Joseph Kiely is a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. holding a Series 65 designation with 28 years of industry experience prior to joining Mercer in 2024. He previously led Kiely Wealth Advisory Group, Inc. There are no additional notable outside activities reported. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a globally diversified investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Robert Hooks Jr. is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked within various Truist entities since 2013, including roles at Bb&T and Truist Investment Services. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the North Asheville Little League. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, supported by inter-affiliate integration and technology-enabled research, to deliver asset allocation, fiduciary support, and manager selection programs.

Byron Dechellis is a financial advisor with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Asheville, NC, holding Series 66, Series 65, and Series 63 designations and seven years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Mortgage and Ameriprise. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes IAR-led financial assessments and uses a mix of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes.

Paul Collins III is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Triad Advisors, Peachtree Wealth Advisors, and Waddell & Reed. Collins has worked at Truist Investment Services since 2019. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, to deliver its investment solutions.

Suzanne Bell is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Asheville, NC, holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and 15 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Independent Investment Bankers Corp, Ba Securities, LLC, UpCountry Advisors, LLC, and Stillpoint Capital, LLC. She is also involved with SJH Synergy, LLC, a business she has been part of for 10 years. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail brokerage clients, using an integrated model aligned with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates through point-in-time financial plans and managed account solutions.

Kathleen King is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. She has been with Oppenheimer since 2012. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of investment and consulting services using both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, managing equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios alongside tailored retirement solutions.

Hannah Kennicott is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Thrivent Financial, LPL Enterprise, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of finance, she has experience working at Culver's Garden Center & Greenhouse. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary manager strategies and integrates advanced tools and inter-affiliate resources to support its investment offerings.

James Shand is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group in Asheville, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been in the industry since 2026. His prior work experience includes roles at IngeniousIO, Callminer Inc, and various positions in the restaurant and catering industries. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm offers integrated services connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Barbara Ristow is a CFP® professional with 27 years of experience in the financial industry. She is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, Focus Wealth Management, Ltd., Pinnacle Advisory Group, Inc., Securian Financial Services, Inc., First Horizon Advisors, Inc., and Capitol Securities Management, Inc. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial and tax planning, family office and business management, retirement plan consulting, and investment management services. The firm’s approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, utilizing both fundamental and quantitative analysis alongside various portfolio overlay strategies.

Jose Velarde Gainza is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower, he held roles at First Horizon Bank and Northwestern Mutual, among other positions. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering proprietary and third-party planning methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Joshua Dillard is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with Series 66 credentials and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Oppenheimer, he was involved with Bhramari Brewing Company for eight years and briefly worked at Black Mountain Pizza & Ale House. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services, including asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting, with both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Douglas Bridges Jr. is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2006. He also holds an agent position with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, and offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services through its broker-dealer operations.

Linda Puryear is a financial advisor at OSAIC Institutions, Inc. with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Hometrust Bank and Infinex Investments since 2020, with prior experience at BB&T and its affiliates from 2011 to 2019. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the finance committee of Children’s First/Communities in Schools and is the board treasurer for RiverLink, a local environmental nonprofit. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services through a network of representatives and operates a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model with a focus on providing both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Eric Hauser is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at Kestra Advisory since 2017 and previously held roles at Williams Financial Group and Valic Financial Advisors. Hauser operates under the DBA KB Elliot Financial Advisors, providing investment advisory and insurance services. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm provides fiduciary consulting, plan design, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients such as large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Donald Weidemann is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer who holds the CFP® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 38 years of industry experience, including roles at Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Global Markets before joining Oppenheimer in 2010. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a broad range of investment programs and advisory services, operating with a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary account management while maintaining custody of client assets.

James Novello is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Oppenheimer in 2024, he worked at John Hancock and its related entities from 2019 to 2023. He is also the owner of Glassmine Publishing LLC, an editing and publishing business started in 2024. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs with a focus on both discretionary and non-discretionary management, including equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, and maintains custody of client assets as a qualified custodian.

David Plaisance is a financial advisor at Farther with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked for Waypoint Strategic Advisors for 15 years. In addition to his advisory role, he operates as an independent insurance agent. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven advisory platform and direct client meetings. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach, utilizing bespoke and algorithmic model portfolios with automatic rebalancing, primarily allocating among ETFs, mutual funds, equities, and fixed income.

Richard Brown is a CFP® and Series 65 credentialed advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He previously worked at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC and Davis Financial Planning. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using a blend of active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and proprietary tools within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Christina Simpson is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. She has worked at Oppenheimer since 2012, following prior roles at Wells Fargo Clearing and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. in the earlier part of her career. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a wide range of investment programs and advisory services, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches with a focus on strategic asset allocation, manager selection, and comprehensive portfolio oversight.

Christina Gier is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with Series 66 registration and four years of industry experience. Before joining Oppenheimer in 2022, she worked in the hospitality sector with Asheville Hotel Group and retail at Target. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and other clients. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, using both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.