Samuel Mikel is a financial advisor with Empower Advisory Group holding Series 66 and Series 63 designations and three years of industry experience. He previously worked at Thrivent Investment Management Inc and has a background that includes roles outside finance. He serves as an elected trustee for the Village of Rossville, IL, a position he holds alongside his advisory work. Empower Advisory Group provides financial planning and investment management services primarily to employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, as well as to certain retail clients. The firm’s approach blends proprietary and third-party methodologies focused on long-term portfolio returns and annual rebalancing, delivered through an integrated platform connected to Empower’s recordkeeping and brokerage operations.

Lance Raver is a Series 63 licensed financial advisor with Edward Jones, based in Hoopeston, Illinois. He has 27 years of industry experience and has been with Edward Jones since 1998. Outside of his advisory role, he is an investor in the restaurant business through BEST SAMMICH EVER LLC and participates in venture capital funds including Serra Ventures II and III. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving more than four million individual and institutional clients. The firm offers a range of advisory strategies and affiliated investment products, operating under a fiduciary standard and supporting its extensive network of over 23,700 advisors and 15,000 branch offices.

Charles Cook is a financial advisor with Mass Mutual Investors Services and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. He has 31 years of industry experience, having worked at MetLife Securities Inc. and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company since 1994, and joined Mass Mutual Investors Services in 2017. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved in raising and showing beef cattle. Mass Mutual Investors Services is a broker-dealer and SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, business owners, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employers. The firm offers financial planning, asset management, and educational programs, focusing on collaborative annual planning relationships using firm-approved analytical tools.