Leah Watkins is a financial advisor with Raymond James & Associates in Peoria Heights, IL. She holds a Series 66 designation and has seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Raymond James in 2019, she worked at Morgan Stanley, David Vaughan Investments, Lawler Financial, and The Unland Companies. Raymond James & Associates is a large, dually registered broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and municipal entities. The firm offers financial planning and non-discretionary investment consulting through various specialized programs and draws on a broad range of portfolio management styles and affiliated research.

Christopher Pavelka is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Peoria Heights, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Thrivent, Pavelka worked at Jeff Burtis-State Farm and held roles at the Village of Bartonville and Allied Lock & Safe Technicians. He also operated a business called Homeaholic Decor from 2023 to 2024. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients, focusing on holistic, goal-based financial planning without discretionary portfolio management. The firm offers written recommendations across multiple planning areas and allows clients to combine planning with managed-account programs under a consolidated billing option.

Mollie Rushing is a financial advisor at Robert W. Baird & Co. with 3 years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and has been with Robert W. Baird & Co. since 2015. Outside of her advisory role, she is a 50% owner and limited partner of McIntyre Acres LLC. Robert W. Baird & Co.’s DDK Group serves individuals, corporate clients, pensions, profit-sharing plans, and charitable organizations with a range of financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs manager-traded and model-traded strategies, tax management, and internal research including artificial intelligence tools, managing approximately $394 billion in regulatory assets under management as of 2025.

John Moon is a Series 66-credentialed advisor with LPL Financial in Peoria, IL, with seven years of industry experience. He has worked at LPL Financial since 2017 and concurrently has engaged with Better Bank through his involvement in Investment Strategists at Better Banks. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser offering services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm provides a range of advisory and brokerage solutions including financial planning, model portfolios, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.

Waheeb Ghantous is a financial advisor with LPL Enterprise in Peoria, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and possessing 40 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Prudential Insurance Company of America and Pruco Securities, LLC, from 1986 until 2024. LPL Enterprise provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, retirement plans, banks, and charitable entities. The firm’s investment approach is typically model-driven, utilizing portfolios developed by internal research, third-party strategists, or TAMP sponsors, and offers services such as financial planning and access to third-party asset managers.

Matthew Kenady is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2017. Prior to joining Edward Jones, he worked at Aventine/Pacific Ethanol Inc. for three years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in a trucking company and manages farmland in Illinois. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm that serves individual and institutional clients through a nationwide network of over 23,000 advisors. The firm offers a range of investment strategies, including discretionary and non-discretionary wrap fee programs, separately managed accounts, and affiliated mutual funds, operating under a fiduciary standard.

Michael Greenhalgh is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 32 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Hinduja Global Solutions and longstanding tenures at PFS Investments Inc. and Primerica Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in sales of loan products and home security and automation services through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management via its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and separately managed accounts. The firm curates third-party asset managers and employs a tiered wrap-fee structure distinct from fixed-fee billing options.

Joseph Worms is a financial advisor at Equitable Advisors with four years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. His prior roles include positions at Clifton Larson Allen, Compeer Financial, and several educational institutions. Outside of his advisory work, he operates JW Lawn Services, providing lawn care services. Equitable Advisors serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and other institutional clients, offering financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management programs through a network of Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm utilizes a range of third-party advisory models and provides ERISA fiduciary services, focusing on personalized client assessment and matching to appropriate investment solutions.

Andrew Kiesewetter is a financial advisor at Charles Schwab with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and has previously worked at TD Ameritrade before joining Charles Schwab. Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. serves primarily high- and ultra-high-net-worth individuals through its Schwab Wealth Advisory wrap fee program and affiliated managed-account and financial planning services. The firm offers a combination of non-discretionary advisory relationships and access to discretionary separately managed accounts, supported by a large integrated platform.

Jason Smith is a CFP® professional with 13 years of industry experience. He is currently with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and previously worked at OSAIC and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. He also owns Legacy Private Wealth Advisors, an S-Corporation that provides payroll and employee benefits administration for support staff serving the investment and insurance businesses. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered adviser serving a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent Financial Professionals using both proprietary and third-party model strategies.

