Michael Ellington Jr. is a financial advisor at Cresset Asset Management, LLC with 27 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for 25 years at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC and Alliance Capital Management LP. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in Ellington Family Partners, LLC, a non-investment related business. Cresset Asset Management, LLC manages approximately $71.9 billion in client assets, serving individuals, families, trusts, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm focuses on diversified, asset-allocation-driven portfolio construction using a combination of active and passive strategies, supported by a structured due-diligence program and multiple affiliated entities.

Akanni Jones is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Next Financial Group, Inc. and TIAA-CREF. Based in Houston, TX, he has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2023. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Dana Smith is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation and a Series 66 license. Dana has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2015 and has additional experience with AGIA since 2022. Outside of finance, she is involved in affiliate marketing focused on beauty products such as skincare and makeup, creating and sharing product-related content on social media. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management and financial planning services via a large network of advisors, implementing discretionary unified managed accounts with a reliance on centralized technology and model solutions.

Renee Lander Ruff is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Fresno, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 20 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Advised Assets Group, GWFS Equities, Wells Fargo Clearing, and Wachovia Bank. She is also a notary public signing agent in the State of Texas operating as RLR Interests. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily for employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, as well as certain retail brokerage account holders. The firm’s approach integrates financial planning with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan lineups chosen by plan sponsors.

Maxwell Mims is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC holding a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at the University of Texas at Arlington and Southwestern University. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering securities transactions, variable insurance products, and investment banking services.

William Hill is a CFP®, CFA®-designated financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently with Hightower Advisors. He has worked at several firms including Salient Private Client, Salient Capital, and Salient Partners. Hill serves as chair of the board of trustees for River Oaks Baptist School Endowment, where he helps oversee investment decisions for the school’s funds. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individual and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and access to various pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a multi-manager approach utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers and incorporates proprietary research and custom portfolio construction.

Robert Walsh is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Fahnestock & Co. Inc. since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. 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 programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, delivered on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Jason Caras is a financial advisor at Truist Advisory Services with five years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked previously at Westwood Wealth Management, Bank of America, and Frank Law Firm. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, utilizing third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools to support its investment process.

Karly Hughes is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. She holds a Series 66 designation and joined the firm in 2025. Prior to her current role, Hughes worked in various positions primarily within dental and medical-related organizations. She is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Jeremy Joaquin is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and 20 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Voya Financial Partners, LLC, and Wells Fargo Investments, LLC. Outside of advising, he is a commissioned notary public. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. serves a broad client base including individuals, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services. The firm utilizes both in-house and external strategists with technology-enabled tools to structure client relationships, providing services primarily on a non-discretionary basis with some discretionary management options.

Victoria Cooper is a financial advisor with Guardian Life, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and eight years of industry experience. She previously worked at Centric Advisors, LLC and StoneTurn Group, LLP. Outside of finance, she serves as the Budget Chair for the Junior League of The Woodlands and is involved in divorce financial analysis through her consulting firm, New Path Financials LLC. Guardian Life’s Park Avenue® Wealth Management provides brokerage and advisory services to individuals, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and offers a range of financial planning and consulting solutions tailored to client needs.

Joseph Anderson is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Citigroup Global Markets since 2018 and previously held positions at The Monroe Vos Consulting Group, Mv Securities Group, and Insperity. Based in Houston, TX, Anderson serves clients through Citigroup Global Markets, an enterprise firm with over 2,400 advisors. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs along with execution and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, including derivatives and futures services.

Dr. Michelle Lloyd is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and bringing 18 years of industry experience. She is also the founder of Lloyd Learning Labs, an organization that supports parents coping with anxiety related to their teens leaving home after high school. Additionally, she serves as an agent selling non-securities insurance products for Agia. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, providing portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services. The firm utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts through Envestnet’s platform and offers tax-aware and ESG overlay services.

Dennis Lambert is a financial advisor with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Purshe Kaplan Sterling, RBC Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and UBS Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, he serves as Treasurer and board member of the Texas Ranger Association Foundation and is President of Caballo Rojo Ranch, LLC, a livestock advertising and publication business. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm focuses on customized, primarily long-term portfolios using ETFs, mutual funds, and other investments, supported by internal due diligence, strategic asset allocation, and integrated operational tools.

Mary Gunn is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015 and has been associated with Selah Financial Services since 2014. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and services, including discretionary model portfolios and personalized investment solutions, while providing operational and practice-management support to affiliated advisors.

Keista Ransom is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 22 years of industry experience. She has been with VOYA Financial Advisors in various capacities since 2006, with a brief tenure at Invest Financial Corporation in 2014. Her other business activities include involvement with the sale and service of Voya’s Health Reimbursement Arrangement product. VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. is an enterprise-scale advisory and broker-dealer affiliate of Voya Financial, serving individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement advisory services through a large network of representatives, combining model portfolios and technology-enabled tools to implement both non-discretionary and discretionary investment strategies.

Vianne Dorak is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic, she held positions in the insurance and hospitality industries and has served as an agent selling non-securities insurance products. She also has a background that includes roles in education. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management and financial planning services through a large network of advisors. The firm utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts and technology-driven model solutions to manage assets on a significant scale.

Marissa Kerns is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2005. In addition to her advisory role, she is an agent with Agia, where she is involved in non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Syed Majid is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 16 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic Financial Advisors in 2025, he worked at J.P. Morgan Securities for several years and has experience with Scottrade and Xnergy Financial LLC. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction.

Stephen Janak is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 25 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2005. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in land rental activities. TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and discretionary managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans. The firm operates a fiduciary advisory model that separates point-in-time planning from ongoing discretionary management and serves as adviser to a donor-advised fund.