Myrle Simone is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Creative Planning, LLC and previously spent 18 years at Burt Wealth Advisors. Burt Wealth Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis across various time horizons and primarily allocates assets among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Whitney Turner is a CFP® professional with experience at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC since 2022 and prior roles at The Meakem Group, Kastle Systems, Scope Group, and Marriott Hotels. Based in Bethesda, MD, Turner has a diverse background spanning financial services and other industries. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth advisory and investment management services to individuals, families, retirement plans, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach within an enhanced open architecture framework that integrates active and passive strategies, private funds, and separate account managers.

Myka Koenen is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed financial advisor at Wealthspire Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. She has been with Wealthspire Advisors since 2015. Wealthspire Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and nonprofit organizations. The firm offers wealth management, investment advisory, financial planning, and family office support using a relationship-driven process and institutional-style asset allocation.

James Stewart is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with 27 years of industry experience. He has worked at Carmichael Hill since 1993. Stewart is based in Gaithersburg, MD. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages $72.3 billion in assets and offers services such as trust administration and insurance through affiliated entities, employing a customized approach across multiple investment strategies and platforms.

Christopher Persak is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2004. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel abroad. 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.

Monique Sinmao is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has previously worked at SOL Capital Management Company, Pontoro, and Marlo. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base, including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation and manager selection strategies, incorporating proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Michael Orleans is an investment advisor representative at Kestra Advisory with 23 years of industry experience. He has worked with Kestra Investment Services since 2010 and Kestra Advisory since 2016. Orleans serves as director of Special Needs Special Planning at The Meltzer Companies and has held leadership roles, including past president of Shared Horizons, where he participated on the finance committee. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a broad range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers services including plan design, fiduciary consulting, vendor searches, and employee education, and manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets for clients such as sovereign wealth funds and large institutional investors.

David Sotsky is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 28 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner and Smith Incorporated. He has been with Rockefeller Financial since 2022. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services while also operating as a registered broker-dealer with capabilities in securities transactions, insurance products, and investment banking.

Manfred Klee Saieh is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC in Rockville, MD, holding a Series 65 credential with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Cerity Partners, he worked at SOL Capital Management Company and held positions at the United Nations Development Programme and Cleverbridge AG. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a diverse national client base, including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors. The firm employs tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and periodic rebalancing strategies, incorporating proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Shampa Bera is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services and holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. She has 26 years of industry experience, including 10 years with Truist Advisory Services and over 20 years with Truist Investment Services. Outside of her advisory role, she owns a beach condo rental business in Ocean View, Delaware. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes both discretionary and non-discretionary investment approaches, supported by third-party manager platforms and AI-enabled equity research, with a focus on integrated inter-affiliate service arrangements.

Nancy Hendershot is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with 37 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has been associated with Lincoln Investment Planning, Inc. since 1988. Outside of her advisory role, she serves as Treasurer and Board Member for the nonprofit Walk the Walk Inc. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm offers financial planning, retirement plan advice, and a mix of advisor-managed and firm-managed investment programs, utilizing both strategic and tactical approaches overseen by an Investment Management & Research team.

Connie Rong is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2018. Prior to this, she was affiliated with World Financial Group and has experience at Freddie Mac as an operational control analyst. She is also involved in the sales of insurance products affiliated with Transamerica. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers through multiple program platforms, managing approximately $1.7 billion in regulatory assets under management.

Lawrence Fisher II is a financial advisor at Chevy Chase Trust Company with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Chevy Chase Trust since 2010. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients, providing investment management alongside trust and wealth planning services. The firm uses a thematic investment approach focused on macroeconomic views and secular trends, combining trust, custody, and fund-management roles uncommon among large enterprise advisors.

Michael Von Berg is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 25 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at SunTrust Advisory Services and SunTrust Investment Services since 2012. 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 employs a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and a closely integrated inter-affiliate structure.

Michael Perez is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Sterling, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having six years of industry experience. He has worked with SunTrust Bank and its related entities since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, Perez manages rental properties through an LLC. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies and utilizes third-party platforms and AI-enabled equity research to support its investment offerings.

Maria Nikitina is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Bethesda, MD, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies, she worked at NYLIFE Securities LLC and New York Life Insurance Company, and has experience in nonprofit educational event organization related to sunburn prevention in children. She is also a partner at Cherry Blossom LLC, providing consulting on marketing strategy and personal branding. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base, including individual and institutional investors, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Ted Halpern is a financial advisor at MAI Capital Management, LLC with 22 years of industry experience. He previously founded and led Halpern Financial, Inc. for over three decades before joining MAI Capital Management in 2024. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. MAI Capital Management, LLC provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, integrated wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and family-office services to a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, sports professionals, trusts, and institutional clients. The firm manages a broad range of investment strategies and offers additional services such as trust administration and insurance through affiliated entities.

Andrew Leach is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license, with 12 years of experience in the financial advisory industry. He has worked at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC since 2024 and previously spent six years at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC and five years at ARK Financial Services, LLC. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth advisory and investment management services to a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, retirement plans, institutions, and businesses. The firm employs a long-term investment approach that emphasizes tax- and fee-sensitivity within an enhanced open architecture framework, combining active and passive strategies across various investment vehicles.

Stephen Rosen is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with Hightower since 2013. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager investment approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers, mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and custom indexing. The firm serves pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and other financial institutions through discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting.

Whitney Walls is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management with a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining PNC Wealth Management, Walls held roles at Merrill, Bank of America, and Navy Federal Credit Union. PNC Wealth Management provides retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a digital, discretionary model account offered as an invitation-only pilot for employees. The firm’s approach uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and approved model strategies executed via mutual funds and ETFs, with portfolio implementation delegated to third-party firms.