Johnny De Forest Jr. serves as a Senior Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Houston. Since joining Merrill in 2019, he focuses on educating and assisting clients to reach their personal and financial goals through tailored wealth management plans. His approach involves listening to the objectives and expectations of individuals and families and collaborating with his team to design strategies that aim to convert these goals into realities. De Forest specializes in areas such as corporate benefits, executive services, divorce transition planning, education planning, retirement income, and family wealth management strategies. He provides guidance for managing concentrated stock positions and addressing significant life events like retirement, inheritance, or business sales. Additionally, he facilitates access to services from Bank of America Private Bank and works alongside clients' legal and accounting advisors to coordinate comprehensive financial and legacy planning. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a specialization in personal financial planning from the University of Houston, where he was president of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter. De Forest maintains professional designations including CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER (CFP), Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor (CRPC), Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS), and Personal Investment Advisor (PIA). Born and raised in Houston, he is a sports fan of local teams and enjoys spending time with family and friends, including his fiancé and their two sons.

Kathleen Gain is a financial advisor at Merrill with 36 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with Merrill since 1992. Merrill, together with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program for Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations.

Donald Quintero is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His career includes roles at Primerica Advisors, PFS Investments Inc., Hilcorp Energy Company, and Fieldwood Energy. He is involved in sales of investment-related products and also receives compensation for referrals related to home security and automation through affiliated companies. Primerica Advisors manages a wrap-fee asset management program serving individual, corporate, and charitable clients, utilizing model-driven strategies managed by unaffiliated asset managers and supported by custodial and trade execution services through Pershing and BNY Mellon Advisors.

Roy Salas is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in Kemah, TX, holding the ChFC® designation and Series 66 license. He has 12 years of industry experience, all with Edward Jones since 2014. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with Statoil Texas Onshore Properties LLC, related to oil and gas royalties. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory programs and investment strategies, supported by a nationwide network of more than 23,700 advisors and over $1 trillion in assets under management.

Joseph Olivares is a Series 66-credentialed financial advisor with seven years of industry experience. He currently works at J.P. Morgan Securities, having previously held roles at Bank of America, Merrill, and Scope Management. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm incorporates both quantitative and qualitative research in its advisory process and offers specialized capabilities in derivatives and commodities.

Howard Williams Jr. is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 credentials and 22 years of industry experience. He has worked at Wells Fargo Bank and Wells Fargo Clearing Services since 2018 and previously held roles at Salient Capital, L.P., Salient Capital Advisors, LLC, and Salient Partners, L.P. between 2016 and 2017. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm offering investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting to individual, corporate, and institutional clients. The firm employs over 14,000 advisors and manages approximately $671 billion in assets, providing both brokerage and advisory solutions supported by research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources.

Kelly Wilson is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and possessing 16 years of industry experience. Her career includes roles at Primerica Financial Services and DCJ Transport, among others. Outside of her advisory work, she has maintained a personal connection to health products through Shaklee Corporation, though she has not actively used these products since 2013. Primerica Advisors offers discretionary asset management through its Lifetime Investment Program, serving individual and high-net-worth clients with model-delivery strategies and separately managed account options under a wrap-fee structure. The firm curates third-party asset managers and delegates trading responsibilities to BNY Mellon Advisors, focusing on a tiered percentage-based fee model.

Frances Lummis is a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 credentials with 11 years of industry experience. She has worked at J.P. Morgan Chase Bank NA and J.P. Morgan Securities since 2015. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients, focusing on written asset allocation advice, investment manager and fund searches, and customized performance reporting within a non-discretionary program. Their advisory process combines quantitative and qualitative research and incorporates an ESG eligibility framework in model asset allocations.

Ryan Casey is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has been with Merrill since 2007. Casey serves as a consultant for the Investment and Wealth Institute, assisting in formulating and reviewing exam questions for the CIMA certification. Merrill, along with its affiliate Managed Account Advisors LLC, provides managed account services through the Select Portfolio Solutions Program for Bank of America fiduciary clients. The firm offers model-based and discretionary investment strategies for individuals, high-net-worth clients, pension plans, and charitable organizations.

James Calcagno is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at J.P. Morgan Securities since 2014, with additional experience at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Outside of his advisory roles, Calcagno spent three years with the Texas Association of Sports Officials. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients. Their advisory program offers written asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting, supported by centralized due diligence and a combination of quantitative and qualitative research.

