Taylor Stevens is a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, joining the firm in 2016 as part of the Wright Beach & Associates team. He focuses on assisting individuals, families, and business owners in navigating financial complexities related to career shifts, business transitions, retirement, family growth, and evolving goals by providing personalized and adaptable wealth strategies. Taylor holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® (CFP®) certification and the Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA®) designation, which provide him with specialized knowledge in financial planning and business transition strategies. His expertise includes areas such as education planning, executive compensation, legacy planning, liquidity management, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, small business strategies, tax minimization, and retirement income. Born and raised in Columbia, South Carolina, Taylor graduated magna cum laude from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Finance. He currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife Laine, their son Russ, and their pets. His personal interests include golfing, music, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Mitchell Hutula is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with six years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Prior to joining Raymond James, he worked at TIAA and TEK Systems. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves individuals, institutions, pension plans, and municipal entities, offering financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting across a range of portfolio management styles.

Annette Patterson is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Charlotte, NC. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has 24 years of industry experience, including roles at Wachovia Bank and various Wells Fargo entities. Outside of her advisory work, she serves as an executor for her mother’s estate. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is a broker-dealer and registered investment adviser serving individuals, trusts, and institutions. The firm offers a broad range of financial planning services and tailored investment recommendations, utilizing Wells Fargo research and planning tools.

Diana Jara is a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. She manages clients' investment and retirement portfolios with a philosophy that prioritizes clients' interests. Diana's client focus areas include college education planning, family wealth management strategies, LGBT wealth planning, personal retirement planning, socially responsible and ESG investing, women and wealth, and tax minimization. She also assists clients with estate planning processes in coordination with legal professionals and offers strategies for tax efficiency. Diana began her financial career in 2006 with TD Bank and TD Wealth, where she held various roles including retail banking, supervision, and private banking. She spent five years at Morgan Stanley working with the Wealth Management International division, serving clients in Latin America, Brazil, and the United States before joining Merrill in 2020. Diana earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from Florida International University and holds FINRA registrations 7 and 66, as well as professional designations including Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). Beyond her professional work, Diana is involved with several organizations including the Women's Exchange Board, the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte, and the Carolinas LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce. She is an advocate for children and volunteers as a Guardian Ad Litem for foster children. Diana is fluent in English and Spanish and enjoys activities such as camping, gardening, hiking, rock climbing, running, soccer, spending time with family, tennis, traveling, and yoga.

Calvin Lougassy is a financial advisor at Merrill with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and two years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bank of America, Wells Fargo Bank, and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his financial services career, he was involved with Study Hall LLC from 2019 to 2021. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services to Bank of America fiduciary clients through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm offers both model-based and discretionary investment strategies and serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Njeri Henderson is a financial advisor at Merrill with Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and five years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Clearing, Bank of America, and Xerox, Inc. She has also worked at the University of Arizona. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program. The firm serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations using model-based and discretionary investment strategies.

Stefanie Pruden is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Robert W. Baird & Co. in Davidson, NC, where she has worked since 2014. She has 23 years of industry experience. Pruden is part of The DDK Group within Baird’s Private Wealth Management practice. The DDK Group advises individuals, families, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and institutional clients. The team provides consulting and portfolio services tailored to client goals and risk tolerances, utilizing a range of investment strategies and management approaches.

Jessica Smego is a financial advisor at Edward Jones in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. Her prior work includes a position at Community Bank of the Chesapeake and roles outside finance, such as at Outback Steakhouse. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients through a nationwide network of over 23,000 advisors. The firm offers a range of advisory programs, including discretionary and non-discretionary strategies, access to separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Michael Urizzo is a financial advisor with Charles Schwab in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and 66 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Vanguard, New Jersey City University, and IMC Financial Markets. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves a large client base of high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals primarily through its Schwab Wealth Advisory program, offering a combination of non-discretionary and discretionary investment services supported by centralized operational infrastructure.

James Shoemaker is a financial advisor with Ameriprise in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 43 years of industry experience. He has been with Ameriprise and its affiliate Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. since 2011. Ameriprise provides a retirement-income planning service designed for clients with significant investable assets, combining research, modeling, and tax-efficiency analysis to deliver personalized, non-discretionary recommendations. The firm offers a broad range of advisory, brokerage, and insurance solutions through affiliated entities.

