Melanie Wells is a CFP® professional at Henssler Financial with four years of industry experience. She has been with Henssler Financial since 2011. Henssler Financial serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, registered mutual funds, and municipal entities. The firm employs a cash-flow based “Ten Year Rule” for fixed-income allocation and uses proprietary quality screens and model portfolios for equity investments, offering comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services.

Ricky Howard is a Series 65-licensed advisor at RFG Advisory, LLC with one year of industry experience. He has worked concurrently with Black Oak Asset Management and Silver Oak Securities, Inc., and serves as a part-time public school teacher for Forsyth County Schools. RFG Advisory is a multi-team registered investment adviser with approximately 178 advisors managing about $8 billion in assets for over 17,000 clients, including individuals, high-net-worth households, trusts, retirement plans, and institutional accounts. The firm employs a mix of actively managed and passive strategies, direct indexing, and tax-aware approaches, and acts as sub-adviser to the Bluemonte family of ETFs.

John Giesler is a Series 65-licensed advisor with BIP Wealth, LLC in Atlanta, GA. He has been with BIP Wealth since 2024, following six years at the Georgia Institute of Technology and four years at Walton High School. BIP Wealth, LLC is a multi-advisor registered investment adviser serving individuals, families, trusts, estates, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management, including discretionary and non-discretionary accounts, and is notable for advising private pooled vehicles and managing private-market offerings.

David Stearns is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with nine years of industry experience. He has been with Sound Income Strategies, LLC since 2016 and has operated The Stearns Agency since 2006. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Vice Chairperson for Watkinsville First Baptist Church. Sound Income Strategies, LLC is an enterprise investment adviser managing approximately $4.0 billion in client assets across a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm emphasizes a customized investment approach with a focus on fixed-income analysis and equity review, offering a range of services from asset management to insurance planning.

Juwon Hill is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with nine years of industry experience. He is currently with Balentine, where he has worked since 2023, following roles at Ensemble Capital Management and GHP Investment Advisors. Balentine serves entrepreneurs, families, high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and institutional clients through comprehensive wealth management, financial planning, investment management, and business advisory services. The firm employs a risk-based investment process, combining active and passive strategies within a model-driven Global Tactical Asset Allocation program, and is notable for its advisory role in pooled investment vehicles and private funds.

Ian Edwards is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with Beacon Global Advisor Network, LLC, bringing four years of industry experience. He has worked with Austen Morris Associates North America, Inc. and Carrick Wealth, among other firms. Outside of advising, he holds a 100% ownership interest in a residential property management business based in South Africa. Beacon Global Advisor Network provides investment advisory and planning services primarily to individual clients, including both non-high-net-worth and high-net-worth individuals, through a network of approximately 60 independent advisors. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, modular financial planning, and retirement consulting, with tailored client portfolios that often incorporate mutual funds, ETFs, individual equities, fixed income, and third-party model managers.

Michael Fazylov is a financial advisor at OpenArc Corporate Advisory, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked at Bank of America and Merrill. OpenArc Corporate Advisory serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, nonprofit endowments, and retirement plans. The firm provides tailored wealth management, financial planning, and retirement plan services, utilizing a wide range of investment strategies and maintaining a significant institutional retirement practice alongside private markets and digital-asset capabilities.

Christopher Griffin is a financial advisor at Beacon Global Advisor Network, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at several firms including Blacktower Financial Management and deVere Acuma. Griffin is based in Atlanta, GA. Beacon Global Advisor Network, LLC serves individuals, businesses, pension and profit-sharing plans, and trusts, offering services such as asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm specializes in customized portfolios that often involve discretionary management via unified managed account platforms and has a formal pension-transfer service tailored for U.K. expatriates.

John Hardin is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Stephens with four years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at The Capital Corp and Venture South, as well as a position at Orangetheory Fitness. He was also employed by Furman University and in the education sector for six years before entering the financial industry. Stephens provides investment advisory and wealth-management services to individuals, pension plans, foundations, corporations, and other institutional clients. The firm offers tailored portfolio programs with committee-based oversight and combines broker-dealer and investment banking activities alongside advisory services.

Matthew West is a CFP® professional at Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC with 30 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Kestra in 2022, he held roles at Bank of America and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he is the managing partner of Canton Wealth Partners, an insurance business. Kestra Private Wealth Services, LLC offers investment advisory services through a network of independent advisors and multi-advisor teams serving individual and institutional clients, managing approximately $13.45 billion in client assets. The firm provides a broad range of investment products and platforms, with both discretionary and non-discretionary arrangements, and supports specialized offerings such as annuity subaccount and 529 plan services.

