Phillip Smiley is a financial advisor at Burkett Financial Services, LLC with 26 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for Westminster Financial Securities for 15 years. Outside of his advisory role, he is a partner in the real estate company Prorentals, LLC. Burkett Financial Services advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and retirement plans, managing approximately $573 million across 476 client relationships. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting, with investment strategies primarily focused on mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income instruments, supported by a five-advisor investment committee and a close affiliation with an accounting firm providing integrated tax-planning support.

Kevin Johnson is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC. He holds a Series 65 designation and has one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Cornerstone Wealth Planning, he was involved with Redeemer Presbyterian Church San Diego and Bridge Church San Diego. Cornerstone Wealth Planning provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners. The firm’s investment approach is based on Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis, offering flexible planning options and in-house tax preparation services.

Taylor Funke is a financial advisor at Blue Financial in Charlotte, NC, with two years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at several firms, including 49 Wealth Management and Oakwood Capital Securities. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Financial Independence Group, focusing on due diligence for insurance products suitable for clients. Blue Wealth Inc. provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services to individuals, small businesses, trusts, estates, and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $145 million across about 324 client relationships, tailoring investment strategies to client goals and employing a long-term approach without using margin, options, or leverage.

William King II is a CFP® with 12 years of experience in financial advising, currently affiliated with CORE Advisory Group. He has previously worked with LPL Financial and Independent Advisor Alliance. Outside of his advisory roles, he is involved with CORE Tax Advisors, providing tax preparation and accounting services. CORE Advisory Group serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations with discretionary asset management and financial planning. The firm manages approximately $338 million across 1,141 clients and utilizes a combination of proprietary model portfolios and multiple platform solutions to deliver tailored investment strategies.

Tyler Weaver is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience, currently serving at Alpha Financial Advisors, LLC since 2017. Prior to joining the firm, he spent time traveling extensively and attended Virginia Tech from 2012 to 2016. Alpha Financial Advisors is a team of eight advisors managing approximately $503 million in client assets. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning and investment management services to individuals, families, trusts, estates, small businesses, and certain retirement plans, typically using strategic asset allocation with no-load mutual funds and ETFs.

Joseph Giordano is a financial advisor with CORE Advisory Group in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation and nine years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at LPL Financial, Edward Jones, and Park Avenue Securities. Outside of advisory work, he is employed at Novant Health and has experience with Guardian Life Insurance Company. CORE Advisory Group serves individuals, retirement plans, trusts, corporations, and charitable organizations with discretionary asset management and financial planning services. The firm manages approximately $338 million for over 1,100 clients through a team of ten advisors, providing portfolio management using proprietary model portfolios alongside multiple third-party platforms.

Sara Jean Veatch is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Oakworth Asset Management, LLC. She previously worked at Suntrust Advisory Services, Inc and TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC. In addition to her advisory role, she is also a client advisor at Oakworth Capital Bank. Oakworth Asset Management provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary wealth and portfolio management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a top-down, macro-driven investment approach and utilizes a variety of investment vehicles, including mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and alternative investments.

Matthew Henry is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience currently serving at Topsail Wealth Management LLC since 2026. His prior roles include positions at Edward Jones and The Vanguard Group, bringing a background that spans multiple established financial firms. Topsail Wealth Management advises high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth families and related entities, providing comprehensive wealth management services including financial planning, tax and estate planning, and trustee services. The firm employs a customized investment process combining passive and active strategies and manages most client accounts on a wrap-fee basis.

Matthew Spear is a CFP® professional with 24 years of experience in financial advising. He has been with Sapere Wealth Management, LLC since 2002 and previously worked at Ronald Blue & Co., LLC for one year. Spear holds the Series 65 and Series 63 licenses. Sapere Wealth Management provides discretionary investment management and financial planning to individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm’s investment approach focuses on top-down global macroeconomic analysis and an absolute-return orientation, emphasizing value-driven, mean-reversion strategies with explicit liquidity targets.

Robert Maund is a CFP® with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as Wealth Team Lead at Oakworth Asset Management, LLC in Charlotte, NC. His prior experience includes positions at Chilton Trust Company, Lakeview Capital Partners, and Wells Fargo Advisors. Maund is also involved with Oakworth Capital Bank in a leadership capacity. Oakworth Asset Management provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary wealth management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm employs a top-down, macro-driven investment approach and utilizes a diversified mix of mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, alternative investments, and Independent Managers.

