 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 been with TIAA and its affiliated entities since 2002. 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, often serving clients connected through employer retirement plans administered by TIAA. The firm emphasizes a fiduciary standard in its advisory services and provides a range of portfolio management options, including model-driven and customized strategies.

Larry Carroll is a financial advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 63 designation and has 44 years of industry experience, including roles at Carroll Financial Associates, Inc. and CETERA Advisor Networks LLC. Carroll has been with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and its affiliated Wealth Enhancement Group since 2021. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement plan consulting, and referrals to separate managed account investment managers. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans, managing over $122 billion in regulatory assets under management through diversified, risk-class based investment strategies that combine passive and active management.

Thomas Sowers is a CFP®-credentialed financial advisor with six years of industry experience. He is currently with Kestra Advisory and has prior experience at Dimensional Fund Advisors. Outside of his advisory role, he also works as an independent contractor dog walker. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Michael Bish is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience currently serving as a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill Lynch, BB&T Securities, and Bank of America. Truist Advisory Services offers 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 combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and provides ongoing reporting and consultations while leveraging its affiliated financial relationships.

Traci Diblasio is a CFP® professional with 25 years of industry experience. She is currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc., where she has worked since 2018. Her prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wachovia Bank, N.A., Key Investment Services LLC, and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm offers portfolio management, wrap programs, model portfolios, an automated Guided Investing platform, and Tax Aware services, emphasizing IAR-led assessments and diverse analytical approaches to asset allocation.

Peter Gebre is a financial advisor at Guardian Life with 17 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at OneAmerica Securities and Voya Financial Partners. Gebre is based in Charlotte, NC. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a range of financial planning, consulting, and discretionary management solutions, combining proprietary and third-party investment platforms.

Nora Knox is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and possessing 11 years of industry experience. She worked at LPL Financial from 2011 to 2019 before joining TIAA-CREF and TIAA in 2019. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and broker-dealer services primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as to trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm’s advisory model separates one-time planning services from ongoing discretionary management, utilizing both model and customized portfolios under fiduciary standards.

Daniel Finnerty is a financial advisor with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC, holding the Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 14 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Kingsbury Capital, Inc., Kingsbury Capital Investment Advisors LLC, and SW Financial prior to joining Osaic Wealth in 2026. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving a broad client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, retirement plan participants, and sovereign wealth fund clients. The firm offers a variety of managed programs, retirement plan consulting, financial planning, and access to alternative investments, utilizing a range of investment strategies and platform relationships that differentiate its operating model.

Paul Brown is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Matthews, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 19 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Eagle Strategies since 2013 and also operates Parker Financial Group, LLC and Parker Financial and Insurance Solutions, which sell New York Life products and broker non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual investors and institutional retirement plans, providing financial planning, investment management, and 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.

Griffin Kasemeyer is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including LPL Financial and T. Rowe Price. Kasemeyer provides administrative support to Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in addition to his advisory role. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services 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 offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

David Hudson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 20 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Citizens Securities, Inc., where he has worked since 2023. Prior to that, he spent 10 years at TIAA and TIAA-CREF. Citizens Securities serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors and retirement plans, offering investment advisory, brokerage, and insurance services. The firm’s advisory programs include a digital platform and managed accounts, alongside commission-based brokerage and other non-discretionary business.

Garen Kalender is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Nuveen Asset Management and Nuveen Securities. Outside the financial industry, Kalender owns and operates a jewelry business, Drive Jewelers, and a trading card resale business, The Card Syndicate. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers a range of advisory services that include both model portfolio and customized management approaches.

Michael Melvin is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, he worked at Vanguard Advisers, Inc. and Vanguard Marketing Corporation. He is based in Charlotte, NC. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA-administered retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing portfolio management, including customized and model-based solutions.

Brenda Yard is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and having 28 years of industry experience. She has worked extensively within Truist and its predecessor entities since 1999, including Bb&T Securities and Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a multi-manager approach using the Envestnet platform, combines traditional research with AI tools, and delivers ongoing client reviews and reporting.

Sumakar Medikayala is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with the Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at North Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina. 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 to 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 structure that uses affiliated funds.

Jennifer James is a CFP® and Series 66-registered advisor with 12 years of industry experience. She is currently with Truist Advisory Services and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing. Jennifer has been with Truist since 2018, including time at Suntrust Advisory Services and Suntrust Investment Services. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of traditional research and AI-enabled tools to support client portfolios and offers a range of fiduciary services, including partnerships with Envestnet Retirement Solutions.

Ruth Dimmett is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 11 years of industry experience. Her career includes multiple roles at TIAA-CREF and Alight Financial Solutions. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC offers financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans, frequently serving clients with existing TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm provides both point-in-time planning and ongoing discretionary account management, operating within a vertically integrated structure that includes affiliated funds and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

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.