Nicholas Pitts is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 and Series 63 designations. Prior to his current role, he worked at SEGRETO di Stefania and has held positions at several other companies including Uber and Lennar Mortgage. Raymond James & Associates is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $501 billion in assets. The firm serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutional investors, and municipal entities, offering financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and municipal advisory services.

Laura Moore is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 38 years of industry experience. She has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2016 and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors from 2013 to 2016. Outside of her advisory work, she owns Elcee Crafting and Gifts, a small business creating handmade greeting cards, quilts, and table runners. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both non-discretionary and discretionary investment advisory solutions. The firm’s process is IPS-driven and incorporates modern portfolio theory, with a notable inclusion of insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options in its investment offerings.

Charles Hemmer III is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Advisors in Peoria, IL. He holds a Series 66 designation and has two years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Charles Schwab, and Cornerstone Strategic Wealth Management. Outside of finance, Hemmer has experience in entrepreneurial ventures and education, including running a lawn service business for seven years and working in various educational roles. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by offering a broad range of investment and financial planning services. The firm’s approach includes tailored recommendations supported by proprietary research and planning tools, with planning engagements typically discrete and fees negotiated based on complexity.

Clayton Robinson is a financial advisor with LPL Financial, holding the Series 66 designation. He has experience working at Clark and Meiss Group Wealth Management and spent six years with State Farm prior to joining LPL Financial. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser that provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and investment management solutions, utilizing model portfolios, third-party subadvisors, and customized strategies.

Peter Mangieri Jr. is a financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Peoria, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 10 years of industry experience. He has worked at Equitable Advisors since 2016 and was previously with AXA Advisors, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a board member for JLM Capital LLC, a single-family real estate portfolio focused on short-term rentals. Equitable Advisors provides financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and asset-management services to individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, charitable organizations, and other institutional clients. The firm utilizes a network of Investment Adviser Representatives to deliver a range of advisory programs, often through third-party sponsors and affiliated asset managers.

Alexander Southe is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Peoria, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He joined Edward Jones in 2023 after a brief period of self-employment and prior work in education and other roles. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients with a range of discretionary and non-discretionary investment strategies, supported by a nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Todd Nethery is a financial advisor with Robert W. Baird & Co. in Dunlap, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and bringing 29 years of industry experience. He has been with Robert W. Baird & Co. since 2015. He is part of The DDK Group within Robert W. Baird & Co.’s Private Wealth Management practice, which advises a diverse range of clients including individuals, families, pensions, corporations, and charitable organizations. The group offers tailored consulting and portfolio services that combine in-house and third-party managers, covering traditional and non-traditional investment strategies alongside municipal advisory and public finance services.

Andrew Thomas II is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with Equitable Advisors in Peoria, IL, bringing two years of industry experience. Prior to joining Equitable Advisors, he worked at Menards for five years and has additional experience at Duck Inn, Metamora Fields, and Metamora High School. Equitable Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and various asset-management programs. The firm employs a network of Investment Adviser Representatives and utilizes third-party asset managers and LPL-sponsored advisory programs to implement client solutions.

Brian Abraham is a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He works closely with clients to develop and implement personalized wealth management strategies that align with their long-term financial goals. His approach involves a comprehensive understanding of each client's current financial situation and their future aspirations, helping to design tailored investment and risk management solutions. Brian's expertise includes divorce transition planning, family wealth management strategies, legacy planning, personal retirement planning, portfolio management, and retirement income. He is part of The Abraham-Gipson Group, which serves individuals, families, and organizations by focusing on goal-based investment management, income strategies, wealth structuring, and estate planning services. Brian holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Vanderbilt University. Outside of his professional work, Brian is engaged in community activities and volunteers with local organizations. His personal interests include basketball, spending time with family, traveling, and watching movies.

Kevin Sletten is a financial advisor at Raymond James & Associates with 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Raymond James since 2011 and holds a Series 66 designation. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the finance and investment committee for the local Boy Scouts of America council and is involved as a business owner in several ventures, including a personal use airplane LLC. Raymond James & Associates is a large broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, institutional clients, and retirement plans. The firm offers financial planning, non-discretionary investment consulting, and institutional fiduciary services, utilizing a range of portfolio management styles supported by firm research and affiliated sub-advisers.