Michael Willard is a financial advisor with Equity Services, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 license and 12 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Foundations Investment Advisors LLC, Alloy Wealth Holdings, Alloy Wealth Management, and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory work, he is listed as owner and president of Forged Financial LLC. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, provides financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm offers multiple advisory platforms that combine long-term investment strategies with options for shorter-term trading and specialized instruments, managing both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

William Semans is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked with Truist Advisory Services and Truist Investment Services since 2021, following six years at BB&T Securities. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, participants, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration across its services.

Cathie Clontz is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 24 years of industry experience. She has worked at Truist Advisory Services and affiliated firms since 2018, including BB&T Securities and PNC Investments. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration with Truist Investment Services and Truist Bank.

Samantha Allen is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in the financial services industry. She currently works at VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc., having joined in 2025. Her previous experience includes six years at The Vanguard Group, Inc. and roles at The Reddoor and Wingate University. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. offers investment advisory, brokerage, financial planning, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and plan sponsors. The firm utilizes a combination of model portfolios and manager-driven sleeves, delivering mostly non-discretionary investment guidance alongside discretionary offerings.

Mickey Howell is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC. Prior to joining Rockefeller Financial, Howell worked at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC. 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 combines portfolio management, financial planning, brokerage services, and investment banking within a Private Advisor model supported by its Rockefeller Global Investment Management platform.

Jamie Smothers is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. since 2006. Based in Charlotte, NC, Jamie holds a Series 66 license and is involved as a member and manager of Peak Property Management LLC, which focuses on purchasing, repairing, and managing rental properties. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory, brokerage, and licensed insurance services to a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a combination of strategic and tactical asset allocation through fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management solutions.

Harold Lockwood Jr. is a CFP® and ChFC® with 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. and has previously worked at BB&T and Truist Advisory Services. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, pension plans, and business entities. The firm offers portfolio management through wrap programs, an automated Guided Investing platform, tax-aware services, and financial planning, leveraging its affiliation with a bank holding company to integrate banking resources with investment solutions.

Kimberly Chessler is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 17 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2006. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across private banking, workplace wealth management, and high-net-worth segments. The firm implements multi-asset, multi-manager investment strategies through discretionary and non-discretionary programs, offering a broad range of advisory services supported by extensive in-house research and execution capabilities.

Noel Simons is a financial advisor at Janney Montgomery Scott with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked previously at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a broad client base including individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and municipal clients, offering a variety of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services.

Dylan Power is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC, United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC, and The Ayco Company, L.P./Mercer Allied. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, estates, corporations, charitable institutions, and other institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, retirement plan services, and access to alternative and private-market investments, with a focus on diversified asset allocation and customized portfolios.

Colton Mendenhall is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, Consolidated Planning, and Wells Fargo. He is also engaged in independent insurance sales outside of Guardian Life. Primerica Advisors serves a broad retail client base with both brokerage and advisory services, offering proprietary advisory programs and access to third-party investment platforms. The firm supports a range of investment strategies and account-level services for individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients.

Philip Jupp is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having four years of industry experience. He has worked with Eagle Strategies, Main View Wealth, LLC, NYLIFE Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Company. Prior to his financial services career, he was involved with Brio Energy and operated Onno's Zona Colonial for ten years. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base that includes individual investors, retirement plans, and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm offers multiple program types and manages the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

George Lin is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2022, he worked at The Vanguard Group from 2005 to 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Melissa Mitchell is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 32 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Advisors LLC before joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2022. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients including individuals, families, trusts, corporate sponsors, and municipal clients, offering brokerage, financial planning, consulting, and advisory programs supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

John Riley is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently working at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2022. Prior to joining Janney, he held roles at Truist Advisory Services and BB&T Securities. He serves on the local board of Ducks Unlimited in Memphis, TN, a nonprofit focused on land conservation. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Michael Kreimer is a CFP® with 40 years of experience in financial advising, currently with NewEdge Advisors. He has held roles at firms including Compass Securities Corporation, Raymond James Financial Services, Ballantyne Financial Group LLC, and Eudaimonia Partners, LLC. In addition to his advisory work, he is an insurance agent/broker conducting commission-based fixed insurance business. NewEdge Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management through a wrap fee program that integrates asset management with financial planning, utilizing a range of investment approaches and regular portfolio reviews.

Samuel Barden is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank, N.A. and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves ultra-high and high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, charities, corporations, and retirement plans, offering wealth management, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides integrated services through affiliated trust and insurance entities, with access to alternative and private investments and a distinctive ownership structure involving institutional minority owners.

Jonathan Liles is a CFP® with 25 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Gary Preslar is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He is the president of Preslar Financial Group, LLC, and has been involved in new home construction and real estate sales through Homes by Gary Preslar, LLC, since 2001. His prior roles include positions at Aspire Private Capital and Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm provides a platform-centered approach combining model portfolios managed by internal and third-party strategists, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services.

Ernest Glass Jr. is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and over 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999 and has concurrently worked with Guardian Life Insurance Co., Inc. since 1997. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Secretary/Treasurer for the Orient Point Homeowners Association, managing its financial records. Primerica Advisors operates as part of Park Avenue Securities LLC, which serves a diverse retail client base through a combination of brokerage and advisory services, proprietary and third-party investment programs, and comprehensive financial planning solutions.