Charles Bowers is a financial advisor at Insight Folios with 15 years of industry experience and holds a Series 65 designation. He has been with Insight Folios since 2015 and is also associated with Durso Capital Management. Outside of advisory roles, he is licensed as an insurance producer and engages in insurance and annuity sales. Insight Folios provides portfolio management and financial planning primarily for individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as ERISA plan consulting and participant advisory services. The firm also serves other registered investment advisers through sub-advisory relationships, employing a team-based approach and proprietary planning software enhanced by artificial intelligence tools.

Liam Byrne is a financial advisor at Atlas Private Wealth Advisors in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 designation with six years of industry experience. He has been with Atlas Private Wealth Advisors and LPL Financial since 2019. Atlas Private Wealth Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, charities, and small businesses, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs tailored strategies across diverse LPL Financial platforms and combines asset allocation with fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis.

Lemuel Mitchum III is a financial advisor at BURKETT Financial Services, LLC with 19 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with BURKETT Financial Services since 2000. BURKETT Financial Services, LLC advises individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, and retirement plans, managing approximately $573 million across 476 client relationships. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement plan consulting, with investment strategies that include mutual funds, ETFs, and fixed income instruments, overseen by a five-advisor investment committee.

Benjamin Small is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses with four years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at The Vanguard Group and several other companies outside financial services. Cornerstone Wealth Planning serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners with investment advisory, portfolio management, and comprehensive financial planning, integrating in-house tax preparation and educational seminars alongside its investment services.

Nicholas Adkins is a CFP® with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor at Hobart Wealth. He previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services and Edward Jones. In addition to his advisory role, he is a licensed insurance agent involved in the sale of insurance products. Hobart Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm with a team of eight advisors managing approximately $430 million. The firm serves individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates, offering tailored asset management, financial planning, and retirement consulting using a range of analytical methods and implementation strategies.

Esther Bodman is a financial advisor at Cornerstone Wealth Planning in Charlotte, NC, with 16 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Cornerstone since 2018. Prior to joining Cornerstone, she worked at Senior Helpers from 2014 to 2018. Cornerstone Wealth Planning provides portfolio management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and small business owners. The firm applies Modern Portfolio Theory and fundamental analysis in its investment approach and offers in-house tax preparation and educational seminars as part of its service offerings.

Charles Randall is a financial advisor at Hobart Wealth in Charlotte, NC, holding a Series 66 credential with 13 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at RBC Capital Markets, City National Bank, Charles Schwab, and Morgan Stanley. Hobart Wealth is an SEC-registered advisory firm with a team of eight advisors managing approximately $430 million. The firm serves individuals, including high-net-worth clients, as well as pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, and estates, offering tailored asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting using a variety of analytical methods and implementation strategies.

Barron Akins is a financial advisor at Oakworth Asset Management, LLC with nine years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at JPMorgan Chase Bank, Truist Wealth Journey Room and Portfolio Architecture, Bank of America, and Merrill. Outside of his advisory work, he is the owner of a rental property in Panama City, Florida. Oakworth Asset Management provides financial planning, consulting, and discretionary wealth and portfolio management to individuals, high net worth clients, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and business entities. The firm uses a top-down, macro-driven investment approach and employs a mix of mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, alternative investments, and Independent Managers.

Timothy Paschall is a CFP® professional with 35 years of industry experience, currently serving at WMS Advisors, LLC. His prior experience includes roles at Purshe Kaplan Sterling Investments, Grove Point Investments, and Concourse Financial Group Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is involved in agriculture and farming operations through The Deer Farm and Alexander Mountain Corporation. WMS Advisors is a team-based SEC-registered investment adviser managing approximately $281 million for individual and institutional clients. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting, employing core asset-class strategies with ETFs, mutual funds, individual securities, and selective alternatives.

Catherine Fisher is a financial advisor at CORE Advisory Group with a Series 65 license and one year of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at LPL Financial and Atrium Health, as well as work as a private nanny. CORE Advisory Group is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plans, corporations, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm manages approximately $297 million in assets with a team of ten advisors, offering discretionary asset management, financial planning, and retirement-plan consulting through a range of portfolio strategies and platform solutions.