Erik Hoeflinger is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Before joining Principal Securities in 2023, he spent time in full-time education and worked in various roles outside the financial services industry. He is also involved in outside insurance sales, offering fixed annuities, individual life, disability, and long-term care insurance products through multiple carriers. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a wide range of clients, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and business entities. The firm’s advisory services include financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Joseph Tabet is a financial advisor at William Blair with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at William Blair since 2021. Prior to his current role, his work history includes positions at World of Beer, Local Tree Tech, and Alaska Pacific Seafoods. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, offering proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Brian Sutherland is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Oxbow Financial, TSFG, LPL Financial, and Perdoceo Education Corporation. 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 offers a platform-centered approach with model portfolios, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services, supported by an internal Investment Consulting Group and various licensing and sub-advisory programs.

John Sias is a financial advisor with NewEdge Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 24 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Edward Jones. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations through a network of independent advisers. The firm provides a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services, utilizing diverse program structures that incorporate both in-house and third-party strategies, supported by centralized due diligence and technology tools.

Gerald Gilbertson is a CFP® with 38 years of industry experience, currently serving at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. since 2010. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and is based in Mount Prospect, IL. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. provides brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to a range of clients including individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business 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.

Anthony Gurrieri is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 27 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at WealthWave, LSPN Pro, Apollo Agency, and several other firms. He is involved with the Heartland Institute for Financial Education as a registry instructor. Transamerica Financial Advisors, LLC serves a broad client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and businesses. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach using proprietary and third-party portfolios, supported by a large advisor network and multiple program platforms.

John Cultra is a CFA® charterholder with 28 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1997. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients, employing an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies.

John Christopher is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has been with Eagle Strategies since 2016 and is also involved with Christopher Financial Group, LLC, Mahoney Financial Organization LLC, and Exodus Business Strategies LLC. Christopher serves as a board member of the Medinah Country Club. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse clientele including individual investors, institutional plans, and charitable organizations. The firm delivers tailored advice through various program types, emphasizing non-discretionary asset management and integrated advisory services within the New York Life affiliate structure.

Jennifer Frahm is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 22 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with GWFS Equities, Inc. and Great West Life & Annuity Insurance Company since 2009. Outside of her advisory role, she teaches financial fluency to high school students and medical students at the University of Illinois Medical School through her initiative, Intentional Investment Education. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management mainly 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 approach emphasizes long-term portfolio returns, annual rebalancing, and clients’ savings rates, delivering services through an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

William Mc Carty IV is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Fifth Third Bank and Fifth Third Securities since 2023, following prior roles at Charles Schwab and First Trust Portfolios. Outside of his advisory work, he engages in personal item sales on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. Fifth Third Securities provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate and business clients, and institutional investors. The firm offers multiple discretionary managed-account programs through its Passageway Managed Account Program and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Fifth Third Bank, combining bank affiliation with a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser structure.

Michael Muersch is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Downers Grove, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. since 2016 and with Principal Life Insurance Company since 2008. He is also involved in health and fixed life insurance brokerage activities. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Connor Simios is a CFP® and Series 65-licensed advisor with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has six years of industry experience, including prior roles at Vermillion Financial Advisors and Willow Creek Community Church. He joined Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services in 2025. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement consulting through a network of advisors, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Jesus Olmedo is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has 16 years of industry experience, including prior roles at J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank. Olmedo has been with TIAA-CREF since 2018. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm combines point-in-time planning services with ongoing managed account programs that utilize model or customized portfolios, and it acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Brian Marshall is a financial advisor at William Blair with 31 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair & Company L.L.C. since 1994. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm utilizes an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, offering proprietary models and access to private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Robert Courser is a CFP® professional with 31 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Brookstone Capital Management since 2020 and was previously with Kalos Capital, Inc. for 11 years. Outside of his primary advisory role, he is involved with Ron Courser & Associates, where he provides financial advisory services including the sale of fixed insurance and securities products. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser serving a broad client base that includes individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, supported by a large advisor network and a turnkey asset management platform.

Eric Freckman is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Private Advisor Group, LLC since 2015, following a 22-year tenure at LPL Financial, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, Mr. Freckman is also a notary public. Private Advisor Group, LLC is an SEC-registered firm managing over $41 billion across more than 135,000 client relationships. The firm serves individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporate and retirement plan clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and access to third-party asset management programs.

Candace Vondra is a CFA® charterholder with 23 years of industry experience, currently serving at William Blair since 2006. She holds the Series 63 designation and is based in Des Plaines, IL. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models, third-party sub-advisers, and access to private funds and co-investment opportunities.

Bart Newman is a financial advisor with Brookstone Capital Management LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and eight years of industry experience. He previously worked at IAMS Wealth Management and Secure Investment Management. Outside of his advisory role, Newman has been an independent insurance agent since 2004 and serves as a football official and assignor for the Dukane conference. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser providing fee-based asset management and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients such as sovereign wealth funds and banking institutions. The firm delivers investment management primarily on a discretionary basis through model portfolios, unified managed accounts, and separately managed accounts, and supports a large advisor network with back-office and turnkey asset management platform services.

Michael Kreger is a CFP® with 19 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Lincoln Investment. His prior roles include positions at Agia and VALIC Financial Advisors. Outside of investment advisory, he is involved with Agia as an agent for non-securities insurance products. Lincoln Investment serves individuals, charitable organizations, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans, with a focus on educators and 403(b)/457(b) participants. The firm combines proprietary and third-party investment strategies and offers both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory programs.

David Ferrante is a financial advisor at William Blair with one year of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Goldman Sachs in 2023. Outside of finance, he has been involved with Huntley Community School District 158 and Northwestern University since 2014. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.