Charlene Meadows is a financial advisor at Fidelity with 21 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan Securities, Chase Investment Services Corp., and Merrill. Fidelity’s Strategic Advisers LLC offers investment management and advisory services to retail and institutional clients, including fund advisory and model portfolio delivery. The firm combines fundamental research with quantitative analysis and algorithmic portfolio construction, serving a variety of clients while overseeing affiliated and unaffiliated sub-advisers.

Ann Watson is a financial advisor at Merrill with 32 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has been with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated since 2009. 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 serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering model-based and discretionary strategies constructed by internal Chief Investment Office teams and third-party style managers.

Kelle Huffman is a financial advisor with LPL Financial in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 13 years of industry experience. She has worked at LPL Financial since 2019 and previously held roles at Sagepoint Financial and SunTrust advisory firms. Huffman is also a commissioned notary in North Carolina. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser providing advisory and brokerage services to individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and other institutions. The firm offers a range of financial planning and asset management solutions, with advisory services delivered through a large network of investment adviser representatives.

Charles Benway is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Hickory, NC, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 24 years of industry experience. He has been with Thrivent Financial and Thrivent Investment Management since 2016. Outside of his advisory role, Benway serves as an ordained minister and pastor, performs Christian counseling and ceremonies, acts as a church elder, and is president of the West Point Society of Western North Carolina. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm focuses on holistic, goal-based planning across multiple financial topics and offers an option to combine planning with managed-account services under a consolidated billing arrangement.

Kelly Jones is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Hickory, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has been with Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and Thrivent Investment Management since 2008. Jones serves on the Board of Directors for the Catawba Medical Foundation, a nonprofit supporting the Catawba Valley Health System. Thrivent Investment Management offers Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm focuses on holistic, goal-based planning across a range of topics and allows integration with managed-account programs while maintaining separate planning and investment services.

Richard Buchanan IV is a financial advisor with Thrivent Investment Management in Hickory, NC. He holds a Series 66 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he was self-employed for three years and previously worked at Granite Hardwoods, Inc. for twelve years. Thrivent Investment Management provides Dedicated Planning Services to individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofit clients through a network of financial advisors. The firm offers goal-based, holistic planning that covers a wide range of financial topics without managing client portfolios directly.

Benjamin Searer is a CFP® professional with 16 years of experience in the financial services industry. He is currently with LPL Financial and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. 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 portfolio management solutions supported by extensive research and technology tools.

James Engelman Sr. is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Hudson, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. He has been with Edward Jones since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is the president and owner of Little Gunpowder Creek Farm, a farming business he started in 2022. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a broad range of investment programs and affiliated services, supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Tory Haas is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. He has been working in the financial services industry since 2022, including experience with his own financial coaching business, Tory Haas Financial Coaching, and a decade of running Tory Haas Yard & Maintenance LLC. He joined Cambridge Investment Research Advisors in 2026. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors is a large SEC-registered firm that serves a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and trusts. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement plan advisory services through a network of independent Financial Professionals, utilizing multiple custody platforms and a range of portfolio strategies.