William Melka is a financial advisor at William Blair with 23 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has been with William Blair since 2014. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides proprietary models as well as access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Kari Beyer is a financial advisor with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. in St. Charles, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 30 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Stifel Nicolaus & Co., Wells Fargo Clearing, and A.G. Edwards & Sons. She serves on the board of the Waterford Oaks Home Association, where she participates in budgeting and landscaping oversight. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of services such as financial planning, investment management, and advisory programs, employing proprietary strategies alongside third-party models.

James Brandt is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Group, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His career includes long-term roles at Fortis Investors, Inc. and his own firm, Brandt Financial Concepts. Outside of his advisory work, Brandt volunteers as a FEMA-certified trainer for disaster preparedness and serves as president of a homeowners association and a trustee on the Palatine Fire Pension Board. Independent Financial Group, LLC provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional plans. The firm offers financial planning and portfolio management through multiple platforms, utilizing both firm- and third-party models that combine strategic asset allocation with ongoing manager due diligence.

Clayton Eaton is a financial advisor with T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 12 years of industry experience, all with T. Rowe Price since 2013. T. Rowe Price Advisory Services offers a retirement-focused advisory program that combines nondiscretionary financial planning, retirement income planning, and discretionary investment management. The firm serves individual investors and households, utilizing model portfolios invested exclusively in T. Rowe Price mutual funds and ETFs, with features such as tax-aware rebalancing and Monte Carlo-based retirement income projections.

Kimberly Riewerts is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with Creative Planning since 2014. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by additional approaches such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Matthew Kling is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Saint Charles, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and three years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked at Knights of Columbus Assets Advisors LLC and Knights of Columbus Insurance for a combined total of 14 years. He serves as a board member and trustee for the Edward J. Baker Foundation & Henry Rockwell Baker Memorial Community Center, a nonprofit community organization. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and active-duty military personnel. The firm’s advisory services emphasize direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Kevin Meehan is a financial advisor at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC with over 41 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® and ChFC® designations and has been associated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services and related entities since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, Meehan is involved in real estate through DHC Realty LLC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, and retirement-plan consulting for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and emphasizes diversified, risk-class based investment strategies blending passive and active management overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Lisa Hanley is a financial advisor at Lincoln Investment with one year of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at James Noe and in roles outside the financial services industry, including media companies Jun Group and Bazaarvoice. Lincoln Investment Planning, LLC serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, trusts, charities, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and advisor-led consulting with a strategic investment approach supported by an in-house Investment Management & Research team and multiple third-party managers.

Lindsay Foster is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 16 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has previously worked at Calamos Financial Services LLC for 17 years before joining Kestra Investment Services, LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors as well as institutional and individual clients, offering a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and due diligence-supported investment recommendations. The firm serves a diverse client base that includes large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Charis Ellis is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Wheaton, IL, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations. She has 11 years of industry experience, including roles at Edward Jones and Timothy Financial Counsel, Inc. Charis also serves as an event coordinator for College Church in Wheaton, organizing weddings and other church events on an as-needed basis. Commonwealth Financial Network is a national dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser supporting approximately 2,900 advisors and managing over $212 billion in client assets. The firm provides a comprehensive platform that includes managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, and custody/clearing services.

Adam Larson is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Corient, where he has worked since 2022, following previous roles at Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC and Savant Capital Management. Corient provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities. The firm uses a goals-based, team investment approach that combines in-house strategies with third-party managers and employs risk management tools alongside alternative investments where appropriate.

William Buhr is a CFA® charterholder with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and has prior experience at JPMorgan Chase Bank NA, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a broad client base including individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a combination of passive and active investment strategies overseen by an internal Investment Committee.

Jeffrey Stensland is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory who holds the PFS™ designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 35 years of industry experience, including over 20 years with Kestra Investment Services and a decade at Kestra Advisory. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of AFS Group Ltd., which provides administrative support. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients, including large plan sponsors. The firm provides services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advisory, with a client base that includes sovereign wealth funds and other large investors.

Douglas Clermont is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 63 designation and 26 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., GBS Insurance & Financial Services, Principal Life Insurance Co., and PrinCor Financial Services. He is also licensed as an outside insurance agent, selling fixed life, fixed annuities, disability, long-term care, and health insurance. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary client assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering investment supervisory and portfolio management, comprehensive financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services. Its approach combines fundamental analysis and Modern Portfolio Theory, with a direct-to-consumer program called Starlight Portfolios that uses risk questionnaires to customize portfolios reviewed quarterly.

Frank Schoen is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Hoffman Estates, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 27 years of industry experience. He is the owner of The Force Agency, Inc. and S2C Tax & Accounting Services LLC, where he provides tax preparation and accounting services. Schoen has been with Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models in discretionary and non-discretionary programs.

Craig Morgan Jr. is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He has worked at Benjamin F. Edwards since 2017 and previously held positions at Stifel Nicolaus & Co Inc, Wells Fargo Clearing, and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a network of more than 500 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including discretionary and non-discretionary managed solutions that combine proprietary and third-party strategies.

William Howson is a CFP® with ten years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors since 2025. His prior roles include four years at HighTower Securities LLC and Bank of America, as well as experience at Merrill and The Vanguard Group. Mariner serves a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and tax services. The firm employs discretionary, customized portfolios supported by an internal investment team and third-party managers, and provides enhanced tax and accounting integration as well as family office and employer financial wellness solutions.

Mark Diorio is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding a CFA® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses, with 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Brookstone since 2015 and previously worked at Parasol Investment Management and Pennant Management Inc. Brookstone Capital Management provides fee-based asset management and financial planning to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and trusts. The firm employs strategic and dynamic asset-allocation models and offers discretionary portfolio management through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program.

James Alexander is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cerity Partners LLC and has previously worked at Edge Portfolio Management, TD Ameritrade Investment Management, and Scottrade. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, foundations, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets. The firm offers customized wealth management services and uses a client-specific investment framework that combines proprietary quantitative screening and manager selection with access to alternative and private market solutions.

Robert Strobel III is a CFP® professional with 36 years of industry experience, currently with Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. He has held positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Advisors LLC, and A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. since 2000. Strobel also serves as a board member of the Towne Place West HOA in Schaumburg, Illinois. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an integrated broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser with more than 500 advisors. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients through a range of advisory, brokerage, and consulting services.