Melanie Francis is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services based in Denver, CO, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 30 years of industry experience. She has been with Princor Financial Services since 2004 and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2003. Outside of her advisory role, Melanie serves as a bank trust officer, providing accounting services and supporting the management of Principal retirement account relationships. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and business entities. The firm provides direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Dawne Waltz is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 11 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at T. Rowe Price. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm delivers integrated services tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, emphasizing long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing.

Leslie Sandusky III is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Xel Exchange, a cryptocurrency mining business. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Gregory Bjork is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 27 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2018, following a 14-year tenure at Jefferies & Company. Based in Denver, CO, he focuses on investment advisory services within a large enterprise firm. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a variety of investment programs and provides both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, maintaining custody of client assets while delivering a broad range of consulting and financial planning services.

Paul Krepinski is a financial advisor at The Huntington Investment Company with 38 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations. His prior experience includes roles at Edward Jones, Empower Advisory Group, and Charles Schwab in various capacities from 2015 to 2025. The Huntington Investment Company serves individuals, charitable organizations, corporations, and other business entities with advisory and brokerage services. The firm offers multiple wrap-fee programs using an open-architecture model that combines third-party and affiliate portfolio management, with custodial services through National Financial Services.

Evan Schumacher is a CFP® with seven years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning since 2022. He previously worked at Wipfli Financial Advisors and Hewins Financial Advisors. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm manages approximately $217 billion in assets and employs a financial planning–led investment approach focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by specialized tactics such as direct indexing and tax-loss harvesting.

Thomas Bevington is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the CFP® designation along with Series 66 and Series 63 licenses. Prior to Creative Planning, he worked at Matter Family Office, Charles Schwab Bank, Charles Schwab, and FIDELITY Brokerage Services LLC. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that incorporates low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure.

Mark Whaley is a financial advisor at GWN Securities Inc. with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 65 and Series 63 designations. In addition to his advisory role, Whaley is co-founder and managing director of Everest Microbial Defense, LLC, where he oversees antimicrobial product development and business operations. He also serves as a trustee board member for Bergen Park Church and provides business consulting in carpet and flooring maintenance. GWN Securities provides investment advisory services to individual and corporate clients through various managed account programs and financial planning offerings. The firm employs a mix of affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers and utilizes tactical strategies, including market-timing and momentum approaches, supported by technology platforms and model-based portfolio construction.

Matthew Heim is a financial advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cresset in 2022, he held positions at the University of Colorado at Boulder, The Walsh Group, The Roaring Fork Club, and Berkshire School. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets across a diverse client base, including individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm focuses on diversified, asset-allocation-driven portfolio construction using both active and passive strategies, supported by a structured due-diligence process and a range of advisory and family office services.

Nathanael Southard is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 13 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he owns and manages a rental investment property. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through employer retirement plans. The firm offers model and customized portfolios under a fiduciary standard and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund within a vertically integrated structure.

Joshua Vanderschuere is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and previously worked at GWFS Equities, Denver Public Schools, and the University of Denver. Outside of his advisory work, he owns and manages a single home rental property. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, offering services integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm focuses on long-term portfolio returns and serves a large participant base relative to its advisor headcount.

Robert Jones is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with 10 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at firms including Ayco/Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC and United Capital Financial Advisers, LLC. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm provides a range of services including investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments, with a focus on customized, diversified asset allocation and private market programs for qualified clients.

Steven Hagedon is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 12 years of industry experience. He has held roles at Empower Financial Services, Fidelity Brokerage Services, and Wells Fargo, among others. Hagedon holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as certain IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm’s approach integrates proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates, delivered through a platform tied closely to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative services.

Jennifer Pena is a CFP® professional with 10 years of experience in financial planning and advisory services. She is currently with Kestra Advisory and serves as Co-President of Pursuit Wealth Planning. Her prior experience includes roles at Sagepoint Financial and Comprehensive Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, she is involved in firm management duties for Pursuit, LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement plan consulting to a diverse client base, including plan sponsors, institutional investors, and individuals. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan-level investment advice, and utilizes multiple management platforms with access to complex products and discretionary trading.

Andrew Albers is a financial advisor at Principal Financial Services with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at Principal Bank and Principal Trust Company, Principal Securities, Inc., and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2023, following prior roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. and Valenta Capital Management. Principal Securities offers brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm’s advisory services emphasize direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Ryan Hill is a CFA® charterholder with four years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. since 2021 and was previously employed at Wells Fargo from 2008 to 2021. He is based in Denver, CO. Wells Fargo Investment Institute provides institutional research, manager due diligence, model portfolio construction, and asset-allocation guidance to Wells Fargo wealth and fiduciary businesses as well as select external clients. The firm’s work is organized across specialized divisions that produce research and model guidance without exercising investment discretion or holding custody of client assets.

David Evans is a CFP® professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. He currently works at Empower Advisory Group and has previously held roles at Personal Capital Advisors Corporation, E*TRADE Securities LLC, and Scottrade Inc. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, along with Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage clients. The firm’s services feature a “point-in-time” planning approach focused on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing, delivered through a model integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Shane Dunican is a CFP® at Moneta Group Investment Advisors, LLC with six years of industry experience. He has held positions at RKFin and Team Hewins prior to joining Moneta. Outside of finance, he was involved with Take Charge Cats and spent time at the University of Arizona. Moneta Group Investment Advisors serves high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients, providing a range of portfolio management, financial planning, and family office services. The firm utilizes a partner-led team structure and an open-architecture investment process that emphasizes asset allocation and manager due diligence.

Michael Holliger is a financial advisor with Independent Financial Partners and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. He has 27 years of industry experience, including positions at Fidelity Investments and LPL Financial. Holliger is also involved with Holliger Financial Consultants, a financial advisory and investment management business. Independent Financial Partners provides investment advisory, financial planning, trust, and retirement-plan services through a nationwide network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm supports a multi-advisor platform with a focus on retirement-plan advisory and pension consulting, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment management options.

Duncan Macdougall is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. in Denver, CO. His prior work experience includes roles at First National Bank of Omaha, the University of Colorado Bookstore, Zepheira, and the University of Colorado. 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’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios with strategic use of low-cost index vehicles and tax management.