Akanni Jones is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and 18 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Next Financial Group, Inc. and TIAA-CREF. Based in Houston, TX, he has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2023. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Dana Smith is a financial advisor at Valic Financial Advisors with 11 years of industry experience. She holds the CFP® designation and a Series 66 license. Dana has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 2015 and has additional experience with AGIA since 2022. Outside of finance, she is involved in affiliate marketing focused on beauty products such as skincare and makeup, creating and sharing product-related content on social media. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management and financial planning services via a large network of advisors, implementing discretionary unified managed accounts with a reliance on centralized technology and model solutions.

Renee Lander Ruff is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Fresno, Texas, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 20 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at Wells Fargo Advisors, Wachovia Bank, and GWFS Equities. She is also a notary public signing agent for the State of Texas under her own business, RLR Interests. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to Empower Premier IRA and retail brokerage clients, delivering services integrated with Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Maxwell Mims is a financial advisor at Rockefeller Financial LLC holding a Series 66 designation. He has one year of industry experience and previously worked at the University of Texas at Arlington and Southwestern University. Rockefeller Financial LLC serves high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, families, family offices, institutional clients, and corporations. The firm provides discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting, and operates as a registered broker-dealer offering securities transactions, variable insurance products, and investment banking services.

William Hill is a CFP®, CFA®-designated financial advisor with 19 years of industry experience, currently with Hightower Advisors. He has worked at several firms including Salient Private Client, Salient Capital, and Salient Partners. Hill serves as chair of the board of trustees for River Oaks Baptist School Endowment, where he helps oversee investment decisions for the school’s funds. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to individual and institutional clients, offering discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, retirement plan consulting, and access to various pooled investment vehicles. The firm employs a multi-manager approach utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers and incorporates proprietary research and custom portfolio construction.

Israel Cruz Gonzalez is a CFP® professional with experience at Mercer Global Advisors, Inc., Westwood Wealth Management, and Wealth Development Strategies LLC. He is based in Houston, TX, and has been active in the financial services industry since 2018. Mercer Global Advisors serves individuals, families, small business owners, plan sponsors, foundations, non-profits, and endowments, offering a range of advisory and planning services. The firm follows an investment approach based on Modern Portfolio Theory, emphasizing globally diversified, risk-appropriate portfolios implemented through various strategies including low-cost ETFs and direct indexing.

Rachel Romero is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience. She currently works at Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC and Wealth Enhancement Group, having previously been with The Financial Advisory Group, Inc. from 2018 to 2024. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services, LLC is an SEC-registered enterprise advisory firm serving individuals, trusts, charitable organizations, corporations, and retirement plans through a network of hundreds of advisors. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and specialized retirement plan consulting, employing a strategic investment approach that combines passive and active management guided by an internal Investment Committee.

Robert Walsh is a financial advisor at Oppenheimer with 45 years of industry experience. He has been with Fahnestock & Co. Inc. since 2003. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations. Oppenheimer is a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer serving individuals, corporations, pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, pooled investment vehicles, and IRAs. The firm offers a broad range of programs and advisory services across equity, balanced, and fixed-income portfolios, delivered on both discretionary and non-discretionary bases.

Jason Caras is a financial advisor with Truist Advisory Services in Houston, TX, holding Series 65 and Series 63 licenses and five years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Westwood Wealth Management, Bank of America, and Frank Law Firm. Truist Advisory Services provides investment consulting and advisory services to individuals, corporate clients, retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines discretionary manager relationships and non-discretionary consulting, supported by AI-enabled tools and inter-affiliate integration, to deliver asset allocation, investment policy analysis, and fiduciary support.

Karly Hughes is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX. She holds a Series 66 designation and joined the firm in 2025. Prior to her current role, Hughes worked in various positions primarily within dental and medical-related organizations. She is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Jeremy Joaquin is a financial advisor with VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. and holds a Series 66 designation. He has 20 years of industry experience and has been with VOYA since 2014. Outside of advisory work, he is a commissioned Notary Public. VOYA Financial Advisors serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering financial planning, portfolio management, and retirement-plan consulting through multiple program structures. The firm operates both as an SEC-registered investment adviser and a broker-dealer, providing services primarily on a recommendation basis with non-discretionary arrangements.

