Michelle Gruber is a CFP® professional with seven years of experience in financial advising. She is currently with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC, where she has worked since 2025, following five years at Merriman Wealth Management and six years at JNBA Financial Advisors. Gruber serves as Program Director for the Puget Sound Chapter of the Financial Planning Association, a role focused on education and networking for financial planning professionals. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC provides wealth management and advisory services to individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies through an enhanced open architecture framework.

Robert Tolstykh is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Seattle, WA, holding a Series 66 designation and having eight years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mariner Wealth Advisors, Pacific Portfolio Consulting, Morgan Stanley, UBS Financial Services, Newport Group, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of programs and advisory services delivered on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases, with a notable emphasis on maintaining custody of client assets while operating both broker-dealer and advisory businesses.

Colleen Bucknum is a financial advisor with HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. in Seattle, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and having 11 years of industry experience. She is dual-hatted as a Bank Officer for HSBC Bank USA, N.A., an affiliate of HSBC Securities, where she engages in the sale of bank-related products alongside her role as a registered representative. HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. offers managed account programs to individuals, retirement accounts, charitable organizations, and corporations through various client-directed and discretionary program types. The firm combines strategic and tactical asset allocation with ongoing fund due diligence and operates an Offshore Spectrum program for qualified non-resident aliens.

Jason Casey is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 15 years of industry experience. He has held positions at Empower Advisory Group since 2025 and previously worked at TIAA and related entities for eight years. Outside of his advisory role, he owns HOWSEY LLC, an LLC managing a short-term rental property. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and participants, leveraging integrated platforms tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative services. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and serves a large client base with a higher client-to-advisor ratio than many peers.

Seafth Howe is a financial advisor at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) with 10 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has work history at Eagle Strategies, PGR Financial, NYlife Securities LLC, and New York Life Insurance Company. Outside of his advisory role, Howe is involved in baseball coaching as the 18U pitching coach for Washington Rush Baseball and serves on the athletic board at Seattle University, focusing on the baseball program. Eagle Strategies serves individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisers. The firm offers various program types tailored to client objectives, with a significant portion of assets managed on a non-discretionary basis, and works closely with institutional sponsors within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Kyle Schmahl is a financial advisor with TIAA-CREF in Bellevue, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and having 27 years of industry experience. He has been with TIAA-CREF since 2012. TIAA‑CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC’s Advice & Planning Services division provides financial planning and managed account programs to individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often serving clients with existing relationships through TIAA retirement plans. The firm offers both point-in-time planning services and ongoing discretionary management through model and customized portfolios, and operates as adviser to a donor-advised fund.

Megan Echele is a CFP® and CFA® credentialed financial advisor with eight years of industry experience. She is currently with Schwab Wealth Advisory Inc., where she has worked since 2024, following prior roles at Charles Schwab Bank and Charles Schwab & Co. Megan’s background also includes two years in the hospitality industry. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. provides non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice and financial planning to clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain referred clients. The firm uses asset-allocation models and internal research tools to deliver at-least-annual reviews and tailored recommendations while trades are executed only with client authorization.

John Trask is a financial advisor at TIAA-CREF with 15 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with TIAA-CREF since 2011. The firm serves individuals, trusts, estates, partnerships, corporate entities, and small retirement plans, often working with clients who have pre-existing relationships through TIAA-administered employer retirement plans. TIAA-CREF provides financial planning, discretionary managed account programs, and separate broker-dealer services, with a fiduciary standard applied to its registered investment adviser offerings.

Julia Penwell is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently with Wealthspire Advisors. She previously worked at Private Ocean for five years and has held various roles including positions at Lakeview Financial and Central Washington University. Wealthspire Advisors is an SEC-registered firm managing approximately $34.3 billion in assets and serving nearly 9,700 clients across individual, corporate, nonprofit, and pension segments. The firm uses an institutional-style asset allocation approach and offers comprehensive wealth management and financial planning services.

