Talonda Howard is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with 17 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 registrations and has previously worked at GWFS Equities, Bankers Life Securities, and Valic Financial Advisors. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer‑sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as Empower Premier IRA and certain retail brokerage account holders, using an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Christine Bacharz is a financial advisor at Mariner with six years of industry experience. She holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at Wells Fargo Clearing Services and Wells Fargo Commercial Distribution Finance. She has been with Mariner since 2022. Mariner serves a diverse client base, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, offering investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to third-party managers. The firm combines in-house research with external managers across various asset classes and provides integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness services.

Andrew Krajewski is a financial advisor with Cerity Partners LLC, holding a Series 65 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Cerity Partners in 2026, he worked at Edge Financial Advisors and Arbor Financial Services, LLC. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as a manager for Grace Wins E.T., a management company overseeing a family entertainment facility in Bolingbrook, IL. Cerity Partners provides customized wealth management and related services to a broad national client base including high-net-worth individuals, families, trusts, and institutional investors. The firm uses tailored asset allocation, manager selection, and proprietary quantitative screens alongside third-party managers and individual securities.

Paul Garrett is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network in Oakbrook, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 37 years of industry experience. He has operated Garrett Consulting Corp. since 2003 alongside his role at Commonwealth, where he has worked since 2001. Outside of his advisory work, Garrett is a compensated member of a band. Commonwealth Financial Network serves a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients, providing advisory programs and support services including wealth management, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party asset managers. The firm offers a range of investment program structures and supports affiliated advisors with operations, technology, compliance, and practice management.

Joshua Schafer is a financial advisor with The Huntington Investment Company, holding Series 63 and Series 66 designations and 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC, Equitable Advisors, LLC, and JP Morgan Chase NA. The Huntington Investment Company, operating as Huntington Financial Advisors, provides advisory and brokerage services to individuals—including high-net-worth clients—as well as charitable organizations and corporations. The firm employs an open-architecture investment model that integrates third-party sub-managers and affiliate private bank models, offering a range of wrap-fee programs primarily through the Envestnet MAS platform.

Brian Kotowski is a financial advisor with &PARTNERS in Arlington Heights, IL, holding a Series 66 designation and seven years of industry experience. He previously worked at UPS for six years and Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC for 20 years. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charities, foundations, universities, trusts, private businesses, and corporations. The firm offers investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement plan services using a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis alongside both proprietary and third-party strategies.

Joseph Nogal is a financial advisor at William Blair with 13 years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2017 and previously worked at Goldman Sachs & Co. from 2012 to 2017. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division provides investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm uses an active, research-driven approach across multiple asset classes and offers proprietary models and access to private and co-investment opportunities.

Dustin Kriengsak Obhas is a CFP® professional with 19 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC. He has worked at several related firms since 2011, including CLA Financial Advisors, LLC and LPL Financial. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services provides financial planning, asset management, retirement-plan consulting, and referrals to managed account investment managers for individuals, high-net-worth clients, corporations, and retirement plans. The firm manages over $122 billion in assets and employs a diversified investment approach blending passive and active managers, supported by an internal Investment Committee.

Yat Hong Leung is a financial advisor at Citigroup Global Markets with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and seven years of industry experience. Prior to joining Citigroup in 2020, Yat worked at JP Morgan Chase Bank and JP Morgan Securities LLC from 2017 to 2020, as well as at Fresenius Medical Care Hong Kong Limited in 2016-2017. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across various wealth segments, offering a range of investment advisory programs and broker-dealer services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and maintains unique market roles such as operating as a swap dealer and futures commission merchant.

Paul Oblon is a financial advisor at &Partners with Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and 32 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC and Wells Fargo Clearing. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as treasurer for the Purdue University Phi Kappa Psi alumni network. &Partners serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and private businesses. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, supported by Envestnet and NFS platforms.

