Nikkita Gibson is a financial advisor at Cetera with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Deal Financial Group, Inc. and Heritage Planning Associates. Outside of finance, Gibson is an artist with over 20 years of experience and serves on the audience engagement committee at the Hickory Museum of Art, as well as on the board of the nonprofit Outright Youth. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC operates a nationwide network of independent advisors serving individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers diverse portfolio management options, financial planning, and access to third-party managers across multiple program structures and custodial relationships.

Steven Reese is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, Reese is involved in commercial real estate as a partner and serves as vice president of the owners association for a local property. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of investment strategies and affiliated products, supported by a large national network of financial advisors and branches.

Thomas Blackwell Sr. is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has worked with Mass Mutual entities since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved as a business partner in a real estate venture. Mass Mutual Investors Services operates as a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm provides financial planning, asset management, and educational seminars, structuring engagements as collaborative, annual relationships using firm-approved analytical tools.

Justin Long is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 16 years of industry experience. He has worked with Prudential Insurance Company of America since 2010 and was associated with Pruco Securities, LLC. for 14 years. Outside of finance, he has been employed with Outback Steakhouse since 2009. LPL Enterprise serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, and charitable entities, offering financial planning, consulting, and access to third-party asset managers through a model-driven investment approach.

Rondal Mulwee is a financial advisor at Edward Jones with 22 years of industry experience, including 23 years at Edward Jones. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials. Mulwee serves as Chairman of the Board for the Burke County Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Western Piedmont Board of Trustees in Morganton, NC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with over $1 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Henry Thompson IV is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 26 years of industry experience. He has worked at Cambridge since 2016 and also has a longstanding affiliation with Capital Concepts dating back to 2004. Outside his advisory work, he serves on multiple nonprofit boards, including as president of the SALT Block board and a member of the YMCA of Catawba Valley Soccer Club board. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers a range of financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan services through a network of independent Financial Professionals, utilizing both proprietary and third-party investment strategies.

Robert Floyd III is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 15 years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC. He has also operated The Floyd Group since 2005. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to individual and high-net-worth investors, employer-sponsored retirement plans, banks, and corporate and charitable entities through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm’s investment approach is model-driven, utilizing portfolios developed by LPL’s Research Department and third-party strategists, and it offers financial planning, access to third-party asset managers, and participation in its Model Wealth Portfolios wrap program.

Thomas Bumgarner is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 36 years of industry experience. He previously worked at VOYA Financial Advisors and has operated his own firm, Stan Bumgarner Incorporated, since 2010. He is also the owner of Stan Bumgarner Wealth Management and works as an independent insurance agent. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers.

Brent Mcdonald is a financial advisor at Cetera with 22 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He has worked at several firms, including Securities America and Investacorp, and has been a co-owner of Tar Heel Wealth Management since 2010. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a general board member for the Pregnancy Care Center of Catawba Valley and presents financial educational workshops through My Secure Advantage. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a nationwide network of independent advisors. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with a variety of portfolio management and financial planning services, managing over $256 billion in assets across more than 10,000 advisors.

Elizabeth Rogers is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 27 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Capital Investment Advisory Services, Wells Fargo Clearing, and A.G. Edwards & Sons. She is also an owner and partner of Renaissance Financial Partners of North Carolina, LLC. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions through a broad network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers various financial planning and portfolio management services with a combination of advisory and non-advisory financial products.

Brandon Weiland is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hickory, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. His background includes roles in digital marketing and law enforcement. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients with a broad range of investment advisory programs and affiliated financial services.

James Collins is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hickory, North Carolina, holding a Series 66 designation with 15 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2010. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets through a nationwide network of more than 23,700 advisors, offering a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies along with affiliated mutual funds and other financial services.

Sherrie Reece is a financial advisor at Fidelity with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Fidelity Investments since 2022 and previous experience at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including registered investment companies and charitable funds. The firm uses a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage model portfolios and offers advisory services that incorporate oversight of affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers.

Donald Chapman is a financial advisor at RBC Capital Markets with 32 years of industry experience. He has been with RBC Capital Markets Corporation since 2008 and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Chapman & Chapman Assoc. LLC, a business involved in property ownership. RBC Wealth Management, a division of RBC Capital Markets, serves a diverse client base including individual investors, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs combining discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management with financial planning and brokerage services, utilizing both in-house and third-party investment managers.

William Barlow is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Hickory, NC, with 12 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages businesses related to real estate construction and property maintenance in Hudson, NC. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment solutions, supported by a large national network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Colby Bolick is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Thrivent and its predecessor Thrivent Financial for Lutherans since 2009. Outside of his advisory work, Bolick is involved in quality control for Boxcar Grille, a private restaurant chain in North Carolina, and serves as a vice president and trustee board member for Catawba Valley Health System. He also participates as a council member at Bethlehem United Methodist Church. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on comprehensive, goal-based financial planning without discretionary portfolio management. The firm emphasizes written recommendations across a broad range of planning topics and offers an option to combine planning with managed accounts under a consolidated billing service called WealthPlan.

Christiana Lovelace is a Series 66–licensed financial advisor at LPL Financial with nine years of industry experience. She previously worked at Edward Jones and Bank of America before joining LPL Financial in 2021. Outside of her advisory role, she is involved in social media content creation related to investments. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a wide range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning and access to third-party asset management, supporting more than 22,800 advisors and overseeing over $819 billion in discretionary assets.

Charles Rogers Jr. is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 28 years of industry experience and has been with Cambridge since 2016, alongside longstanding involvement with Capital Concepts dating back to 2004. Outside of his advisory roles, he has been a partner in Capital Concepts Properties LLC since 2000 and has acted as an independent insurance agent. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals, providing customized strategies across multiple platforms and a range of proprietary and third-party model portfolios.

Maryann Diamond is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience. She is currently with LPL Financial and previously worked at Thurston Springer Financial and Edward Jones. Outside of her advisory role, she is a limited partner in Diamond Fab LLC, a business unrelated to investment activities. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a variety of advisory services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and access to third-party asset management, supported by a broad platform that integrates advisory and non-advisory financial services.

David Wachter Jr. is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 16 years of industry experience. He has worked at MassMutual Life Insurance Co since 2016 and was previously with Metlife Securities Inc for eight years. Outside of his financial career, he serves as an independent pastor providing pulpit supply and engages in spiritual development projects, including authoring biblical commentary and leading faith trips to Israel. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering financial planning and asset management to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm structures planning as collaborative, annual engagements using firm-approved software, focusing on investment categories and strategies without discretionary authority.