Ashby Simmons is a financial advisor at First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Columbia, SC, with six years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at LPL Financial, CUNA Brokerage Services, Inc., and Palmetto Citizens FCU. Simmons also serves as an officer for a neighborhood homeowners association. First Citizens Asset Management provides model-based sub-advisory services and direct investment advisory to individuals, institutions, and municipalities. The firm emphasizes multi-asset class portfolios with strategic asset allocation and manager research, combining fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Virginia Pope is a financial advisor with Synovus Securities, Inc. in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. Her career includes multiple tenures at Synovus Securities, Inc. and Synovus Bank dating back to 2001. Synovus Securities serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, and institutional clients, offering a range of investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm employs Envestnet’s platform for portfolio management and provides access to alternative investments and educational services for ERISA plans.

Jared Davison is a financial advisor with First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. Prior to joining First Citizens in 2017, he worked at Lincoln Financial Advisors for four years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with the Soda City Outlaws Softball Organization as a coach and administrative manager. First Citizens Asset Management provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional accounts, and municipal entities. The firm manages approximately $167 million on a discretionary basis through a multi-team platform and constructs global, multi-asset model portfolios using a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria.

Michele Lowery is a financial advisor at First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. with 10 years of industry experience. She has been with First Citizens in various capacities since 1997, including roles at First Citizens Bank and First Citizens Investor Services. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as a signer on the bank business accounts for The Brickmaster, LLC. First Citizens Asset Management provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional accounts, and municipal entities. The firm manages approximately $167 million on a discretionary basis through a multi-team platform and offers global, multi-asset model portfolios using a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.

Noah Powell is a financial advisor at Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at multiple firms including LPL Financial, Good Life Advisors, LLC, and Cornerstone Financial Management. Prior to his advisory roles, he spent five years at the University of South Carolina and has experience in educational settings. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm provides financial planning, discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, and retirement-plan consulting, utilizing both in-house strategies and third-party platforms to tailor portfolio construction and ongoing oversight.

Brett Blankenship is a financial advisor with First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Columbia, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. He has worked with First Citizens Asset Management since 2013 and previously spent 10 years at Blue Marlin LLC. First Citizens Asset Management provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional accounts, and municipal entities. The firm manages global, multi-asset model portfolios using a multi-team platform of 33 advisors and approximately $167 million in discretionary assets as of year-end 2024.

Bennett Miller is a financial advisor at Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has prior experience that includes roles at Good Life Advisors, LLC, LPL Financial, and in education at various South Carolina schools. Great Valley Advisor Group is an SEC-registered multi-team investment adviser supporting approximately 190 advisors. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities, offering a range of investment management and financial planning services through both discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Brandie Blackwell is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with three years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Apollon, she worked at Motley Fool Wealth Management and Fidelity Investments. Apollon Wealth Management is an SEC-registered multi-team adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, portfolio management, retirement plan advisory, and sub-advisory roles, utilizing centrally managed model strategies alongside locally managed portfolios.

Richard Kinney is a financial advisor at Trek Financial with 15 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Trek Financial since 2018, following two years at Horter Investment Management. Kinney also operates Kinney Retirement Strategies, LLC as an associate, marketing fixed insurance products. Trek Financial serves individual and high-net-worth clients as well as institutional retirement plans, offering asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan fiduciary services. The firm employs a mix of rules-based, evidence-based, fundamental, and technical analysis models, integrating artificial intelligence tools and providing access to a broad range of model and alternative investment strategies.

Jonathan Jolley is a financial advisor at Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC with seven years of industry experience. He has worked with Good Life Advisors, LLC, LPL Financial, Southern Health and Retirement Planning, and Genoa Healthcare. His credentials include the Series 66 designation. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing a combination of proprietary strategies and third-party managers across various platforms.

Robert Templeton is a financial advisor with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 31 years of industry experience, including prior roles at Waddell & Reed and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory work, Templeton is an author and musician, and he has served as a pastor at Neeses Baptist Church. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, and trusts. The firm emphasizes individualized portfolio construction and oversight, combining in-house strategies with third-party managers and sponsored platforms.

