Dylan Thurman is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. in Mooresville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at TIAA and First Citizens Bank. First Citizens Investor Services serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities by providing advisory and brokerage services that include portfolio management, financial planning, and tax-aware strategies. The firm emphasizes IAR-led client assessments and applies various analytical methods to manage portfolios across multiple asset classes.

Kevin Spence is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 26 years of industry experience and holds the Series 66 designation. His prior roles include positions at TIAA CREF Individual & Institutional Services, Cary Street Partners, Luxon Asset Management, and HSBC Technology & Services USA. He serves as a FINRA arbitrator, contributes scholarly articles on regulatory compliance, participates as a speaker at financial services industry conferences, and is a council member of the Securities Industry Continuing Education Programs. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain retail clients. The firm offers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan sponsor-chosen investment lineups.

Tod Wells is a CFP® with 33 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at &PARTNERS since 2024. His prior experience includes roles at Wells Fargo Clearing from 2001 to 2005 and again from 2016 to 2024, as well as Merrill from 2005 to 2011. He is also a partner in DWM, LLC, a non-investment-related entity. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, institutional clients, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan advisory services, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis along with both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Corie Basham is an advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with securities industry credentials Series 63 and Series 65. She has been with Fifth Third Bank since 2020 and joined Fifth Third Securities in 2026. Prior to that, she worked at Randstad and Enterprise Rent a Car. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. serves individual and institutional clients through investment advisory and brokerage channels. The firm offers a range of managed account programs and investment strategies, including mutual fund and ETF models, SMA strategies, tax overlays, and direct indexing, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank.

Karen Hough is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience. She has been with Thrivent Financial For Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2006. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers holistic, goal-based analyses and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option called “WealthPlan,” while keeping planning and portfolio management services separate.

Boyd Hough is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Salisbury, NC, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 and 65 licenses. He has 44 years of industry experience and has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2002. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a broad, goal-based planning approach. The firm’s planning services address various financial topics and can be combined with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option, while keeping planning and asset management separate.

David Nifong is a financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at LPL Financial and Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC for nine years each. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as president of an architecture committee in Bryson City, NC. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm serving a diverse range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement advisory services through a network of independent professionals, providing tailored strategies across multiple custody and platform options.

Alan Burke is a financial advisor with Raymond James Financial in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has owned an accounting firm, Alan F. Burke, CPA, PA, since 1989 and serves as treasurer for the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce. Additionally, he manages a property business and leads a local band through Studio512, LLC. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors, Inc. provides financial planning and investment consulting to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and nonprofit organizations, delivering tailored, non-discretionary advice supported by analytical modeling and technology-driven tools.

Lexter Fennell is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Concord, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2009. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management and offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee strategies, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

David Vespoli is a financial advisor with Osaic Wealth Inc, holding a Series 66 credential and 22 years of industry experience. He has held prior roles at Stratos Wealth Partners, Ltd, LPL Financial, and Morgan Stanley, among others. Osaic Wealth Inc serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, pension plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of brokerage, advisory, and financial planning services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm employs asset-allocation tools, risk-tolerance assessments, and third-party platforms to manage portfolios that may include stocks, bonds, options, mutual funds, ETFs, and alternative investments.

Sydney Kimball is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with 10 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management, and Alex Beilin. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients with brokerage and investment advisory offerings, including fee-based financial planning and portfolio management. The firm combines institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services and utilizes proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor plans to clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Bruce Lau is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Mooresville, North Carolina, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and possessing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2003. Outside of his advisory work, he is a certified independent contract pilot and has served as a first officer for American Airlines. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients across a broad spectrum, including non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth households, pension plans, corporate clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages over $1 trillion in assets and offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Jon Rothenberg is a financial advisor with Cetera, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 29 years of industry experience. He has been associated with various entities within the Cetera network since 2004, including Cetera Wealth Services and Cetera Advisors LLC. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is an SEC-registered firm that serves a broad range of clients, including individuals, employer-sponsored retirement plans, corporate and charitable clients, and institutional accounts. The firm offers a multi-manager platform with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party money managers, managing over $256 billion in assets through a network of more than 10,000 advisors.

Kinyon Vinson is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Davidson, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and possessing 22 years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016. Vinson is also a strategic advisor for a recovery center through his involvement with VBR LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, managing approximately $671 billion in assets with over 14,000 financial advisors nationwide.

Kevin Nervegna is a financial advisor at LPL Financial with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at firms including OSAIC, Sagepoint Financial, Questar Asset Management, Questar Capital Corporation, and GCG Wealth Management Inc. He is also involved with the Financial Independence Group, selling fixed universal life and term insurance products. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Kristen Thomas is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. She is currently affiliated with Cetera and also serves as a financial professional at Paved Wealth Partners, LLC. In addition to her advisory work, she operates a small gardening consulting business called Southern Rooted Gardens. Cetera Investment Advisers LLC is a nationwide SEC-registered adviser that serves individual, retirement, corporate, charitable, and institutional clients through a large network of independent advisors. The firm offers a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement services, utilizing a multi-manager platform with access to affiliated and third-party money managers.

Nicholas Caropreso is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Mooresville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation. He joined Edward Jones in 2026 and has prior professional experience at Lowe's Companies Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and Pinnacle Foods. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients with approximately $1.01 trillion in assets under management. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of financial advisors and branch offices.

Donald Coggins Jr. is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Salisbury, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 21 years of industry experience. He worked at Edward Jones from 2007 to 2010 before joining LPL Financial, where he has been since 2010. Outside of advising, he is a musician performing as a keyboard player and singer, and he also manages timber farming on personal property. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Jesse Riley is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Concord, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has one year of industry experience and has been with Wells Fargo Bank and its affiliates since 2012. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory services. The firm’s approach is IPS-driven and grounded in modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options in its investment menus.

Natasha Rufino Da Silva is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, serving the Suburban Philadelphia market. She is recognized as Merrill’s only African American advisor in the region and collaborates with an award-winning team that includes partners with over 40 years of experience. Drawing upon her athletic background, Natasha applies a disciplined and focused approach to her work with high net worth families and individuals. Her expertise spans advising medical professionals, athletes, business owners, and affluent families on various aspects of financial life, including wealth growth and preservation, retirement planning, managing new wealth, and tax minimization. Natasha emphasizes personalized strategies tailored to each client’s unique financial goals and has a commitment to educating her community on financial literacy, especially empowering Philadelphia’s youth. Natasha holds a Bachelor’s degree from Saint Joseph’s University and completed an Accredited Certificate Program at Temple University. She carries several professional designations, including CERTIFIED PLAN FIDUCIARY ADVISOR (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Sports & Entertainment Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (SE-AWMA). She is involved with community organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and Tri State Black Men in Medicine. Fluent in English and Yoruba, Natasha focuses on clear communication to help clients understand financial strategies and market conditions.