Michael Meland is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (New York Life) based in Seattle, WA. He holds a Series 66 designation and has 18 years of industry experience. Meland has been with Eagle Strategies since 2015 and is also affiliated with NYLIFE Securities LLC and Bond Financial since 2014. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse group of individual and institutional clients, offering financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of investment adviser representatives. The firm provides a range of program types tailored to client objectives, emphasizing non-discretionary asset management and advisory services connected to insurance and annuity products.

Andy Weng is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 28 years of industry experience. He has held roles at multiple firms, including Integrated Trust Systems and Scale Force Group, and has been involved in several entrepreneurial ventures such as Bridgemaker LLC and W.S. Enterprise, LLC. His outside activities include serving as a silent member and investor in a marketing and business automation software company and working as a referral sales associate for estate planning services. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base, including high net worth individuals and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers through various platforms, offering an integrated retirement plan ecosystem and affiliated mutual funds and insurance products.

Whitney Isbell is a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. in Bellevue, WA, holding a Series 66 designation with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining D.A. Davidson, Isbell held various roles including positions at Blue Cloud Innovation and The Bear Creek School. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including employer-sponsored retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, wrap fee programs, equity research, and comprehensive financial planning, operating under fiduciary standards and utilizing both qualitative and quantitative investment analyses.

Xin Wang is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Bellevue, WA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Eagle Strategies in 2024, Xin operated Grace Wang Financial Associates for 12 years and has been associated with New York Life and NYLIFE Securities since 2002. Xin also operates under the DBA OpenWin Financial & Insurance Services LLC, where they broker non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services. The firm offers a variety of program types with an emphasis on tailoring recommendations to client and Plan Sponsor objectives, managing the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis.

Colleen Kroeger is a CFA® charterholder with 18 years of experience in the financial industry. She is currently with Hightower Advisors, where she has worked since 2022, following 15 years at Highland Private Wealth Management and four years at LNW. 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, offering access to a range of investment vehicles and utilizing proprietary research in portfolio construction.

Olivia Rice is a financial advisor at Osaic Advisory Services, LLC with three years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Securities America, Inc. for two years. Olivia is also involved with the Terrell Independent School District Excellence Foundation, where she supports the local education foundation through various administrative and promotional activities. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise firm serving a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, retirement plan participants, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers representative-managed programs, third-party manager and wrap programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments and donor-advised funds, utilizing a variety of investment strategies and platform integrations.

Matthew Scarano is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Bellevue, WA. He holds a Series 66 designation and has nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services and Edward Jones. Scarano is also involved in insurance brokering, operating under DBA names that focus on selling New York Life products and brokering non-registered insurance products. Eagle Strategies serves a wide range of individual and institutional clients by providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated investment adviser representatives. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and manages a majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis, working extensively with retirement investors and institutional sponsors.

Christopher Holt is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience. He is currently with Creative Planning and has previously worked at Coldstream Wealth Management and Fidelity in various advisory and brokerage roles. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning-led investment process that emphasizes low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and integrated investment infrastructure.

Kay Li Watness is a financial advisor at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. Kay holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Servitium Wealth Management, the University of Washington - Seattle, and Financial Advocates & LPL Financial. Focus Partners serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and investment services. The firm uses a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Seth Jones is a financial advisor at Integrity Alliance, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 credential and has previously worked at Lion Street Financial, Umpqua Bank, and US Bank. Integrity Alliance is a large advisory network with over 300 independent advisors managing approximately $5.4 billion in client assets. The firm serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, corporations, and qualified retirement plans, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and both wrap and non-wrap programs.

Petra Ljubic Lane is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 65 designation and has worked at Beacon Pointe Advisors since 2022, following seven years at Cpwm, LLC. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, consulting, financial planning, retirement-plan services, and outsourced chief investment officer services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of asset-allocation modeling and third-party independent managers, offering both active and passive strategies across public and private asset classes.