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.

Dale Pope is a financial advisor at IP Financial Advisory Services LLC with 40 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at firms including Innovation Partners LLC and MerCap Advisors, Inc. Outside of his advisory roles, he has served on the Sleighton School Board and was involved with the Himalayan Hope Charitable Foundation. IP Financial Advisory Services primarily serves individual retail clients, focusing on portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm constructs customized portfolios and also refers clients to unaffiliated third-party investment advisors while providing a range of investment and insurance-related services.

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.

Jenna Yingling is a Series 66 credentialed financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 17 years of industry experience. She has held positions at Truist Advisory Services and its affiliates since 2018, and previously worked at Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Yingling serves on the board of The Carousel Center, a nonprofit child advocacy organization in Wilmington, NC. Truist Advisory Services offers investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting with technology-enabled research and supervises manager selection through an integrated affiliate structure.

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.

Conner Carvell is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Vanguard Group, PNC, and Kish Bank. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships with non-discretionary consulting, leveraging inter-affiliate resources and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment programs.

Richard Schrum is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC since 2014 and has also maintained an affiliation with LPL Financial since 2011. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting services. The firm utilizes discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management strategies and leverages technology platforms for asset aggregation and estate planning, operating through a network model with strong connections to LPL Financial.

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.

Daniel Cubbison is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and five years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at W&S Brokerage Services and Western & Southern Life. He was also involved with the Boy Scouts of America for one year. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty U.S. military personnel outside the United States. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

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.

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.

Thomas Green III is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Truist Advisory Services since 2024, following roles at Truist Investment Services, Inc., Ascenus, and BB&T. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors and participants, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Matthew Bryant is a CFP® certificant with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with D.A. Davidson & Co., where he has worked since 2023. His prior roles include positions at Truist Advisory Services and Bb&T Securities. D.A. Davidson & Co. offers investment advisory and brokerage services to employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual investors—including high-net-worth clients—charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm provides ERISA retirement plan advisory services, comprehensive financial planning, and a private wealth program for clients with more than $20 million in net worth, operating under fiduciary standards and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative investment analysis.

Grant Sylvester is a Series 65 licensed financial advisor at Farther with two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Farther, he worked at Zermatt Wealth Partners for three years and spent time in various roles including at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington and Hickory Grove Christian School. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and operates Ashore Services LLC, a surface cleaning and pressure washing business. Farther provides discretionary investment management and advisory services primarily to individual investors, trusts, and estates through a web and mobile platform combined with in-person meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with algorithmic rebalancing and uses a range of investment vehicles including ETFs, mutual funds, individual equities, and fixed income.