Top advisors focused on liquidity event planning in Virginia

Kristin Manna is a financial advisor with Primerica Advisors and holds a Series 66 designation. She has one year of industry experience, including roles at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Consolidated Planning Holdings, Inc. Prior to entering the financial industry, she worked in education for eight years. Outside of advising, Kristin is an author and publisher of a basketball coaching notebook and works as a math tutor for high school students. Park Avenue Securities serves a broad retail client base with a range of brokerage and advisory services, utilizing proprietary and third-party investment strategies across various account types and investment vehicles.

Amanda Quicke is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors with 18 years of industry experience. She has worked at various Wells Fargo entities since 2009. Amanda is a Series 66 license holder and has partial ownership in an investment-related business, Granite Wealth Management, LLC. Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network serves individuals, trusts, and institutional clients by providing investment and fee-based financial planning services. The firm offers a broad range of planning options using proprietary research and tools, with services tailored to clients who meet specific net-worth criteria.

James Comer is the sole advisor at Valley Investors Corporation in Roanoke, VA, where he has worked since 1995. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 30 years of industry experience. Valley Investors Corporation provides investment advisory and portfolio management services primarily to individual clients, managing approximately $2.6 million in assets for 11 clients. The firm operates under a solo practitioner model, emphasizing direct advisor involvement in account management and review.

Charles Steele is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license, with 20 years of experience in the financial industry. He has worked at Kestra Advisory, Kestra Investment Services, and Cambridge Investment Research prior to founding Steele Advisory LLC. Steele is also a licensed insurance agent, spending a limited amount of time on insurance sales and implementation. Steele Financial Studios provides discretionary investment management, comprehensive financial planning, and retirement plan advisory services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, businesses, and plan sponsors. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and a long-term investment approach, incorporating low-cost mutual funds, ETFs, individual securities, and unaffiliated independent managers, with a notable focus on pension and retirement plan consulting.

John Jones II is a financial advisor at Merrill with 18 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 designations and has worked at both Merrill and Bank of America, N.A. since 2015 in Richmond, VA. Merrill serves a wide range of clients, including individuals, retirement plans, corporations, and institutional investors, offering managed account programs, discretionary portfolio management, and brokerage execution services. The firm integrates closely with Bank of America affiliates and emphasizes manager selection, tax-focused investment strategies, and a variety of portfolio management options.

Andrew Grombala is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. He specializes in serving corporate executives and high-earning professionals with complex compensation structures, including equity awards. Andrew works closely with clients to understand their personal and financial goals and helps them pursue lasting financial success. Since entering the industry in 2017, Andrew has built experience in guiding clients through liquidity events, tax-efficient strategies, and long-term planning aligned with their personal and professional objectives. His expertise includes managing restricted stock units, stock options, employee stock purchase plans, deferred compensation, and performance awards. He emphasizes reducing tax drag, managing concentration risk, and aligning equity compensation with goals-based wealth strategies through a structured, plan-first approach. Andrew holds FINRA Series 7 and Series 66 registrations and is licensed in Accident & Health, Life, and Variable Insurance. He earned a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, where he participated in football and lacrosse. He resides in Anderson Township with his wife and two children. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, spending time at the family lake house, and staying active through CrossFit.

Eric Bravo is a CFP® professional with 18 years of industry experience, currently serving as a financial advisor at Edward Jones since 2007. He is based in Santa Maria, CA. Edward Jones is a full-service wealth management firm serving over four million individual and institutional clients, offering a range of advisory programs and investment strategies supported by a large nationwide network of advisors and branch offices.

Perrin Berry is a financial advisor at Apollon Wealth Management, LLC with two years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 license and has worked at Apollon Wealth Management since 2022. His prior roles include positions at Crisp Event Rentals, Modern Woodmen, and the Secretary of State’s Office. Apollon Wealth Management serves a diverse client base including individuals, high-net-worth clients, families, trusts, businesses, and charitable organizations. The firm offers comprehensive advisory services and combines centralized investment strategies with local portfolio oversight, integrating both fundamental and tactical approaches alongside tax-aware tools.

James Van Nice is a Benefits & Planning Consultant specializing in Executive Services. In this role, he partners with executives to help them understand their employer benefits and develop plans to work towards their financial goals. James has professional experience as an Investment Solutions Representative III at Fidelity Investments from 2023 to 2025 and as an Investment Solutions Representative II at Fidelity Investments from 2022 to 2023. Prior to that, he worked at Merrill Lynch as an Investment Solutions Representative I from 2021 to 2022 and as a Financial Advisor from 2018 to 2019. Outside of his professional work, James engages in fishing, fitness, golf, running, and volunteering.

Skylar Simpson is a Series 65-licensed advisor at Meridian Wealth Management with one year of industry experience. Prior to joining Meridian, Skylar worked for two years at Bonaventure and spent ten years at KS & S Design, LLC. Meridian Wealth Management serves individuals, high-net-worth clients, and institutional entities, offering investment management, financial planning, consulting, and pension services. The firm emphasizes diversified asset allocation using ETFs, mutual funds, and individual securities, with a small team structure that supports a concentrated client servicing model.