Leah Flores is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and 25 years of industry experience. She has worked within various Wells Fargo entities since 2009, including Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm that provides investment advisory services, financial planning, wrap-fee programs, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

Edie Kijesky is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and eight years of industry experience. She has worked with Primerica and its affiliates since 2018, with prior roles at Sourcepoint/ISGN and Ocwen. Outside of her advisory work, she is involved as a VIP Ambassador with Plexus, a non-investment related activity. Primerica Advisors sponsors a wrap-fee asset management program primarily serving individual investors, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and charitable entities. The firm offers advisory services using model-based strategies managed by unaffiliated asset managers, supported by discretionary separately managed accounts and third-party trade execution and custody providers.

Sullivan Higson is a financial advisor at UBS Financial Services with a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The O'Brien Tate Group and Jeter Hrubala Wealth Strategies LLC. He attended Wofford College and Providence High School. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients with brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services. The firm uses proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor financial plans and portfolio management to client goals and risk tolerances.

Veronica Lommel is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Wells Fargo and JPMorgan affiliates throughout her career. Outside of finance, she works as a part-time delivery driver for DoorDash. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting to qualified ERISA and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary services. The firm’s investment approach is IPS-driven and uses modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options among its investment offerings.

William Mayeux is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and is recognized as a Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). William has expertise in wealth and investment planning, assisting clients in preparing for their financial futures. He employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to select appropriate money managers for clients, contributing to the team's performance and service delivery. He earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and completed a Master's degree within the University of North Carolina System.

Ben Pavlish is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management based in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Thrivent since 2025. Prior to his advisory role, his experience includes positions at Builders First Source and work related to Queen City Hauling. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of Financial Advisors. Their approach includes holistic, goal-based analyses and separates planning services from managed accounts, focusing on comprehensive written recommendations without discretionary trading authority.

Christine Sowell is currently the Vice President and Wealth Planner at Fidelity Investments, a position she has held since 2024. In this role, she engages with clients to develop, support, and advise them throughout their financial journeys, aiming to provide confidence, insight, and direction to their financial health. Prior to her current role, Christine served as a Financial Consultant at Fidelity Investments from 2019 to 2024. She also has experience as a Senior Manager in Assurance at Ernst & Young LLP from 2005 to 2013. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Christine's interests include family activities, hiking, military service, parenthood, soccer, and traveling.

Ayanna Johnson is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 63 designation and two years of industry experience. Her work history includes roles at Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, Randstad, The Vanguard Group, LPL Financial LLC, and Lincoln Financial Group. Outside of her advisory role, she works as an Amazon Flex driver. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients, including pension and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting, utilizing research and analytics from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources to support its diversified investment approach.

Brian O’Regan is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, bringing over 15 years of experience in financial advisory services. He began his career in financial services in June 1998 and has spent his entire career with Bank of America and its related companies. Brian focuses on the planning aspects of client relationships and works primarily with ultra affluent families and institutions. His expertise includes investment management, retirement planning and distribution, estate planning, debt and cash flow management, banking services, and college education planning. Brian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance with a minor in Economics from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has earned several professional designations, including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP), Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA), Personal Investment Advisor (PIA), and Retirement Accredited Financial Advisor (RAFA). These credentials support his approach to integrating comprehensive financial planning strategies across all aspects of a client’s financial picture. Outside of his professional work, Brian is involved in his local community in Gaston County, North Carolina. He is a member of a local Rotary Club, has served on the Board of the Highland School of Technology, and was a board member for The Ada Jenkins Center in Davidson. Brian lives in Charlotte with his wife, Alyson, and their two sons, Liam and Gavin. His personal interests include biking, fishing, golfing, reading, and running.

Ryan Ash is a financial advisor with Fidelity in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and three years of industry experience. His work history includes roles at Fidelity Investments and Robert Half Inc. Outside of finance, he was involved with Local Lunchbox, a community-oriented business. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC provides investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, using a blend of fundamental research, quantitative analysis, and algorithmic portfolio construction to create model portfolios from a broad investable universe.