Paul Collins III is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His previous roles include positions at Triad Advisors, Peachtree Wealth Advisors, and Waddell & Reed. Collins has worked at Truist Investment Services since 2019. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate and business clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm uses a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, to deliver its investment solutions.

Suzanne Bell is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Asheville, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 15 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Independent Investment Bankers Corp, Ba Securities, LLC, and UpCountry Advisors, LLC. She has been involved with SJH Synergy, LLC since 2016. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as retail brokerage clients. The firm’s services integrate proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and are closely tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Jeffrey White is a financial advisor at OSAIC Institutions, Inc. with 30 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms including First Bancorp, Infinex Investments, Inc., and First Citizens Investor Services. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients through a network of investment adviser representatives. The firm offers customized advisory services, financial planning, ERISA plan support, and access to alternative investments, operating a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model with both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Kathleen King is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. She has been with Oppenheimer since 2012. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of investment and consulting services using both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches, managing equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios alongside tailored retirement solutions.

Hannah Kennicott is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Thrivent Financial, LPL Enterprise, and The Prudential Insurance Company of America. Outside of finance, she has experience working at Culver's Garden Center & Greenhouse. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary manager strategies and integrates advanced tools and inter-affiliate resources to support its investment offerings.

James Shand is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group in Asheville, NC. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been in the industry since 2026. His prior work experience includes roles at IngeniousIO, Callminer Inc, and various positions in the restaurant and catering industries. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm offers integrated services connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Barbara Ristow is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience. She is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, Focus Wealth Management, Ltd., Pinnacle Advisory Group, Inc., Securian Financial Services, Inc., First Horizon Advisors, Inc., and Capitol Securities Management, Inc. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial and tax planning, family office and business management, and employee benefit consulting. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Jose Velarde Gainza is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower, he held roles at First Horizon Bank and Northwestern Mutual, among other positions. 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 retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, offering proprietary and third-party planning methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates.

Abraham Johnson is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone since 2021. Johnson is also a managing director and independent agent at Amerilife, where he sells life and health insurance products and is involved in training and recruiting insurance agents. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Joshua Dillard is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with Series 66 credentials and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Oppenheimer, he was involved with Bhramari Brewing Company for eight years and briefly worked at Black Mountain Pizza & Ale House. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services, including asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting, with both discretionary and non-discretionary account management.

Lewis Akers Jr. is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC since 2022. His prior roles include nearly two decades at Altavista Wealth Management, Inc. and six years at Merrill. In addition to his advisory work, he owns a small tax preparation business focused on limited income tax returns. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, consulting, financial planning, and outsourced chief investment officer services to a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm combines asset-allocation modeling with third-party managers across active and passive strategies and offers proprietary private funds alongside comprehensive reporting and participant education.

Douglas Bridges Jr. is a CFP® professional with 24 years of industry experience, currently serving at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2006. He also holds an agent position with Agia, focusing on non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth clients, and offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services through its broker-dealer operations.

Frederick Stansberry is a financial advisor at Integrity Alliance, LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Prudential Insurance Company of America and Questar Capital Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a substitute teacher for Henderson County Public Schools and is involved in fixed insurance product sales through National Agents Alliance. Integrity Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of 164 independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers asset management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party manager programs using various portfolio strategies and custodial platforms.

Eric Henry is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Asheville, NC, holding a Series 66 credential and nine years of industry experience. He has been with Bankers Life and its affiliated entities since 2004 and serves as a unit field trainer, recruiting and training new insurance agents. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. primarily serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, consulting, and retirement plan services. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and manages portfolios across a range of securities based on clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Casey Allison is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and previously worked at Truist Bank for ten years. Outside of his advisory role, Allison serves as a deacon at First Baptist Church Hendersonville, where he participates in monthly meetings addressing church business and stewardship activities. 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 and non-discretionary approaches, supported by third-party platform and manager arrangements, and integrates services across its affiliated entities.

Mary Kiser is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Her prior experience includes five years at Altavista Wealth Management and roles at Cumberland Trust & Investment Co and Page and Windrow. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-of-managers approach using a proprietary Focus List and offers discretionary wealth management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and outsourced CIO solutions.

Madison Ramella is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Mercer Global Advisors Inc. and previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services Advisers. Outside of finance, she has experience working with Flour Shop. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, offering investment advisory services alongside financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning as well as family office services. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory and utilizes globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with multi-factor tilts, implemented through ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, direct indexing, and other options.

Linda Puryear is a financial advisor at OSAIC Institutions, Inc. with 14 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Hometrust Bank and Infinex Investments since 2020, with prior experience at BB&T and its affiliates from 2011 to 2019. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the finance committee of Children’s First/Communities in Schools and is the board treasurer for RiverLink, a local environmental nonprofit. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services through a network of representatives and operates a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model with a focus on providing both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management.

Brendan Reidy Jr. is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at firms including The Mather Group, Mercer Global Advisors, Churchill Management Group, and US Trust Bank of America. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-of-managers approach using proprietary due diligence and asset allocation strategies, and it sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and private funds.

Jordan Williams is a financial advisor with OSAIC Institutions, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Merrill and HomeTrust Bank. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services through a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer model, focusing on delegated investment management and providing access to alternative investments and lending solutions.