Matthew Lankford is a financial advisor at Merit Financial Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Cambridge Investment Research Inc. for 10 years and has also been associated with Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments and LPL Financial. Merit Financial Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser with over 260 advisors serving more than 20,000 clients across 66 offices. The firm focuses on long-term, diversified portfolios managed through centrally developed models and offers services including asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan advice.

Angel Vega is a CFP® with four years of industry experience, currently advising at Facet. Prior to joining Facet, he worked at Brightside Financial, Kestra Advisory Services, Morgan Stanley, Personal Capital, NYLIFE Securities, New York Life Insurance Company, Northwestern Mutual, and Money Concepts Capital Corp. Facet serves individual members across a broad range of wealth levels, offering tiered, subscription-based financial planning and implementation services. The firm provides holistic financial planning through a Total Financial Life Resources framework and discretionary asset-allocation programs that primarily use ETFs.

Suzanne Durbin is a financial advisor with Level Four Advisory Services, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses. She has 30 years of industry experience with prior roles at Gv Financial Advisors, Minnesota Life Insurance Company, and Altera Advisors, among others. Outside of advisory work, she serves on the board of Creative Community Services, a nonprofit organization. Level Four Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $6.5 billion for individuals, corporations, retirement plans, and municipal entities. The firm provides financial planning, portfolio management, and fiduciary services, implementing client mandates through model portfolios, various wrap platforms, and sub-advisors, with notable offerings in municipal and tax-exempt strategies.

William Daniel is a CFP® with three years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Alera Investment Advisors, LLC. Prior to this, he held roles at several firms including Keller Williams Realty First Atlanta as a real estate agent and Arista Advisory Group, LLC. Alera Investment Advisors offers investment management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, and institutions. The firm employs a primarily long-term, fundamental analysis-driven investment approach and integrates its advisory services with insurance and pension consulting platforms.

David Fields is a CFA® charterholder with 12 years of industry experience. He is currently an advisor at Waverly Advisors, LLC, where he has worked since 2023, following a 25-year tenure at Gwynn Management Company. Waverly Advisors is a multi-team registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm manages portfolios using a mix of traditional equity, fixed-income, alternative, and private-markets strategies and offers financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and multi-family office services.

Kristopher Gilliland is a financial advisor at OpenArc Corporate Advisory, LLC with 24 years of industry experience. He has held positions at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc. prior to joining OpenArc. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. OpenArc Corporate Advisory serves individual and institutional clients, including non-HNW and high-net-worth individuals, trusts, nonprofit endowments, and retirement plans. The firm provides tailored wealth management and retirement plan services through discretionary and non-discretionary models, utilizing a broad range of investment options and emphasizing institutional research and manager oversight.

Martha Badgett is a financial advisor at OpenArc Corporate Advisory, LLC with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Merrill from 2019 to 2025. Prior to her advisory roles, she held positions at Oklahoma City University and Ray's Tax and Accounting. OpenArc Corporate Advisory serves a diverse client base including individuals, trusts, nonprofit endowments, and retirement plans. The firm provides wealth management, financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan services, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and offering both discretionary and non-discretionary solutions.

Deaderick Jones is a financial advisor with The Strategic Financial Alliance, Inc. in Atlanta, GA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Fsc Securities Corporation for 20 years before joining OSAIC in 2023. Jones serves as a board member of the Decatur Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. on a volunteer basis. The Strategic Financial Alliance serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, and other entities by providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm offers multiple portfolio programs and supports third-party manager platforms, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis.

Charles Anglin is a financial advisor with Advisory Services Network, holding CFP®, CFA®, and Series 66 designations and bringing 14 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Advisory Services Network in 2025, he worked at Pierson Wealth Management, Arcus Capital Partners, and Cahaba Wealth Management. He is also the owner of Anglin Partners, a service company unrelated to investment activities. Advisory Services Network provides investment advisory and planning services to individuals, families, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of independent investment adviser representatives. The firm offers a range of portfolio management and consulting services, utilizing a diverse mix of securities and flexible engagement models.

Rick Kent is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving at Merit Financial Advisors in Alpharetta, GA. He has worked at firms including LPL Financial, Lifestyle Planning Solutions, Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, and MFG Securities. Outside of his advisory role, he is CEO and owner of Mentoro Group, LLC, a holding company, and also owns a holding company for a boat. Merit Financial Group, LLC is an SEC-registered advisory firm managing approximately $10.6 billion with 144 advisors serving individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and institutions. The firm employs a long-term, diversified investment strategy using model portfolios and modular sleeves, overseen by an internal Investment Management team and committee, while allowing advisors to tailor portfolios on various platforms.