Michael Milbee is a CFP® with 19 years of experience in financial services. He is currently with Kestra Advisory and Kestra Investment Services, LLC and previously worked at Define Wealth Financial Group, LLC and LPL Financial, LLC. Milbee has also served as president of Define Wealth Financial Group and has involvement in community organizations such as the Hartsville Boys & Girls Club. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to institutional and individual clients, offering services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice supported by due diligence. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves a broad range of clients, including large institutional investors.

James Lynch is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 31 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Kestra Advisory in 2026, he worked at JCL Financial Group, LLC and Commonwealth Financial Network for 17 years. Lynch serves as President of the St. Martin of Tours Finance Council, where he participates in budget reviews and endowment oversight. 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 fiduciary consulting, plan design, employee education, and access to multiple management platforms, serving clients ranging from plan sponsors to sovereign wealth funds.

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 at Kestra Advisory with 27 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has worked at Kestra Advisory Services, Kestra Investment Services, CUSO Financial Services, and Amplify Federal Credit Union. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a wide range of institutional and individual clients, including plan sponsors, with services that include fiduciary consulting, plan design, and employee education. The firm manages approximately $79.8 billion in assets and serves large institutional investors such as 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 six years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Wells Fargo and Stifel. &PARTNERS serves a diverse range of individual and institutional clients, offering investment management, financial and tax planning, and retirement-plan consulting through both discretionary and non-discretionary approaches. The firm employs a combination of fundamental, technical, and quantitative analysis and provides services under dual registration as a registered investment adviser and broker-dealer.

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 registrations and eight years of industry experience. He has worked with Inspire Financial Group and US Retirement & Benefits Partners DBA Inspire Financial Group since 2018. Outside of his advisory role, Hart serves as an elder of 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 and offering participant-level investment options through asset allocation portfolios. The firm employs a top-down strategic asset allocation approach and manages risk-based mutual fund portfolios, supported by education and support services for 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 with Kestra Advisory in Austin, TX, holding Series 63 and Series 65 designations and with 30 years of industry experience. His prior work history includes positions at Morgan Stanley DW Inc. and UBS Financial Services. Fishella serves as president of Bluelake Wealth Advisors, Inc., a DBA under Kestra providing investment advisory and insurance services. Kestra Advisory Services offers investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base, including institutional and individual clients. The firm provides a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design and compliance testing, and investment advice, supporting investments through due diligence and managing assets for large institutional investors, including sovereign wealth funds.

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 16 years of industry experience. He is currently with Kestra Advisory Services LLC and Kestra Investment Services LLC and has prior experience at Wells Fargo Advisors and UBS Financial Services. Outside of his primary advisory roles, he is the sole owner of K2 Wealth Management, LLC, an independent practice based in Gibsonia, PA. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to a diverse client base including plan sponsors, institutional investors, and individuals. The firm offers a range of services such as fiduciary consulting, plan design, and discretionary trading within a supervisory framework, managing approximately $79.8 billion in assets.