Michael Forney is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor with four years of industry experience. He is currently with Lifeworks Advisors, LLC and has previously worked at several firms including Newfront Retirement Services, Ameriprise Financial Services, and Facet Wealth. Forney’s earlier career includes roles outside traditional financial advisory, such as alumni relations at Mount Vernon Nazarene University. Lifeworks Advisors serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, retirement plans, and businesses, offering wealth management, financial planning, retirement plan advisory, and tax preparation services. The firm employs a planning-based “tranche” framework combined with a risk-based approach to portfolio construction, utilizing a variety of investment vehicles and incorporating both quantitative and fundamental analysis supported by artificial intelligence tools under human oversight.

Matthew Terry is a financial advisor with Arkadios Wealth Advisors, holding a Series 66 license and six years of industry experience. He is a co-founder of Terry Brothers Tax, where he provides federally licensed tax representation services separate from his advisory role. Additionally, he co-founded Fort Financial Software, LLC, which develops data-audit and operational support tools for businesses. Arkadios Wealth Advisors is a multi-team firm serving individuals, trusts, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm offers customized investment plans using a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis, deploying portfolios through various internally managed and third-party solutions.

Robert Price is a financial advisor with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC based in Columbia, SC. He holds Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and has 10 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Good Life Advisors, LPL Financial, and Waddell & Reed. Great Valley Advisor Group is an SEC-registered, multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting, using both in-house strategies and third-party managers across various platforms.

Karl Mueller is a financial advisor with First Citizens Asset Management, Inc., holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has worked at First Citizens Asset Management since 2006 and at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. since 2016. First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional accounts, and municipal entities. The firm manages global, multi-asset portfolios using a multi-team platform and employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria with dynamic asset allocation.

James Brown III is a financial advisor with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. He has worked at Good Life Advisors, LLC since 2017 and at LPL Financial LLC, including Cornerstone Financial Management, since 2016. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved with The Cage Project, a non-investment-related business activity in Chapin, SC. Great Valley Advisor Group is a multi-team SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting, focusing on individualized portfolio construction and ongoing oversight through a mix of in-house and third-party strategies.

Cynthia Williams is a financial advisor at First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. in Columbia, SC, with 12 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with First Citizens Asset Management since 2015 and First Citizens Investor Services since 2016. Outside of her advisory role, she is a Mary Kay sales representative. First Citizens Asset Management, Inc. provides investment advisory and sub-advisory services to individuals, trusts, corporations, institutional accounts, and municipal entities. The firm manages global, multi-asset portfolios using a multi-team platform and employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative criteria to support discretionary portfolio management.

Willis Deaton Jr. is a CFP® professional with 42 years of industry experience, currently serving with Great Valley Advisor Group, LLC. His career includes nearly two decades at Waddell & Reed and over ten years with both Cornerstone Investment Management and LPL Financial. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved in a private investment venture related to a duck hunting property in Arkansas. Great Valley Advisor Group is an SEC-registered, multi-team investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities. The firm combines individualized portfolio construction with ongoing oversight, employing both in-house and third-party strategies, and offers a range of services including financial planning and retirement-plan consulting.

Kyle Jensen is a CFP® professional with one year of industry experience. He is currently with Apollon Wealth Management, LLC and previously worked at Core Advisors for three years. Apollon Wealth Management, LLC is an SEC-registered multi-team adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm combines centrally managed model strategies with locally managed portfolios, investing across multiple asset classes and offering specialized services including ESG models, Direct Indexing, sub-advisory roles, and portfolio consulting.

Omar Shalabi is a CFP® professional with 29 years of industry experience, currently serving as an Investment Advisor at Blackridge Asset Management, LLC. He previously worked at Summit Financial Group and Uvest Financial Services Group. In addition to his advisory role, he is licensed to sell life, accident, health, and long-term care insurance. Blackridge Asset Management provides financial planning, investment management, and consulting services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers tailored portfolio management through a network of advisers, utilizing model portfolios and third-party managers, alongside a focus on discretionary authority and diversified investment strategies.