Colton Mendenhall is a financial advisor with Guardian Life, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo and Consolidated Planning. He also engages in independent insurance sales outside of Guardian Life. Guardian Life, through its subsidiary Park Avenue Securities, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, businesses, and organizations, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and a range of financial planning and consulting solutions.

Richard Pucciarelli is a financial advisor at Brookstone Capital Management LLC with 16 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Brookstone since 2010 and Carolina Retirement Resources since 2003. In addition to his advisory role, he is also an insurance agent. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser that provides 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, offering discretionary investment management via various account types and model portfolios.

George Lin is a CFP® professional with 20 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2022, he worked at The Vanguard Group from 2005 to 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure, managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Melissa Mitchell is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and totaling 32 years of industry experience. Her prior experience includes six years at Wells Fargo Clearing before joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2016. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base and offers a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services through both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

John Riley is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently working at Janney Montgomery Scott since 2022. Prior to joining Janney, he held roles at Truist Advisory Services and BB&T Securities. He serves on the local board of Ducks Unlimited in Memphis, TN, a nonprofit focused on land conservation. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, offering a range of advisory and brokerage services supported by in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Kim Richards is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 19 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked with TIAA-CREF and related entities since 2012, with prior experience at Signature Consultants. Outside of her advisory role, Richards is the studio director of a Pilates studio, where she manages business operations and client relationships. 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 connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. The firm offers tailored investment solutions including model and customized portfolios and acts as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Stuart Thomas is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Park Avenue Securities LLC, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Equity Services Inc. He served six years on active duty in the United States Army. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals connected to TIAA-administered employer retirement plans, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm separates one-time planning services from ongoing portfolio management, using model and customized investment strategies within a vertically integrated structure.

Michael Kreimer is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional with 40 years of industry experience. He currently serves as an investment advisor representative at NewEdge Advisors, having previously worked with firms including Compass Securities Corporation and Raymond James Financial Services. Kreimer is also president of Ballantyne Financial Group LLC and conducts commission-based fixed insurance business through various general agents. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services through a network of independent advisors, utilizing multiple program structures and centralized due diligence supported by technology tools.

Samuel Barden is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Morgan Stanley and UBS Financial Services. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm operates as a registered broker-dealer and provides a consolidated investment platform delivering discretionary and non-discretionary solutions across multiple asset classes.

Jonathan Liles is a CFP® with 25 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Cetera Advisor Networks, and Carroll Financial Associates. He is based in Charlotte, NC. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized consulting, employing a strategic investment process that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Gary Preslar is a financial advisor with AE Wealth Management, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. He is the president of Preslar Financial Group, LLC, and has been involved in new home construction and real estate sales through Homes by Gary Preslar, LLC, since 2001. His prior roles include positions at Aspire Private Capital and Global Financial Private Capital, LLC. 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 provides a platform-centered approach combining model portfolios managed by internal and third-party strategists, discretionary asset management, financial planning, and plan services.

Ernest Glass Jr. is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 44 years of industry experience. He has been with Guardian Life since 1997 and has additional experience selling life and health insurance. Glass also serves as Secretary and Treasurer for the Orient Point Homeowners Association. Guardian Life, through its wholly owned subsidiary Park Avenue Securities LLC, provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies, offering proprietary and third-party advisory solutions alongside access to insurance products and alternative investments.

Benjamin Siersma is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 33 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2002. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division offers financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm also serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund and operates within a vertically integrated group using affiliated funds.

Robert Stiles Jr. is a financial advisor with Janney Montgomery Scott in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. He previously spent 10 years at Robert W Baird before joining Janney Montgomery Scott in 2024. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a general partner in two real estate investment ventures, where his responsibilities include filing taxes. Janney Montgomery Scott is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $110 billion in client assets. The firm serves a diverse client base with a range of brokerage, financial planning, and advisory services supported by both in-house and third-party portfolio management.

Michael Harris is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 16 years of industry experience. He has been with Guardian Life and Park Avenue Securities since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a contingent executor and contingent power of attorney for family members. Park Avenue Securities LLC provides brokerage and investment advisory services to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers a range of financial planning and consulting services, combining advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies through proprietary and third-party platforms.

Hilary Daniel is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently advising at Mercer Global Advisors Inc. She has held roles at Motley Fool Wealth Management, Modera Wealth Management, Parsec Financial, and The Vanguard Group. Outside of her advisory work, she is co-owner and CEO of a private company specializing in ATM installation and maintenance. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, and non-profits, offering investment advisory as well as financial, tax, retirement, and estate planning services. The firm employs a globally diversified investment approach using low-cost ETFs, index funds, separate account managers, and other strategies, and supports clients through specialized services and educational initiatives.

Taylor Brown is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. Brown has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. Outside of financial advising, Brown works part-time as a real estate agent and transaction coordinator for residential properties. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals—often those connected through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans—as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management, operating within a vertically integrated group that includes affiliated funds and a donor-advised fund advisory service.

Brian Perkins is a CFA® charterholder with 19 years of industry experience, currently serving with Kestra Advisory. His prior roles include positions at CapFinancial Securities, LLC and Lockton Investment Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory work, he holds the position of Chief Investment Officer at NFP Corporate Services, Inc., overseeing institutional investment programs for 401(k) and pension plans. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse group of institutional and individual clients, including very large institutional investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment oversight, and supports a range of management platforms and third-party solutions.

Deanna Moss is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and with 12 years of industry experience. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF in 2023, she worked at Bestow, Moss Agency, Freedom Financial Advantage, and LPL Financial. Outside of her advisory role, she is the president of Moss Chemical Company, LLC, a business serving individual consumers and restaurants, and she owns Just In Time Restoration, LLC, a residential construction and restoration company. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs primarily to individuals with existing TIAA retirement plan relationships, as well as trusts, estates, partnerships, and small retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning and ongoing portfolio management using model or customized portfolios managed under a fiduciary standard.

Lamar Johnson is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 and Series 63 designations and has been with Truist Investment Services since 2021, following roles within the Truist and SunTrust organizations. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, corporations, plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines traditional research with AI-enabled tools and offers ongoing client reviews and reporting while operating as an affiliate of Truist Financial with extensive affiliated financial relationships.