Victoria Cooper is a financial advisor with Guardian Life in Houston, TX, holding Series 65 and Series 63 credentials and eight years of industry experience. She previously worked at Centric Advisors, LLC and StoneTurn Group, LLP. Outside of her advisory role, Cooper serves as Budget Chair for the Junior League of The Woodlands and provides consulting for divorce financial analysis through New Path Financials LLC. Guardian Life’s subsidiary, Park Avenue Securities LLC, offers brokerage services, financial planning, retirement consulting, and investment advisory programs to individuals, pension plans, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm employs both discretionary and non-discretionary advisory models and provides tailored financial services including subscription planning and ERISA 3(38) plan management.

Joseph Anderson is a CFA® charterholder and holds a Series 66 license with 11 years of industry experience. He has worked at Citigroup Global Markets since 2018 and previously held positions at The Monroe Vos Consulting Group, Mv Securities Group, and Insperity. Based in Houston, TX, Anderson serves clients through Citigroup Global Markets, an enterprise firm with over 2,400 advisors. Citigroup Global Markets serves individual and institutional clients across multiple wealth segments, offering a broad range of investment advisory programs along with execution and custody services. The firm employs multi-asset, multi-manager strategies and combines large institutional scale with specialized market roles, including derivatives and futures services.

Dr. Michelle Lloyd is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors based in Houston, TX, holding Series 66 and Series 63 licenses and 18 years of industry experience. She founded Lloyd Learning Labs, a coaching service that supports parents with anxiety related to their teens transitioning out of the home. Dr. Lloyd also serves as an agent for non-securities insurance products with Agia. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth clients, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm provides portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors and employs discretionary unified managed accounts using Envestnet’s platform and model managers.

Jitendra Worah is a financial advisor with Transamerica Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 22 years of industry experience. He has worked with firms including WealthWave and S&B Engineers and Constructors Ltd. Outside of advisory work, he serves as an election official for Harris County and is a board member of the Harris County Municipal Utility District #118. Transamerica Financial Advisors provides investment advisory, brokerage, and retirement-plan services to a diverse client base that includes individuals, employer-sponsored plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm utilizes model portfolios and third-party managers to implement its advisory strategies and operates an integrated retirement plan ecosystem through affiliated entities.

Dennis Lambert is a financial advisor with Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 46 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Purshe Kaplan Sterling, RBC Capital Markets, Morgan Stanley Private Bank, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, and UBS Financial Services. Outside of advisory work, he serves as Treasurer and board member of the Texas Ranger Association Foundation and is President of Caballo Rojo Ranch, LLC, a livestock advertising and publication business. Concurrent Investment Advisors, LLC is a multi-team SEC-registered advisory firm that serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, estates, businesses, and retirement plans. The firm focuses on customized, primarily long-term portfolios using ETFs, mutual funds, and other investments, supported by internal due diligence, strategic asset allocation, and integrated operational tools.

Mary Gunn is a financial advisor with Commonwealth Financial Network, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 10 years of industry experience. She has worked at Commonwealth Financial Network since 2015 and has been associated with Selah Financial Services since 2014. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors and their retail and institutional clients. The firm offers a variety of advisory programs and services, including discretionary model portfolios and personalized investment solutions, while providing operational and practice-management support to affiliated advisors.

Keista Ransom is a financial advisor at VOYA Financial Advisors, Inc. based in Houston, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 22 years of industry experience. She has been with VOYA Financial Advisors since 2015. Outside of advising, she is involved in the sale and service of Voya's Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) product. VOYA Financial Advisors serves individual and institutional clients, including retirement plan sponsors, charities, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals. The firm offers financial planning, portfolio management, and consulting through multiple program structures, emphasizing non-discretionary, recommendation-based client relationships.

Vianne Dorak is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, holding a Series 66 designation and one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Valic, she held positions in the insurance and hospitality industries and has served as an agent selling non-securities insurance products. She also has a background that includes roles in education. Valic Financial Advisors serves primarily U.S. individuals, including high net worth clients and employer-sponsored retirement participants, offering portfolio management and financial planning services through a large network of advisors. The firm utilizes discretionary unified managed accounts and technology-driven model solutions to manage assets on a significant scale.

Marissa Kerns is a financial advisor at VALIC Financial Advisors in Houston, TX, with 20 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 2005. In addition to her advisory role, she is an agent with Agia, where she is involved in non-securities insurance products. VALIC Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, consulting, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.