Ellen Bailey is a CFP®-certified financial advisor with 16 years of industry experience. She currently serves at Verity Asset Management and has prior experience at firms including Morgan Stanley and BB&T Securities. Outside of advisory work, she is also an insurance agent with Advisor Share, LLC. Verity Asset Management is a multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $1.15 billion and serving individuals, retirement plan sponsors, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-based investment approach with a focus on tactical asset allocation and offers services including portfolio management, retirement consulting, and sub-advisory solutions.

William Hopwood is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 25 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked with related firms including Verity Investments, Inc., and The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm offers discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning, employing a model-driven investment process focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes.

Amy Simonson is a financial advisor with Verity Asset Management in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 33 years of industry experience. She has been affiliated with Verity Financial Group and Verity Asset Management since 1996 and served in executive roles at PlanScope360, LLC, focusing on finance, operations, and strategic business development. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered, multi-team advisory firm managing approximately $1.15 billion and serving individuals, retirement plan sponsors, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a largely model-based investment process emphasizing tactical asset allocation and acts as a manager-of-managers through customized model portfolios and sub-advisory arrangements.

William Orchard Hays III is a financial advisor with HBW Advisory Services LLC in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 34 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Silver Oak Securities, Cetera Wealth Services, and multiple financial services firms he has been associated with since 2005. He is also involved with Stepwise Financial, an independent financial professional business. HBW Advisory Services manages approximately $1.75 billion in client assets and offers discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, families, charitable organizations, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm employs a blended investment approach, utilizing third-party money managers and multi-manager diversification, and is noted for its institutional and intermediary services alongside a high client load per advisor.

Kurt Hollar is a financial advisor at Verity Asset Management with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been associated with multiple entities under the Verity name since 1997. His prior experience includes work with The Leaders Group DBA Simplicity Investments and Verity Investments, Inc. Verity Asset Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individual, corporate, institutional clients, and other advisers. The firm employs a model-driven investment approach focused on tactical asset allocation across diverse asset classes, offering discretionary portfolio management, retirement-plan advisory, and financial planning services.

Whitney H Ill is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience, currently serving at Creative Planning. Prior to joining Creative Planning, Whitney worked at Collective Wealth Partners and GRID 202 Partners. Outside of financial advising, Whitney is involved in entrepreneurial ventures including ownership in an ecommerce business and a quick-service restaurant franchise. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base ranging from individuals to institutions. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, tax-loss harvesting, and selective private market exposure while managing approximately $295.6 billion in client assets.

Daniel Knox is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. He has worked at VALIC Financial Advisors since 2002 and has been associated with Agia since 2022, where he acts as an agent for 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, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

James Contino is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in the financial industry. He is affiliated with Valic Financial Advisors and has worked at AIG Valic since 2003 and Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved in non-securities insurance product sales. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and discretionary unified managed accounts through a large network of advisors, utilizing centralized technology and model solutions to manage roughly $29.2 billion in assets.

Gary Gaulden is a CFP® professional with 33 years of experience in financial advising. He currently works with Osaic Advisory Services, LLC and has previously held roles at Securities America, Inc., Arbor Point Advisors, and Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. He also operates a satellite office for client services in Atlantic Beach, NC under Gaulden & Associates. Osaic Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise adviser serving a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporate and charitable entities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers various managed programs, retirement plan consulting, and access to alternative investments, utilizing both fundamental and technical analysis and partnering with multiple platform providers.

Jeffrey Marko is a financial advisor at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and has worked previously at DMJ & Co., PLLC, where he is a partner, and Dixon Hughes Goodman, LLP. He serves on the finance committee of Housing for New Hope, a nonprofit organization. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-driven investment approach using third-party platforms and sponsors proprietary investment vehicles and private funds.

Robert Scholes is a CFP® and CFA® with six years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. Prior to joining Allworth Financial in 2025, he worked at Investors Trust Company, Cook Wealth Management Group, Park Avenue Securities, and Guardian Life Insurance Company. Before his financial advisory career, he spent nine years at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Allworth Financial serves a broad client base including individuals, high-net-worth investors, pension plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs both quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies and provides educational content through various media.

Thomas Storrie is a CFP® professional with 28 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2017. He previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for 12 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in fixed insurance sales conducted under Crossbridge Financial Group. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser supporting a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors with a range of advisory programs and services. The firm provides operations, trading, technology, investment management, compliance, and practice-management support, enabling advisors to offer customized portfolio solutions and model portfolios to retail and institutional clients.

Jonathan Robinson is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Chapel Hill, NC, holding CFP® and Series 66 designations and with 25 years of industry experience. He has been with Oppenheimer since 2003. Robinson serves as co-trustee of the Joseph W. Robinson and Kathleen Ann Robinson Family Trust, a non-investment-related role involving the liquidation of personal assets. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer that serves individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a range of investment programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, with both discretionary and non-discretionary management approaches.

Joseph Denney is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at BB&T Investments, Bb&T Securities, and Wells Fargo Clearing prior to joining Truist in 2021. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, businesses, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations, utilizing a combination of discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Jane Okulski is a financial advisor with Oppenheimer in Chapel Hill, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and 17 years of industry experience. She has worked at Oppenheimer since 2017 and previously held roles at Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc. and Transamerica Financial Advisors. Outside of her advisory work, she serves on the Reynolda House Advisory Council, assisting with event coordination and planning for the museum. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a variety of programs including asset management, consulting, and retirement services, with a mix of discretionary and non-discretionary advisory approaches.

Thomas Mountain is a financial advisor with VALIC Financial Advisors in Durham, NC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2000 and is also currently an agent with Agia. Outside of his financial career, he co-manages a social media account focused on tabletop RPG gaming terrain and miniatures with his son. VALIC Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering wrap programs, portfolio management, and financial planning through a large network of advisors. The firm uses discretionary unified managed accounts with Envestnet’s platform and emphasizes centralized technology and model solutions to manage roughly $29.2 billion across nearly 300,000 clients.

Jennifer Jamerson is a CFP® and ChFC® with 26 years of industry experience. She has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2010 and also holds an agent position at Agia, where she is involved with 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 through its broker-dealer operations.

Charles Carrick is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience, currently advising at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC since 2021. His prior roles include positions at DMJ Wealth Advisors, LLC and ProEquities Inc. Carrick also has experience with Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, consulting, financial planning, and outsourced CIO services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, corporations, and institutional clients, employing both active and passive strategies across multiple asset classes.

Miles Richardson is a financial advisor at Allworth Financial, L.P. in Durham, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Allworth Financial, he worked at Fleet Feet and First Citizens Bank, among other roles. Allworth Financial serves a diverse client base including individual and high-net-worth investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering comprehensive financial planning and portfolio management services. The firm employs a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis to create customized investment strategies and provides education through newsletters, podcasts, and seminars.

Alexander Gracia is a CFP® and ChFC® with 23 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2005 and also holds an agent position at Agia. He serves as a notary public for loan and disbursement documentation related to the WakeMed plan. 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 and serving approximately 294,000 clients through a network of over 1,200 advisors.