Mark Johnson is a financial advisor with Cerity Partners LLC, holding a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Aspiriant Independent Wealth Management, Presidio Wealth Partners/Hightower Advisors, and Durbin Bennett Private Wealth Management/Maslow Wealth Advisors. Outside of finance, he was involved with Pitch by Pitch Baseball Academy and has experience working at Southern University and A&M College. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, families, trusts, corporations, and institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and retirement plan services, emphasizing customized, diversified portfolios and access to alternative and private-market investments.

William Perry is a CFP® with 32 years of industry experience currently affiliated with Private Advisor Group, LLC. He has worked at multiple advisory firms including Mariner Independent Advisor Network, Teamwork Financial Advisors, and LPL Financial. Outside of advisory work, he is a partner at Ascend Integrated Tax, a Houston-based firm specializing in tax review and preparation. Private Advisor Group serves a diverse clientele including individuals, business entities, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm provides access to various advisory programs, third-party asset managers, turnkey asset management platforms, and a proprietary separately managed account program.

Brian Watts is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Valic since 1999, including a role at SunAmerica Capital Services, Inc. since 2014. 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 through its broker-dealer operations.

Harold Perkins Jr. is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 47 years of industry experience. He has been with Fahnestock & Co. Inc. since 2003. Perkins serves as a board member of the Michael Hoctor Foundation, a nonprofit organization. Oppenheimer serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations, offering advisory and brokerage services with investment management, consulting, and retirement planning. The firm employs strategic and tactical asset allocation and manager selection across various investment vehicles, with a notable role as a qualified custodian and a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

James Notzon is a financial advisor at PNC Wealth Management in Houston, TX, holding a Series 63 designation with 33 years of industry experience. Prior to joining PNC in 2021, he worked at Bbva Securities Inc., Bbva Wealth Solutions Inc., Bbva Compass Insurance Agency, Inc., and COMPASS Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Laredo, a nonprofit providing social services to disadvantaged youths, and is a board member at the Laredo Country Club. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including a Portfolio Solutions Strategist Digital Offering that uses algorithm-driven risk assessments and manages investments via approved model strategies executed by delegates using mutual funds and ETFs.

Dali Fu is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and bringing six years of industry experience. In addition to his advisory role, he is involved in various insurance-related agencies and operates his own P&C insurance agency businesses. Fu also participates as a college success advisor for Kyros AI Corp, a college preparation platform using artificial intelligence. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities, offering both advisory and broker-dealer services with a range of proprietary and third-party investment models. The firm manages substantial discretionary and non-discretionary assets and operates uniquely as both a registered broker-dealer and registered investment adviser with affiliated retirement solutions.

Justin Reed is a financial advisor with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and four years of industry experience. He previously worked at Equitable Advisors, LLC for three years and has been involved with the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation. Focus Partners Wealth serves a diverse client base including individual, high-net-worth, family office, corporate, retirement plan, and institutional clients. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach using enhanced open architecture, combining fundamental and quantitative analysis, and integrates a broad range of investment strategies and affiliated service offerings.

Hua Zhang is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 17 years of industry experience. Hua has worked at Transamerica Financial Advisors since 2012 and is also associated with the Copeland Group and World Financial Group. Outside of advising, Hua is involved in health insurance sales and enrollment assistance with firms including Copeland Insurance Group, Community Health Choice, and Ambetter. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a diverse client base including individual investors, pension plans, trusts, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers a range of advisory and broker-dealer services, featuring proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Cole Vanassche is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 18 years of industry experience. He worked at New York Life Insurance Company for 10 years prior to joining Guardian Life in 2024. Vanassche also teaches and helps individuals prepare for the CLTC designation exam as a Certified Long-Term Care instructor. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue® Wealth Management, provides brokerage, financial planning, retirement consulting, and investment advisory services to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment solutions including proprietary and third-party model portfolios.

William Schorp is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor with 18 years of industry experience. He has been with Private Advisor Group, LLC and affiliated with LPL Financial since 2012. Private Advisor Group serves a diverse client base including individuals, business entities, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations, offering portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting. The firm provides access to various advisory programs, third‑party asset managers, and a proprietary WealthSuite separately managed account program supported by multiple strategists and technology platforms.

Laura Rowley is a CFP® with 19 years of experience in financial advisory. She has been with Mercer Global Advisors, Inc. since 2017 and previously worked at Kanaly Trust from 2005 to 2017. Based in Houston, TX, she holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Mercer Global Advisors serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth families, small business owners, corporate plan sponsors, foundations, and nonprofits. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based investment approach focused on globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios and offers a range of services from portfolio management to estate-planning coordination.

Mark Connely is a CFP® with 29 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Primerica Advisors and Park Avenue Securities. He has worked at Guardian Life Insurance Company since 1998 and has been with Primerica Advisors since 1999. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in a music business venture and operates several business entities related to insurance and investment activities. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base, including individual and high-net-worth investors, offering both brokerage and advisory services. The firm utilizes a range of proprietary and third-party investment strategies and provides various account-level solutions such as lending and donor-advised funds.

Keyton Rizzo is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with one year of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and previously worked in various roles including at Saltgrass Steakhouse and Kuhllman Cellars. Oppenheimer serves individuals, corporations, pooled vehicles, and retirement plans by providing a range of advisory and execution services, including discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, consulting, and retirement services. The firm employs varied investment approaches across its programs and reported approximately $36.7 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2025.

Emily Hopkins is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with six years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants, and VALIC Financial Advisors. Hopkins is based in Houston, TX. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a diverse investment approach featuring core/satellite, thematic, and tactical strategies, and offers family office services along with integrated tax planning and financial administration through its affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Michael Porter is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Houston, TX, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 63 license. He has 30 years of industry experience, including over 18 years with Eagle Strategies and affiliations with New York Life Insurance Co. Since 1995, he has also been appointed with various outside insurance carriers for brokering non-registered products. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm emphasizes tailored recommendations and primarily manages assets on a non-discretionary basis, operating within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Kell Grady is an advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and based in Houston, TX. Grady has less than one year of industry experience, having previously worked at Texas Financial Advisors, Target, and Fort Worth Country Day, among other roles. Valic Financial Advisors, Inc. 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, financial planning, and multiple wrap programs through a large network of advisors, utilizing technology-driven unified managed accounts and third-party model managers.

Caleb Robinson is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. He has held roles at Union Financial, Principal Securities Inc., Principal Life Insurance Company, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Outside of finance, he teaches part-time neuroscience and human anatomy courses at UTHealth Houston McGovern Medical School. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base including individuals, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions under various advisory and promoter arrangements.

Kartik Jambulapati is a financial advisor with Prime Capital Financial in Houston, TX, holding a Series 65 designation and eight years of industry experience. He has worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, LLC since 2018 and previously spent four years with Ascende Wealth Advisers, Inc. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm offers a range of services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and family office offerings, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary management strategies.

Gary Sagarnaga is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC, holding a Series 63 designation and bringing 40 years of industry experience. His prior work includes 13 years at Girard Securities, Inc. He also operates as a sole proprietor managing insurance and investment recommendations. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education, and supports complex investment solutions through multiple management platforms.

Nahif Chowdhury is a financial advisor at Cerity Partners LLC with a Series 65 credential and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cerity Partners in 2026, he worked for six years at Fisher Investments and has professional experience outside the financial industry at Walmart. Cerity Partners is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, corporations, charitable institutions, and institutional investors. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, tax and insurance support, and access to alternative and private-market investments, emphasizing diversified asset allocation and customized portfolios.