Diana Cortez is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing with six years of industry experience. She holds the Series 66 designation and has worked at Wells Fargo Bank, NA since 2014. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Clearing, she was associated with Pandora by Reeds in 2018. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm manages approximately $671 billion in assets and offers both brokerage and advisory solutions.

William Leven is a Private Wealth Advisor with Merrill Private Wealth Management, specializing in serving ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Since 1992, he has focused on developing comprehensive financial strategies including preparation for business sales, income stream building, and long-term intergenerational wealth planning. His practice also offers access to credit and lending services through Bank of America, addressing a wide spectrum of client needs. William holds a B.S. in Political Science from Rice University and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He carries the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) credential. Over his career, he has been named multiple times to Barron's "Top 1,200 Financial Advisors" list, Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors," and the Financial Times "Top 400 Financial Advisers" list. Outside of his professional work, William has been involved with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston, serving as its Chair and participating on the executive committee. He enjoys basketball, hiking, and reading about history in his spare time.

Victor Cisneros is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and having seven years of industry experience. He has been with Wells Fargo Clearing since 2018 and has worked at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. since 2014. Wells Fargo Clearing provides retirement plan consulting services to qualified ERISA plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans, offering both discretionary and non-discretionary investment advisory solutions. The firm’s IPS-driven approach incorporates modern portfolio theory and includes a broader set of financial product offerings, such as insurance-related vehicles and bank deposit sweep options.

Eric Aldape is a financial advisor with Wells Fargo Clearing in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 13 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2026, he worked at JP Morgan Securities and JP Morgan Chase Bank from 2014 to 2026, as well as at Frost Investment Services and Frost Brokerage Service from 2019 to 2020. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines research from the Wells Fargo Investment Institute and third-party sources to evaluate investment options using diversification and modern portfolio theory principles.

Jeremiah Hartley is a Series 66 licensed financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities with 20 years of industry experience. He has been with J.P. Morgan Securities and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. since 2016 and previously worked at Ameriprise from 2005 to 2008. J.P. Morgan Securities provides institutional consulting services to plan sponsors, corporations, endowments, and other institutional clients through a non-discretionary program focused on asset allocation advice, investment manager searches, and customized performance reporting. The firm combines quantitative and qualitative research to build model asset allocations and incorporates an ESG eligibility framework in its recommendations.

Zachary Graves is a CFP® and ChFC® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Edward Jones in Houston, TX. He has worked at Edward Jones since 2017, with a brief employment gap in 2018-2019. Outside of his advisory role, he is a member of Maybry Enterprises LLC, a family-owned entity holding farmland. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment solutions supported by a large network of financial advisors and branch offices nationwide.

Ruben Galvan is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Clearing in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has experience across several firms, including Bank of America and Comerica, with a career spanning roles in both banking and financial services since 2019. Wells Fargo Advisors is a national securities firm serving individual, corporate, and institutional clients with investment advisory services, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting. The firm combines research from Wells Fargo Investment Institute with third-party analytics to support client portfolios and offers a broad range of brokerage and advisory solutions.

Whitney Randolph is a financial advisor with UBS Financial Services in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and offering 21 years of industry experience. Prior to joining UBS in 2010, Whitney worked at Merrill and Banc of America Investment Services. Whitney also serves as a trustee and treasurer for the Rockwell Fund, a charitable foundation, where responsibilities include reviewing grant proposals and acting as an authorized signer under specific circumstances. UBS Financial Services serves individual, corporate, and institutional clients with a range of brokerage and investment advisory offerings, combining institutional trading capabilities with wealth management services. The firm uses proprietary research and model-based asset allocations to tailor financial plans aligned with clients’ goals and risk tolerances.

Holly Nichols is a CFP® with 38 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley in New Orleans, LA. She has worked at Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney LLC since 2019, following a 13-year tenure at J.P. Morgan Securities Inc. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management is a large SEC-registered investment adviser and broker-dealer providing a broad range of advisory programs to individuals and institutional clients, including customized financial planning supported by firm-approved tools and modeling techniques.

Thomas Carouthers is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with LPL Financial who has 25 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Merrill for seven years before joining LPL Financial in 2009. Outside of his advisory role, he holds a minority ownership stake in a private company called Arena Power. LPL Financial is a national broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, retirement plan participants, banks, trust companies, and institutions. The firm offers a broad range of advisory and brokerage services, including financial planning, model portfolio programs, third-party asset management, and institutional platforms.