Patricia Dechant is a financial advisor at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 40 years of industry experience. She has worked at CIBC Private Wealth Advisors since 2017, previously spending time at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Investment Management of Chicago. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors provides investment and wealth advisory services to individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm employs a combination of internal teams and external managers to deliver customized portfolio management and financial planning, managing approximately $67.8 billion in assets with a focus on serving high net worth clients and offering coordinated Family Office services for complex needs.

Darinka Lora Stepan is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Chicago, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. She has held roles at New York Life Insurance Company and Nylife Securities LLC since 2015 and operates her own advisory and insurance solutions firm. Outside of advisory work, Stepan serves on the boards of two nonprofit organizations focused on first-time homebuyer education and youth tennis scholarships. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individuals and institutions, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers tailored advice through various program types and emphasizes non-discretionary asset management within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Roger Albrecht Jr. is a CFA® charterholder with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC and has previously worked at The Colony Group, LLC, Connectus Wealth, Mid-Continent Capital, and Bufka & Rodgers LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he is the owner and managing director of Blue Sapphire Capital 1 LLC, an investment real estate business. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm’s investment approach combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework, emphasizing long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive portfolio construction.

Kimberly Mitchell is a financial advisor at Fifth Third Securities, Inc. with four years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has worked at Ameriprise, Waddell and Reed, and as a self-employed advisor prior to joining Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank in 2025. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program, serving individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm provides multiple discretionary managed-account options, including advisor-directed models and separately managed accounts, and integrates municipal-advisor registration with its affiliation to Fifth Third Bank.

Alaina Anderson is a financial advisor at William Blair with 20 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has been with William Blair & Company since 2006. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private investment opportunities.

Cheryl Heilman is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 34 years of industry experience. She has worked at CNO Financial Group and its affiliates, including Bankers Life Advisory Services and Bankers Life Securities, since 2019, and previously spent 16 years at Ameritas Investment Corp. Heilman also serves as President of Bankers Life Advisory Services Chicago and Vice President of CNO Financial Group. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm uses a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to tailor asset allocations and portfolio management strategies aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Larue Gibson Jr. is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has been with HighTower Securities and HighTower Advisors since 2016. Gibson serves as a director for two nonprofit organizations: The Disability Fund, which provides capital and advisory services for people with disabilities, and The Lois Bronz Children’s Center, which operates daycare services for underprivileged children. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, and offers a range of portfolio management and financial planning services.

Nicholas Lamb is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Cetera, Sageview Advisory Group, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in a real estate development business and sells fixed insurance products. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including high-net-worth individuals, institutional investors, and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies for long-term goals, supplemented by targeted passive allocations and private market investments.

Carla Genelly is a financial advisor with Sanctuary Advisors, LLC in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and having 40 years of industry experience. She has been with Sanctuary Advisors since 2015 and has additional affiliations dating back to 2005. Outside of her advisory role, she serves on the board of Mission Eurasia, an organization focused on church planting and ministry development in Eurasian countries. Sanctuary Advisors, LLC provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers various portfolio management options and employs multiple analytical approaches, operating through a network of over 400 independent adviser representatives.

Mark Pauly is a Series 66 licensed advisor with CIBC Private Wealth Advisors, Inc., based in Chicago, IL. He has 14 years of industry experience, including previous roles at Atlantic Trust Investment Advisors and Geneva Advisors. Although named as a co-owner of several LLCs, he does not receive profit or devote time to these entities. CIBC Private Wealth Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, employee benefit plans, corporations, and investment companies. The firm’s investment approach involves a combination of proprietary and external managers, supported by internal teams and committees, to offer customized portfolios, model portfolios, and managed account programs.

Dean Knieps is a financial advisor with TLG Advisors, Inc. based in Chicago, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Leaders Group, Inc., MML Investor Services, LLC, and MassMutual Life Insurance Co. He is also involved with KME Insurance Brokerage as an internal wholesaler. TLG Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $2.0 billion in discretionary assets. The firm serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, businesses, and institutional investors, offering services such as portfolio management, financial and estate planning, and ERISA fiduciary services, with a distinctive combination of traditional and digital platforms.

Erin Calabrese is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Chicago, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. She has worked at Bankers Life Securities since 2017 and Bankers Life & Casualty since 2016. In addition to her advisory role, she serves as a Field Development Manager for Bankers Life, supporting the training and development of the field force. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals with discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm employs fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis methods to provide tailored asset allocations and portfolio management aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Jerald Hymen is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 41 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2005, following a four-year tenure at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a co-trustee of his wife’s trust. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs and advisory services that utilize strategic and tactical asset allocation, manager selection, and customized investment policy development, managing a significant portion of assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Alec Monico is a CFP® professional at Hightower Advisors in Chicago, IL, with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Hightower in 2023, he worked for five years at Pinnacle Fitness and two years at Fitness Factory. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, and pension plans. The firm’s approach centers on manager selection and multi-manager solutions, offering both affiliated and third-party investment options along with a range of operational and portfolio management features.

Alfred Bryant Jr. is a CFA charterholder with 22 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Mesirow Financial Investment Management, Inc. and has previously worked at Corient, Glovista Investments Asset Management, River and Mercantile Asset Management LLC, and Credit Suisse Asset Management. Mesirow Financial Investment Management’s Wealth Management division provides discretionary and non-discretionary investment management and financial planning services to private individuals, institutional clients, and government entities. The firm manages portfolios using a combination of quantitative and qualitative due diligence across various asset classes and offers access to proprietary private investments and affiliated feeder funds.

William Buchband is a CFA® charterholder with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC since 2017. Prior to joining Cresset, he worked at J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC for nine years. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. Cresset Asset Management, LLC is an SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $71.9 billion in client assets for a diverse client base that includes individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm employs a diversified, asset-allocation-driven approach combining active and passive strategies, with a structured due-diligence program and private fund management across various asset classes.

Nathan Peters is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC in Chicago, holding a Series 66 designation with three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Rockefeller, he worked at Clemson University and Saint Viator High School. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, as well as institutional clients, retirement plans, foundations, and corporations. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, consulting, and operates as a registered broker-dealer providing investment banking and placement services through a Private Advisor model and a consolidated investment platform.

Leonard Scandariato is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 42 years of industry experience. He has worked at Oppenheimer and its affiliates since 2003, with prior experience at CIBC World Markets from 2000 to 2003. Scandariato is also involved with B. Riley Wealth Insurance as a life and health insurance agent. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a broad range of investment programs and advisory services, including discretionary and non-discretionary management, and maintains custody of client assets while operating both broker-dealer and advisory businesses.

Abraham Carter is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior roles include multiple positions at William Blair and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm emphasizes active, research-driven management across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, supported by proprietary home-office models and a range of sub-advisory arrangements.

Christopher Zerbst is a financial advisor with Citigroup Global Markets in Chicago, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and having 32 years of industry experience. He has been with Citigroup Global Markets since 2007. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across a range of wealth segments, offering multi-asset, multi-manager investment advisory programs alongside broker-dealer execution and custody services. The firm is notable for its large institutional scale, in-house research capabilities, and unique market roles including acting as a security-based swap dealer and futures commission merchant.