Melanie Schwartz is a financial advisor with Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC, holding a Series 66 designation and 14 years of industry experience. She has worked at Steward Partners and its affiliated entities since 2021 and previously at Raymond James Financial Services and Wells Fargo Clearing. Steward Partners Investment Advisory, LLC is an enterprise-scale SEC-registered RIA managing approximately $36.7 billion in assets and serving a diverse client base that includes individuals, pension plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a range of advisory and portfolio management services.

Malka Alzayani is a financial advisor at Schwab Wealth Advisory with four years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Fidelity Investments, New York Life Insurance Company, and Bloomberg LLP. Schwab Wealth Advisory serves clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients, providing non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations. The firm’s advice is based on Charles Schwab & Co.’s asset-allocation models and internal research tools, offering tailored recommendations with trades executed only upon client authorization.

Jeffrey Upchurch is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 39 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing for eight years before joining &PARTNERS in 2024. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, institutions, retirement plans, and charitable organizations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and ERISA consulting, utilizing a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis through both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Bradford Avery is a financial advisor with PNC Wealth Management, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and bringing 30 years of industry experience. He has been with PNC Investments since 2013. Outside of his advisory role, he is an owner of rental properties. PNC Wealth Management offers retail brokerage and advisory services through model-based programs, including an invitation-only digital discretionary model account. The firm’s approach combines algorithm-driven risk assessment with implementation via approved model strategies managed by PNC or third-party strategists.

George Fellows Jr. is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 42 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2012. His prior experience includes roles at Merrill from 2007 to 2012 and Citigroup Global Markets from 1995 to 2007. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a co-trustee of a family trust established to assist in the care and financial support of a relative. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and IRAs. The firm offers a broad range of programs across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, combining discretionary and non-discretionary management with strategic and tactical asset allocation.

Keith Burgess is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 licenses and bringing 11 years of industry experience. He previously worked with NFP Securities Inc. since 2010, as well as with OSAIC Institutions, Inc. and Mass Mutual Investors Services. Outside of his advisory work, he coaches a youth soccer team. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse clientele, including institutional and individual clients. The firm offers comprehensive fiduciary services, plan design, and investment management, serving a client base that includes large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Zachary Jenkins is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Vienna, VA, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and with 10 years of industry experience. He has worked with New York Life Insurance Co. and NYLIFE Securities LLC since 2016 and currently operates Jenkins Wealth Strategies Group, LLC and is affiliated with Blueprint for Financial Success. Jenkins serves as a director of the Norwegian Society of Washington DC, an organization focused on promoting cultural and educational ties related to Norway. Eagle Strategies provides financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, defined contribution and defined benefit plans, and charitable and corporate clients. The firm offers multiple advisory program types and emphasizes tailored recommendations, managing the majority of its assets on a non-discretionary basis within an integrated New York Life affiliate structure.

Roseal Stewart is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently advising at Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. She has worked across various roles within Charles Schwab, including Schwab Wealth Advisory and Charles Schwab Bank. Outside of her financial career, she provides rideshare services using the Lyft app. Schwab Wealth Advisory, Inc. serves clients enrolled in the Schwab Wealth Advisory program and certain Charles Schwab & Co.-referred clients by offering non-discretionary fiduciary investment advice, financial planning, and wealth management consultations. The firm’s advice is based on proprietary asset-allocation models and internal research, with services tailored to client goals and risk tolerance.

Henry Romeyn is a financial advisor at Chevy Chase Trust Company with four years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and previously worked at Goldman Sachs and as a self-employed advisor. Chevy Chase Trust Company serves high-net-worth individuals, families, and institutional clients by providing investment management, personal trust services, family wealth planning, and trustee/administrative services. The firm employs a thematic investment approach focused on macroeconomic trends and diversification, offering a combination of trust, custody, and fund-management roles.

Colette Kolanko is a CFP® and PFS™ with 15 years of experience in financial advisory. She has worked at Cerity Partners LLC since 2023 and previously spent four years at Lumina Financial Consultants and ten years at Sullivan, Bruyette, Speros & Blayney, Inc. Cerity Partners advises a diverse client base including individuals, families, trusts, business entities, and institutional investors, managing approximately $166.2 billion in client assets. The firm offers customized wealth management services, combining quantitative screening and direct security selection with access to alternative and private market solutions.

Lance Robbins is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services, holding a Series 66 designation and three years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at SunTrust Bank and Starbucks. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm offers asset allocation, investment policy analysis, fiduciary support, and manager-selection programs, utilizing a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary approaches supported by third-party platforms and AI-enabled research tools.

Myrle Simone is a CFP® professional with three years of industry experience. She is currently with Creative Planning, LLC and previously spent 18 years at Burt Wealth Advisors. Burt Wealth Advisors is a fee-only, SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and financial planning. The firm employs a mix of fundamental, technical, charting, and cyclical analysis across various time horizons and primarily allocates assets among mutual funds and exchange-traded funds.

Whitney Turner is a CFP® professional at Focus Partners Wealth, LLC with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Focus Partners, Turner worked at The Meakem Group and Kastle Systems, among other firms. Focus Partners Wealth, LLC serves individuals, families, family offices, and institutional clients with wealth management, financial planning, and retirement consulting. The firm employs a long-term, tax- and fee-sensitive investment approach that combines active and passive strategies, third-party managers, and private funds within an enhanced open architecture framework.

Robert Kraus is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 66, Series 65, and Series 63 licenses. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2017, he worked at Chevy Chase Trust from 2006 to 2017 and Chevy Chase Financial Services from 2004 to 2009. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains unique market roles, including operating as a security-based swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

William Schroen is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group, holding a Series 66 designation and 12 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Simplicity, PNC Investments LLC, Bank of America, Merrill, LPL Financial, Amazon, CUNA Brokerage Services, Morgan Stanley, and J.P. Morgan Securities. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and select retail brokerage clients. The firm delivers integrated services linked to Empower’s recordkeeping platforms, focusing on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing within plan lineups chosen by plan sponsors.

Mohamad Ali Atwi is a financial advisor with Eagle Strategies (NY Life) based in Vienna, VA, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and bringing 10 years of industry experience. He previously worked for HSBC Securities (USA) Inc. and HSBC Bank USA, N.A. for 15 years before joining his current firm. Outside of his advisory role, he is president of Glenville Grove Rentals LLC, a residential rental business. Eagle Strategies serves a diverse client base including individual investors, defined contribution and defined benefit plans, as well as charitable and corporate clients. The firm offers financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors, with a focus on tailored recommendations and primarily non-discretionary assets under management.

Dang Thanh Nguyen is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Transamerica, he worked in various roles including positions at HDBank, TTC Land, Hoa Lam and Dong Duong Corporation, and Vietbank. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services featuring proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary options.

Charles Ruttenberg is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 46 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at Oppenheimer since 2009, following a 14-year tenure at Citigroup Global Markets. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension plans, and charitable organizations. The firm provides a range of programs with both discretionary and non-discretionary management, covering equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios alongside consulting and retirement services.

Christopher Persak is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services, holding a Series 66 designation and 21 years of industry experience. He has been with Principal Securities Inc. and Principal Life Insurance Company since 2004. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel abroad. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager asset allocation and separately managed account solutions.

Kristin Chisam is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with 11 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has worked at Citigroup and Citibank NA since 2013, with a brief period of unemployment in 2025. Based in Washington, DC, her career has been focused within the Citi organization. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and execution services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles and arrangements.