Stephen Falk is a CFP® with 21 years of industry experience, currently serving as an advisor with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC since 2018. He has prior experience at Cetera Advisor Networks and has been a partner and advisor at Westbrooks Financial Services since 2002. Falk holds board positions, including serving as president and board chair of Hillels of North Texas and treasurer for Temple Shalom. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual investors. The firm offers services such as plan design, fiduciary consulting, and employee education, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serving clients that include sovereign wealth funds.

Jennifer Hope is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. She has worked at Kestra Advisory Services and Kestra Investment Services since 2020 and previously held positions at CUSO Financial Services and Amplify Federal Credit Union. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a broad range of institutional and individual clients, offering services such as fiduciary oversight, compliance testing, employee education, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves diverse clients including sovereign wealth funds.

Stuart Smith is a financial advisor at Creative Planning with 21 years of industry experience. He holds the PFS™ designation and Series 65 license. Prior to joining Creative Planning in 2024, he worked at ML & R Wealth Management LLC and Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP. Outside of his advisory role, he is the managing member of A'Moose Bouche, LLC, a real estate holding partnership. Creative Planning provides investment advisory and financial planning services to a diverse client base, including individuals, corporations, foundations, trusts, and retirement plans. The firm emphasizes a financial planning–led investment process with low-cost indexing and buy-and-hold strategies, supplemented by tactical approaches and comprehensive retirement plan services.

Andrew Schwartz III is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors, holding a Series 63 designation and 30 years of industry experience. His prior experience includes roles at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory work, he is a partner for tax matters at Landpoor Ltd. and operates as an independent insurance agent specializing in long-term care and life/accident/health insurance through Hart Financial Group. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a wide range of 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, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers and proprietary research to construct diversified portfolios that include mutual funds, ETFs, alternative investments, and custom indexing.

Steven Maurer is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 35 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials and has previously worked at B. Riley Wealth Management, B. Riley Wealth Advisors, and National Securities Corporation. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as president of Z.Pug.com, Inc., a passthrough S-Corp. Kestra Advisory provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice, supporting a variety of management platforms and serving a diverse client base that includes sovereign wealth funds.

Michelle Bender is a CFP® professional with 26 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory since 2017. She previously worked at INVEST Financial Corp. for seven years. Bender also holds board trustee positions with the Greater Washington Community Foundation and the MDRT Foundation. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, including very large institutional investors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and advisor-managed accounts, supported by due diligence on recommended investments and a variety of management platforms.

Steven Cox is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 21 years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and previously worked for LPL Financial from 2006 to 2023 before joining Kestra in 2023. Cox is the managing member and 50% owner of SHC Financial, LLC, where he oversees financial operations and tax compliance. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors and a wide range of institutional and individual clients. The firm offers fiduciary consulting, plan design and compliance, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions, serving clients that include large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds.

Kelly Apple is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63, 65, and 66 licenses and bringing 23 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Kestra in 2026, Apple worked at BlackRock Investments, LLC for 14 years. Outside of advising, Apple serves as a board member for the Expect Miracles Foundation, participating in governance and fundraising activities. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves a diverse client base that includes large institutional investors.

Mark Hamelmann is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He previously worked at Woodbury Financial Services, Inc. for 25 years and has owned and operated Circle City Wealth Advisors, LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional plan sponsors and individual investors, offering services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves a range of clients, including sovereign wealth funds.

Michael Pedlow is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and having 21 years of industry experience. He has worked at H. Beck, Inc. since 2017 and has been with Kestra Advisory since 2016, with prior experience at Kestra Investment Services, LLC starting in 2010. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a range of institutional and individual clients, offering services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

Aaron Connolly is a financial advisor at &PARTNERS with a Series 66 designation and six years of industry experience. He worked previously at Wells Fargo for four years and Stifel for two years before joining &PARTNERS in 2025. &PARTNERS serves a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plans, charitable organizations, foundations, universities, and sovereign wealth funds. The firm offers both advisory and brokerage services, utilizing a combination of proprietary and third-party strategies across fundamental, technical, and quantitative analyses, along with alternative investment products.

William Johnson Jr. is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding a Series 66 designation and 27 years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at B. Riley Wealth Management, National Securities Corp, and Morgan Stanley, spanning both advisory and private banking capacities. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and advisor-managed accounts. The firm serves a broad client base that includes large institutional investors and sovereign wealth funds, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.

Elizabeth St Paul is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and three years of industry experience. Her work history includes tenure at New York Life and NYLife Securities before joining Empower. She serves as an unpaid member of the State Board of Directors for Texas CASA, a nonprofit focused on mentoring children in the foster care system. 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, using an integrated model tied to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms.

Brian Hart is a financial advisor with PlanMember Securities Corporation in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and seven years of industry experience. He has worked with Inspire Financial Group in various capacities since 2007. Outside of his advisory role, he serves as an elder at the Saginaw Church of Christ. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services to employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach with risk-based mutual fund portfolios and offers education and support services to plan sponsors and participants.

Mireya Jimenez is a financial advisor at PlanMember Securities Corporation with two years of industry experience. She holds Series 65 and Series 63 registrations and has worked at Penwell Treta Wealth Management and as a self-employed agent providing sales and services of Medicare, life, and healthcare insurance. PlanMember Securities Corporation provides retirement-plan advisory services for employers and plan participants, acting as an ERISA Section 3(38) fiduciary for many plans. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation process and manages unitized, risk-based mutual fund portfolios, offering education and support services such as seminars and personalized retirement planning.

Joseph Fishella is a financial advisor at Kestra Advisory with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at Kestra since 2016 and at UBS Financial Services since 2005. Fishella is also president of Bluelake Wealth Advisors, where he manages a book of business and operates the office. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse range of institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms and third-party managed solutions.

Matthew Baldeck is a financial advisor with Hightower Advisors in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 4 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Hightower Securities, Securities America, Arbor Point Advisors, and experience in academic environments at Western Kentucky University and the University of Michigan. Hightower Advisors provides investment advisory and planning services to a diverse client base, including individual and institutional clients such as pension plans, charitable organizations, corporations, and trusts. The firm’s approach emphasizes manager selection and multi-manager solutions, utilizing both affiliated and third-party managers along with proprietary research and portfolio construction strategies.

Kurt Skvarla is a CFP® professional with 15 years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Kestra Advisory Services LLC since 2022. He previously worked at Wells Fargo Advisors for seven years. Skvarla is the sole owner of K2 Wealth Management, LLC, a business focused on investment-related activities. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice. The firm serves large institutional investors and utilizes multiple management platforms and third-party solutions within a supervisory framework.

Hunter Smith is a CFP® with eight years of industry experience, currently affiliated with Kestra Advisory Services, LLC and Kestra Investment Services, LLC since 2023. Prior to joining Kestra, he worked for Securities America Advisors, Securities America, Inc., and LPL Financial LLC. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including plan sponsors, institutions, and individuals. The firm offers services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice, and serves a range of clients from individual investors to sovereign wealth funds.

Svante Rocabado is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and nine years of industry experience. His prior work includes roles at Edward Jones and Kestra Investment Services. Outside of finance, he has worked in various food service positions, including catering and serving at multiple Austin-area establishments. Kestra Advisory is an enterprise firm with over 1,200 advisors, providing financial services to a broad client base.