Jack Gentile is a Series 66–licensed financial advisor with William Blair in Arlington Heights, IL, having three years of industry experience. His work history includes multiple periods at William Blair interspersed with time as a student, as well as a role at MBS Textbooks and earlier work with the Arlington Heights Park District. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm employs an active, research-driven approach across equities, fixed income, and alternative strategies, providing proprietary models and access to affiliated private funds through its MB Investments Program.

Antonio Lugo III is a CFP® with nine years of industry experience, currently serving at Brookstone Capital Management LLC since 2016. He also has a role at Smart Wealth Strategies Inc, where he has been involved since 2013. His outside business activities include insurance and annuity products. Brookstone Capital Management is an SEC-registered adviser offering fee-based asset management and financial planning through a turnkey asset management platform and wrap-fee program. The firm serves a broad client base, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, charitable organizations, other registered investment advisers, sovereign wealth funds, and banking institutions.

Vanessa Mazzone is a financial advisor at Independent Financial Group, LLC with Series 66 registration and three years of industry experience. Her prior work experience includes roles at The Barre, KB Co., and in dental practices. Independent Financial Group is a large integrated advisory and brokerage firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, business owners, and plan sponsors. The firm offers investment advisory programs, financial planning, and retirement plan services through various platforms and employs both in-house and third-party investment models.

Roger Suchy is a financial advisor with Fifth Third Securities, Inc. in Rosemont, IL, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and bringing 19 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Associated Investment Services, Inc. and Investment Professionals, Inc. before joining Fifth Third Securities and Fifth Third Bank in 2020. Fifth Third Securities, Inc. offers brokerage and investment advisory services through its Passageway Managed Account Program to individuals, charitable organizations, corporate clients, and institutional investors. The firm provides multiple discretionary managed-account options, including advisor-directed models and separately managed accounts, and is notable for its municipal-advisor registration alongside its affiliation with Fifth Third Bank.

Kenneth Dryfhout is a CFA® charterholder with 11 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Benjamin F. Edwards & Company, Inc. since 2022. Prior to that, he worked at BCU for 10 years. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company is an SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm offers a wide range of fee-based investment and financial planning services through discretionary and non-discretionary wrap programs that incorporate multiple managed strategies and investment vehicles.

Ellen Cassin is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with a Series 65 credential and four years of industry experience. She previously worked at Heinz & Associates and Dashboard Wealth Advisors before joining Creative Planning in 2021. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm employs a financial planning–led investment process focused on low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supported by a large advisory team and centralized investment infrastructure.

Mary Bronton is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with 32 years of industry experience. She holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations. Her prior experience includes ten years at Wells Fargo Clearing and seven years at Wells Fargo Advisors LLC. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including high-net-worth individuals, retirement plans, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers investment management and financial planning services using a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies, with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Albert Smith is a financial advisor at Transamerica Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. His prior work includes roles at Liberty Tax Service, Premier Senior Marketing, Ma3 Insurance, and Wfgia. Transamerica Financial Advisors serves a wide range of clients including individual investors, pension and profit-sharing plans, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and corporations. The firm offers both advisory and broker-dealer services, providing proprietary and third-party model portfolios with discretionary and non-discretionary management options.

Kevin Donahue is a financial advisor at William Blair with a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. He has been with William Blair since 2021 and has prior work experience in healthcare and education sectors. William Blair’s Private Wealth Management division offers discretionary and non-discretionary investment management, financial planning, and wealth services to individuals, foundations, pension, and corporate clients. The firm utilizes an active, research-driven investment approach and provides access to proprietary models, third-party sub-managers, and private fund opportunities.

Brittany Williams is a financial advisor at Mariner with 12 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Mariner since 2019. Prior to that, she was with TIAA-CREF from 2015 to 2019. Mariner serves a diverse range of clients, including individuals, pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations, providing investment management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and coordinated tax services. The firm combines in-house research with third-party manager allocations and offers integrated tax, accounting, and financial wellness solutions alongside traditional portfolio management.