Kedre Mellor is a financial advisor with Focus Partners Wealth, LLC, holding the PFS™ and Series 63 designations and bringing 34 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at The Colony Group, LLC, Buckingham Strategic Wealth, LLC, and Capital Wealthcare Advisors, L.C., as well as operating her own CPA practice for 15 years. Focus Partners Wealth serves individuals, high-net-worth families, family offices, corporate, and institutional clients, offering a range of wealth management and advisory services. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Derek Slaymaker is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing. His background also includes roles with Wichita State Shocker Athletics and Wichita State University. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including individuals, institutions, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services through a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, utilizing both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches.

Jarod Rucker is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and has previously worked at Northwestern Mutual and Eagle Strategies. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers, with a focus on portfolio customization and a broad spectrum of investment options.

Matthew Moore is a financial advisor at First Command Advisory Services with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Landmark National Bank and in various roles including service in the United States Marine Corps, where he serves as a Platoon Sergeant. Moore is also a shareholder in Prairie Fire Advisors, Inc. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser that serves individuals, corporations, and charitable clients, with a specific focus on active-duty service members and their families. The firm offers financial planning and wrap-fee asset management programs, utilizing a centralized Investment Management Team to design and monitor model portfolios with discretionary authority under an Investment Management Agreement.

Kevin Rogg is a financial advisor with Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. in Wichita, KS, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with five years of industry experience. Before joining Bankers Life, he worked at The Hutchinson News for five years. Outside of advising, he serves on the Board of Directors for Dillon Credit Union and is a swim official and coach for the Hutchinson YMCA. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. provides discretionary portfolio management and investment consulting primarily to mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals, focusing on customized asset allocation, tax efficiency, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis.

Ayron Lawson is a financial advisor at Mariner with a Series 65 credential and less than one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Mariner, he held positions in the wellness department at Oklahoma State University and worked at Walmart and Radix Solar. Mariner serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm employs a discretionary, customized portfolio approach supported by in-house research and third-party managers, with additional capabilities in tax integration and financial wellness solutions.

Ronald Paulseen is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 43 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Eagle Strategies (NY Life). His career includes longstanding roles at Paulseen Financial Group since 1994 and New York Life Insurance Company since 1972. He is a minority owner of Kansas Heart Hospital and serves as an LLC member and board member of NYLARC, a life insurance reinsurance company for New York Life. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base that includes individual investors, institutional sponsors, and corporate and charitable entities. The firm emphasizes tailored advice through multiple program types and operates primarily on a non-discretionary asset management basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Cameron Sellers is a CFP® professional at Hightower Advisors with experience in the financial industry since 2015. His prior roles include positions at Bank of America, Commerce Bank, and Emprise Bank. He is based in Wichita, KS. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals and institutional investors, and employs a multi-manager investment approach with access to affiliated and third-party managers.

Tyler Stack is a financial advisor with Creative Planning in Wichita, KS, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and 19 years of industry experience. He has worked at Creative Planning since 2017 and previously spent nine years at American Century Investment Services Inc. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a wide range of clients, including high-net-worth individuals, pension plans, trusts, and corporations. The firm uses a financial-planning-led investment approach that emphasizes low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure.

Aaron Fisher is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Wichita, KS, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and three years of industry experience. Prior to joining Empower Advisory Group, he worked at CrossFirst Bank and Wells Fargo Bank N.A. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as Chief Musician at Exodus Church, leading the church’s musicians and music education. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to select IRA and retail brokerage clients. The firm integrates its services with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and client savings rates through point-in-time financial plans and optional managed account solutions.

Yezenia Acosta is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with a Series 65 credential and two years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at INTRUST Bank and Speedy Cash. Outside of her advisory work, she is an associate at a retail clothing store in Wichita, KS, where she assists with store operations. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering solutions that include discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm’s advisory model emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager strategies using both affiliated and third-party managers.

Joshua Martin is a financial advisor at Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. with Series 66 credentials and one year of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Bankers Life Securities, Inc., Bankers Life & Casualty, Inc., The Bonavia at Veterans Park, Weigand Omega Management, and Regent Park. Bankers Life Advisory Services, Inc. serves mass-affluent and high-net-worth individuals through discretionary portfolio management, investment consulting, and retirement plan consulting. The firm utilizes a combination of fundamental, technical, and cyclical analysis to create tailored asset allocations and manages portfolios across a range of securities with periodic rebalancing and performance reviews.

Thomas Kirk III is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with 45 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at firms including Morgan Stanley and Citigroup Global Markets. Kirk is a co-trustee of family trusts established for the benefit of his relatives. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and pooled investment vehicles. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection, multi-manager solutions, and the use of both affiliated and third-party managers, incorporating various investment vehicles and proprietary research.

Calvin Pearson is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors, holding a Series 66 license and six years of industry experience. He has previously worked at Raymond James Financial Services and Aristata Financial. He serves as Vice President and board member of the First Tee of Greater Wichita, a youth development organization. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, utilizing a multi-manager investment approach that includes affiliated and third-party managers. The firm offers discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through its extensive network of advisor practices.

Ryan Maddex is a CFP® professional based in Wichita, KS, with five years of industry experience. He is currently with Mariner and previously held roles at Global Retirement Partners, LLC, LPL Financial, LLC, Korol Financial Group, and Advisors Excel. Outside of financial advisory, his background includes work at Washburn University and experience in the hospitality industry. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, corporations, and private funds. The firm offers a range of services such as investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and coordinated tax and family office services, utilizing a discretionary, customized portfolio approach supported by in-house and third-party resources.

Markus Phox is a financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with eight years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Hightower Securities, Private Client Services, 6 Meridian LLC, and MarketAxess. He was also employed at Princeton University for four years. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individual and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions using both affiliated and third-party managers, with a broad range of investment vehicles including mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and custom indexing.

Jocelyn Childs is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at Hightower Advisors with eight years of industry experience. She previously worked at Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. for seven years and was involved with Champion Courier LLC for two years. 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 affiliated and third-party managers, proprietary research, and a range of investment vehicles.

Matthew Thiessen is a CFP® certificant with 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at &PARTNERS since 2025 and previously held roles at Wells Fargo Advisors and Cambridge Investment Research Advisors. &Partners serves a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, institutions, retirement plans, and private businesses. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a blend of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis, with portfolios managed by in-house advisors or third-party managers.

Justin Hancock is a financial advisor at Transamerica Retirement Advisors, LLC with three years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked with several firms, including LPL Financial LLC, Intrust Financial Services, Bank of America, and Merrill. Transamerica Retirement Advisors serves participants in employer-sponsored retirement plans and IRA owners through programs that provide managed advice and investment education, utilizing portfolio construction and oversight from Morningstar Investment Management.

Andrew Koontz is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with three years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked at Edward Jones and Motion Industries. Outside of his advisory role, Koontz co-owns a family LLC involved in real property maintenance and management. Oppenheimer serves a diverse client base including individuals, corporations, and charitable organizations, offering a range of investment advisory and brokerage services. The firm provides both discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, with an emphasis on strategic asset allocation and comprehensive financial planning.