Kathleen McGrath is a CFP® professional with 31 years of experience in the financial services industry. She currently serves at ValMark Advisers, Inc. and affiliated firms, with prior experience at Wells Fargo Clearing, A. G. Edwards & Sons, Inc., and KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc. She is a board member of the Hugs and Hope Foundation, a nonprofit supporting families affected by lung cancer. ValMark Advisers, Inc. provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth investors, retirement plan sponsors, and institutional clients through a network of advisory representatives. The firm’s approach focuses on diversified, goal-based portfolios implemented via mutual funds, ETFs, and separate accounts, with ongoing monitoring and rebalancing overseen by an investment committee.

Keith Wood is a financial advisor with Synovus Securities, Inc. in Port Charlotte, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has worked with Synovus entities since 2019 and previously at Raymond James Financial Services from 2015 to 2019. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Premier Orlando Rides LLC, a transportation business where he manages administrative duties and vehicle acquisitions. Synovus Securities, Inc. serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients, offering investment advisory and brokerage services with a variety of managed account programs. The firm uses risk tolerance assessments and due diligence processes to guide portfolio management, and it provides access to alternative investments and educational services for ERISA plans.

Kevin Murray is a financial advisor at Synovus Securities, Inc. with 31 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation along with Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His previous roles include positions at Truist Investment Services, INC. and Synovus bank. Synovus Securities, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth investors as well as institutional clients, offering investment advisory and brokerage services with a range of solutions including managed accounts and alternative investments. The firm employs a client risk-tolerance questionnaire and due-diligence processes to guide portfolio management through discretionary and non-discretionary programs on the Envestnet platform.

James Meiron Jr. is a financial advisor at Synovus Securities, Inc. with 31 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Synovus Securities and SunTrust Advisory Services during his career. Since 2026, he has also been affiliated with Pinnacle Bank. Synovus Securities, Inc. serves individual and high-net-worth investors as well as institutional clients, offering investment advisory and brokerage services including managed accounts, model portfolios, and financial planning. The firm utilizes a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management programs on the Envestnet platform, with a focus on risk-tolerance tailored asset allocation and manager selection.

Stephanie Desear is a financial advisor with Synovus Securities, Inc. in Port Charlotte, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Pinnacle Bank, Synovus Bank, SunTrust, Wells Fargo, Raymond James, and Morgan Keegan. She serves as a board member and Finance Committee member of the Morgan Franklin Fellowship, an organization promoting financial literacy and education. Synovus Securities, Inc. serves individual, high-net-worth, and institutional clients, offering investment advisory and brokerage services with a range of portfolio management programs on the Envestnet platform. The firm also provides financial planning, access to alternative investments, and educational services for ERISA plans.

Christopher Fernandez is a financial advisor with Synovus Securities, Inc. based in Port Charlotte, FL, holding a Series 66 designation and eight years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at JPMorgan Chase Bank, J.P. Morgan Securities, Cetera, and Synovus bank. Synovus Securities serves individual and high-net-worth investors as well as institutional clients, offering both investment advisory and brokerage services with a focus on diversified portfolio management through discretionary and non-discretionary programs on the Envestnet platform.

Kenneth Bolton is a financial advisor with Advisory Solutions Group, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 37 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Milestone Private Wealth Management, CS Planning Corp., and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network. Advisory Solutions Group serves retail clients through a network of Investment Advisor Representatives and provides turnkey business and back-office services to other registered investment advisory firms. The firm uses a mix of quantitative, momentum, and fundamental analysis to construct diversified portfolios and supports RIAs with model implementation, reporting, and held-away asset management.

Kathy Dyer is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Ironview Capital Management LLC. She and Michael Dyer hold a limited partnership interest in a Florida land development and hotel ownership venture. 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 provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering a range of investment and placement services through a consolidated investment platform.

Gregory Schmertmann is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 15 years of industry experience. He has worked with SunTrust Investment Services and SunTrust Advisory Services since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration across Truist’s financial services.

Daniel McDermott is a CFP® and ChFC® with 38 years of industry experience. He is currently with Mercer Global Advisors Inc., where he has worked since 2018, following prior experience at McDermott Advisory Group, LLC and Cambridge Investment Research, Inc. He is also a Notary Public of Delaware. Mercer Global Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach with globally diversified portfolios and offers a range of investment and planning solutions.

Jonathan Kosmata is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 16 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked in various roles within Truist Investment Services and SunTrust entities since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled research tools and inter-affiliate integration within the Truist enterprise.

Lidia Granger is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Venice, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 10 years of industry experience. She previously worked at Charles Schwab and Charles Schwab Bank from 2015 to 2019 before joining Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank in 2019. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs and features such as direct indexing and tax-overlay services, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Ron Shchemelev is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with Series 63 and Series 66 designations and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Janus Henderson Distributors US LLC and Janus Henderson Investors US LLC. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s services are integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms and emphasize long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Kimberly Brown is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Port Charlotte, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and nine years of industry experience. She previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing and Wells Fargo Bank, NA, with a combined tenure of over 30 years. Outside of her advisory role, she has served as a crew member for Breezy Belle Cruises Inc., assisting with public and private charter boat lake tours. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders, delivering services through an integrated platform that emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Bryan Domian is a financial advisor at Hornor, Townsend & Kent, LLC with six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked with Penn Mutual Life Insurance Company and BCD Financial, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as treasurer for a donor advised fund that raises and distributes contributions to local nonprofits and is involved with 3D Build Systems, LLC, focusing on additive manufacturing techniques for housing construction. Hornor, Townsend & Kent serves individuals, trusts, businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans by offering advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm provides a combination of advisory and broker-dealer services with a network of advisers managing approximately $8.37 billion in discretionary assets under management as of the end of 2025.

John Costello Jr. is a financial advisor at Osaic Advisory Services, LLC with 20 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously spent 19 years at American Portfolios Financial Services. In addition to his advisory role, he sells life and health insurance as a sole proprietor and provides insurance services through 76 Wealth Advisory LLC. Osaic Advisory Services is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, corporate and charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers a range of investment programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis across discretionary and non-discretionary accounts.

Brian Canty is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked in various capacities within Truist and its predecessor firms since 2015. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by advanced research tools and inter-affiliate resources.

Jacqueline Thompson is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Port Charlotte, FL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 11 years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Morgan Stanley, Truist Investment Services, and PNC Investments. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients, using an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Stephen Leavitt is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, bringing 43 years of industry experience. He has been affiliated with Commonwealth Equity Services, Inc. since 1994 and has led his own securities business entity since 2013. Commonwealth Financial Network is a dual-registered broker/dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a national network of nearly 2,900 advisors and a broad client base. The firm provides a comprehensive platform including managed-account programs, third-party asset manager access, retirement consulting, and custody services.

Ronald Hamilton is a Series 66-registered financial advisor with 42 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with OSAIC Institutions, Inc. and has previously worked with Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, Infinex Investments, Inc., and Uvest Financial Services Group, Inc. Hamilton is also involved in health insurance sales, including ongoing service commissions with Aetna Insurance. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, high-net-worth clients, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and access to alternative investments, operating with a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer structure and a focus on both discretionary and non-discretionary asset management.