Melissa Vald is Vice President and Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments, a position she has held since 2019. She is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with experience working with high net worth clients since 2005, providing comprehensive financial planning that includes retirement and income planning, tax-efficient investing, and estate plan considerations. Her career in financial services includes roles as a Financial Planning Associate at Wells Fargo from 2015 to 2019, and at Morgan Stanley from 2007 to 2015, as well as serving as a Financial Advisor at Morgan Stanley from 2005 to 2007. Melissa holds a California Insurance License. Outside of her professional work, Melissa enjoys family activities, theater, traveling, and volunteering.

Aaron Wauters is the Resident Director at Merrill, where he leads a team dedicated to providing comprehensive financial services that encompass investments, liabilities, and cash management. His office is located in the Naperville/Lisle branch of Merrill. Aaron has been with Merrill since 2001, serving a diverse client base including corporate executives, pre-retirees, and retirees with a focus on 401(k) plans. He holds several professional designations including Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor™ (CRPC™), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor® (CPFA®), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Benefits Consultant (RBC). Aaron earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Dubuque, where he also played football for four years. Prior to his career in finance, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1997 to 2003 on both active and reserve duty. He has expertise in areas such as retirement income, family wealth management, small business strategies, and tax minimization. He takes a personal and proactive approach to assist clients in achieving their financial goals and maintaining customized retirement plan strategies. Outside of his professional work, Aaron is involved in his community as a board member of the Fox Valley Patriotic Organization and as the commissioner of the Geneva Baseball Organization. He resides in Geneva with his wife Mandy and their three sons. Aaron enjoys playing racquetball and golf, and he shares his home with the family’s Black Labrador, Maddux.

Adam Bukowski is a financial advisor with MassMutual Investors Services in Lisle, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 15 years of industry experience. He has been with MassMutual Investors Services and MassMutual Life Insurance since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Treasurer for the DuPage Senior Citizens Council, a nonprofit organization. MassMutual Investors Services, LLC is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing financial planning and asset management services to individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers structured, collaborative financial planning engagements using firm-approved analytical tools, with optional implementation of recommendations through separate brokerage or insurance arrangements.

Matthew Lenerville is a financial advisor at Fidelity with eight years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill and Bank of America. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in ecommerce as the owner of Net Brands, LLC, and participates in marketing and sales for Fae Forest Fungi, LLC, a gourmet and medicinal mushroom business. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients using a combination of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary advisory services and is noted for its use of systematic methodologies and long-term asset allocation benchmarks.

Jamie Morrow is a financial advisor at Stifel with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously worked at RBC Capital Markets, Raymond James & Associates, and Midland States Bank. Stifel serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations, offering both brokerage and investment advisory services. The firm’s investment approach relies on proprietary methodologies developed by its Investment Strategy Group, providing analytical support for asset allocation and financial planning.

Peter Wilmot is a CFP® and ChFC® with 25 years of experience in the financial industry. He has been with LPL Financial since 2015 and previously worked with Opus Wealth Partners, LLC. Wilmot is also involved in several professional business entities related to wealth management and tax services. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, credit unions, corporations, and charitable organizations through a national network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning, advisory programs, retirement plan consulting, and brokerage services supported by diverse investment strategies and technology solutions.

Nicholas Tagliere is a financial advisor with J.P. Morgan Securities in Wheaton, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with JPMORGAN Chase Bank, N.A. since 2012. J.P. Morgan Securities provides investment consulting and advisory services primarily to institutional clients and retirement plan sponsors, utilizing a process that combines quantitative asset-allocation modeling with centralized due diligence and an ESG eligibility framework.

Jean Lacour is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 19 years of industry experience. He worked at Wayne Hummer Investments for 17 years before joining Raymond James in 2023. Raymond James & Associates offers financial planning and investment consulting through its Wealth Advisory Services Program to individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable entities, and government clients. The firm provides tailored financial plans and investment recommendations, with a focus that includes municipal and public finance services.

