Lauren Birkins is currently serving as Vice President and Branch Leader at Fidelity Investments, a position she has held since 2021. In this role, she leads a team of wealth planners focused on providing a client-centered financial planning experience tailored to individual goals. Lauren emphasizes partnerships, trust, and adherence to the company's Standards of Care to support clients and associates. Her tenure at Fidelity Investments spans over a decade, including roles as Assistant Branch Leader from 2018 to 2021, Financial Consultant from 2012 to 2018, Investment Consultant from 2011 to 2012, Relationship Manager from 2010 to 2011, and Financial Representative from 2007 to 2009. Throughout her career, she has gained extensive experience in wealth management and client relationship development.

Patrick Trainor is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to his current role, he worked at Citigroup Global Markets for one year. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that provides a range of advisory programs to individuals and institutions, including tailored financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets and employs a structured planning process supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

John Vert is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 4 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley in 2025, he worked at The Vanguard Group from 2021 to 2025 and has held positions at several other companies including Barrel and Stone Interiors and Wayfair. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that provides a range of advisory programs to individual and institutional clients. The firm’s financial planning approach involves structured discovery and firm-approved tools, offering tailored plans supported by global market analysis and modeling techniques.

Paul Buck is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Mt Airy, MD, holding the CFP® and Series 66 designations with 19 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he has provided consulting services in programming during a professional transition. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs, including wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Joshua Brunner is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently associated with LPL Financial and has prior experience with several firms including Safe Money Concepts LLC and Grove Point Advisors, LLC. He is also involved in Safe Money Concepts LLC as an insurance-related business. 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 range of financial planning and investment management solutions, utilizing both proprietary and third-party strategies across a broad platform.

Alvand Fakhari is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works with affluent families and business owners to help them achieve their financial goals by providing services such as wealth planning, investment management, retirement planning, tax-efficient strategies, estate and legacy planning, and customized lending and banking solutions through Bank of America. Utilizing Merrill's resources, he offers tailored financial solutions to his clients. With nearly five years of industry experience, Alvand specializes in serving small business owners, medical professionals, and high-net-worth families. He focuses on various client areas including International Wealth Management, Legacy Planning, Managing New Wealth, Personal Retirement Planning, Portfolio Management Services, and Women and Wealth. Alvand holds a Bachelor's Degree from Towson University and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He is multilingual, speaking Farsi, Spanish, and English. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys boating, camping, cooking, hiking, ice hockey, photography, skiing, spending time with his family, tennis, and traveling.

Brian Ewers serves as a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He began his career in the financial services industry in 1998 and joined Merrill Lynch in 2008. As a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certificant and Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Brian specializes in goals-based wealth management and relationship management, focusing on areas such as liquidity management, personal retirement planning, tax minimization, and retirement income. Brian holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Marketing from Frostburg State University. He is a Maryland native and lives in Rockville, MD with his wife Michelle and their three sons. Through his work with The EGE Group, Brian supports clients by simplifying financial decisions and tailoring strategies that align with their unique needs, leveraging extensive industry experience and access to Bank of America Global Resources.

Robyn Crossan is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Germantown, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 20 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Thrivent Financial and XML Financial Group. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, providing comprehensive written financial plans without implementation, and allowing clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated WealthPlan billing option.

Nicole Harrison is a CFP® with 16 years of industry experience currently affiliated with Cetera. She has held positions at Minnesota Life and Securian Financial Services Inc., and has been with Financial Advantage since 2009. Harrison serves as a volunteer board member for the Collaborative Project of Maryland. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services through a multi-manager platform that includes affiliated and third-party managers.

Laura Stohlman is a CFP® professional with 42 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with LPL Financial. Her prior experience includes roles at Grove Point Investments, H. Beck, Federal Navigators, and SSN Advisory among others. She is also an author and volunteers with the National & MD State Society Daughters of the American Revolution. 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 range of advisory and brokerage services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, and institutional platforms, utilizing both proprietary research and third-party strategies.