Michael Furness is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He previously worked at Edward Jones for five years and has over a decade of experience with LFK Group LLC. In addition to his advisory role, he assists as a portfolio manager for Horse Cove Partners, providing back-office support for daily trading processes. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC distributes services through a large nationwide network of independent advisors, serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through multiple program structures and has over $256 billion in assets under management.

Patrick Naughton is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding a Series 63 designation and 38 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera and its affiliates since 1988 and founded Naughton Financial Services in 2012. Outside of his advisory work, Naughton serves on the Board of Lay Trustees for Marmion Academy, a private high school, and is a board member of the John Paul II Renewal Center, a religious organization. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that supports over 10,000 independent advisors and serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a multi-manager platform with access to both affiliated and third-party investment managers.

Ashar Khan Mohamed Khan is a financial advisor with Merrill in Naperville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Merrill, he worked at Bank of America and operated as a freelance finance consultant for six years. Merrill provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through its Select Portfolio Solutions program, offering model-based and discretionary investment strategies to individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate fiduciaries.

Kamlesh Thakrar is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera and its related entities since 2025 and previously worked with Avantax Advisory Services and Avantax Investment Services. Outside of his advisory role, he owns Kris Kumar & Associates, a tax preparation, accounting, and bookkeeping business. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered adviser that serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporate, charitable, and institutional accounts. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party managers through a multi-manager platform with a variety of program structures and custodial relationships.

Joel Billings is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Geneva, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 25 years of industry experience. He has been with LPL Financial since 2008. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a substitute teacher for the Geneva School District 304. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and charitable organizations nationwide. The firm offers a range of financial planning and advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, supported by internal and third-party research and a variety of investment strategies.

Seth Kunio is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Warrenville, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Ameriprise in 2023, he worked in education at West Aurora High School and Jewel Middle School. He is also a student research assistant with Michigan State University’s GlobalEdge international business center. Ameriprise provides retirement-income planning services primarily for individuals with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized recommendations through a centralized consulting team. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions typical of a large institutional firm.

Cynthia Jaracz is a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley in Lisle, Illinois, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses with 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2015. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer offering a wide range of advisory programs to individual and institutional clients. The firm provides tailored financial planning using structured discovery processes and firm-approved tools, managing approximately $2.74 trillion in client assets.

Brian Michel is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Sugar Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and 20 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2005. Outside of advising, he serves as president of the Capitol Professional Center Association. 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 and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Siara Spaulding is a financial advisor at Fidelity with five years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. Her work history includes roles at Fidelity Investments, J.P. Morgan Securities, and Thrivent Investment Management Inc. She has also held positions outside finance at Gap Inc. and Banana Republic. Strategic Advisers LLC, a Fidelity Investments company, provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, utilizing a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to manage model portfolios and funds.

David Hanson is a financial advisor with OSAIC in Warrenville, IL, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. He has four years of industry experience, including prior roles at Woodbury Financial Services and Forty Four Financial. OSAIC serves a broad mix of retail and institutional clients through a large network of affiliated financial advisers, offering integrated brokerage and advisory services, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers and wrap programs. The firm uses asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance questionnaires, and efficient-frontier analysis to construct diversified portfolios managed on discretionary or non-discretionary bases.

Curt Karas is a financial advisor with Cetera who holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Cetera since 2014 and has served as Township Assessor for Sugar Grove since 2018. Outside of advisory work, Karas is involved in local nonprofit organizations, including serving as treasurer for the Sugar Grove Kiwanis and the Sugar Grove Cemetery Association. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered advisory firm serving individual, retirement plan, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with access to third-party money managers and employs a range of portfolio management and financial planning services across various program structures.

John Kennedy is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at J.P. Morgan Institutional Investments and Ameriprise. LPL Financial is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, corporations, and nonprofits through a national network of advisors. The firm provides financial planning, a variety of advisory programs, and retirement plan consulting, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary management supported by research and model portfolios.