Andrew Leimenstoll is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 23 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and previously worked at Eaton Vance Management and Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. for ten years. He serves on the board and investment committee of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Maryland. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and various advisory programs, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Noreen Miyake Char is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding a Series 65 credential and 20 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Maryland Financial Group, Inc. and American Asset Management Group, Inc. She is based in Rockville, MD. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of services including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms, utilizing technology tools to support advisors while maintaining a broad scope of non-advisory financial services.

Eyasu Theodros is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in providing comprehensive financial strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of individuals, families, and businesses, with a focus on long-term wealth management and financial planning. Eyasu works closely with clients to define their goals and develop portfolio strategies designed to help achieve those objectives, offering ongoing advice and adapting plans as clients' situations change. Eyasu has a decade of experience in the financial industry, having held various roles at different financial institutions. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from George Mason University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College. He is currently pursuing a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) certification from the CFP Board. Additionally, he holds the designation of Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Outside of his professional work, Eyasu enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, including cooking with his children after work.

James Seminara is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services in Rockville, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 15 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at METLIFE Securities Inc and MassMutual Life Insurance Company. He is also licensed as an insurance agent focusing on life, health, and long-term care insurance. Mass Mutual Investors Services operates as a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser subsidiary of MassMutual, providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm uses firm-approved software and structured planning processes to deliver written financial recommendations as part of ongoing client relationships.

Natnael Bekele is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, where he serves as a Merrill Financial Solutions Advisor. In this role, he works one-on-one with clients to define their financial goals and develop portfolio strategies aimed at helping them achieve those objectives. Bekele provides ongoing advice and adjusts portfolio strategies as clients' situations evolve. His expertise includes assisting clients with managing various financial priorities, such as retirement planning, funding education, caring for elderly parents, and preparing for healthcare needs. Bekele holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation and earned a Bachelor's Degree from The Catholic University of America.

Kevin Joseph is a financial advisor at Merrill with eight years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Merrill since 2017. His prior experience includes a brief tenure at BDO USA, LLP and a current role with Bank of America, N.A. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies developed by internal teams and third-party managers.

Cole Draper is a financial advisor at LPL Enterprise with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Prudential Insurance Company of America and McAdam LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a public notary and is cofounder and chief operating officer of Velocity Capital Consulting. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, banks, and corporate and charitable entities. The firm’s investment approach is model-driven, utilizing portfolios developed by internal research, third-party strategists, and TAMP sponsors.

Grant Furnary is a Senior Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, operating out of the North Bethesda, MD office. He works with high net worth individuals and businesses to navigate wealth planning and investment management, focusing on multigenerational strategies built on strong relationships and trust. Grant and his team utilize insights from Merrill and Bank of America banking services to create personalized plans that support clients' desired lifestyles across present and future generations. Grant holds a Bachelor's Degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and has earned the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He specializes in areas including executive compensation, equity compensation services, family wealth management strategies, and retirement income planning. His approach emphasizes connecting all aspects of a client's financial life to prioritize and pursue meaningful goals. Outside of his professional role, Grant serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the DC Catholic Farming Network, a nonprofit organization serving the Washington DC area. He lives in Washington DC with his wife, their two daughters, and their Golden Retriever. Grant enjoys hiking, biking, traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family.

Gregory Underhill is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley with 14 years of industry experience. He has worked at Morgan Stanley since 2018 and previously spent three years at H. Beck, Inc. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving both individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including tailored financial planning supported by proprietary tools and models, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Scott Leishear is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 21 years of industry experience. He has worked with LPL Financial since 2011 and previously spent four years at Edward Jones. Outside of advising, he serves as an adjunct finance instructor at both the University of Phoenix and Johns Hopkins University, and he is also involved as a Little League umpire in Vienna, Virginia. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides a range of advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management access, and institutional platforms, supporting advisors with research tools and large-scale operational capabilities.