Alex Madlener

Richard Kos is a CFA® charterholder and registered investment adviser with five years of industry experience. He is the president of Kos Consultants, an educational institutional consulting and marketing services firm unrelated to securities, which he has operated since 2007. Kos serves as the sole advisor at Sursum Financial LLC, based in Madison, CT. Sursum Financial is a single-advisor independent firm providing discretionary and non-discretionary asset management, financial planning, and consulting to individuals, high-net-worth clients, trusts, estates, business owners, family offices, and select institutional and charitable organizations. The firm combines proprietary and third-party research, typically favoring a longer-term buy-and-hold approach while allowing tactical adjustments, and offers performance-based fee arrangements to qualified clients.

Clifford Straub is a CFP® and holds a Series 66 license with 19 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Lifestyle Financial Strategies, LLC and has been with the firm as well as WRP Investments Inc since 2006. Straub serves as a trustee for the Middletown Rotary Club Scholarship Trust and has been a member of the Middlesex United Way Board of Directors since 2005, participating on its executive, finance, and investment committees. Lifestyle Financial Strategies provides holistic financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals, families, and not-for-profit organizations. The firm employs a disciplined asset allocation approach emphasizing global diversification and risk management, primarily offering non-discretionary advisory relationships without accepting commissions or custody of client assets.

Laura Simon is a financial advisor with Capital Trust and Associates LLC in Woodbridge, CT, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and 21 years of industry experience. She has been with Capital Trust and Associates since 2013. Outside of her advisory role, she is an independent insurance agent licensed to sell long-term care insurance in Connecticut. Capital Trust and Associates serves individual, high-net-worth, pension plan, and corporate clients with portfolio management, wealth management, and financial planning services. The firm emphasizes written Investment Policy Statements, diversified asset allocation, and a combination of fundamental and technical analysis, utilizing SEI platform models and third-party managers to tailor portfolios.

Donato Rosales is a financial advisor at Rosales Wealth Group LLC with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has previously worked at LPL Enterprise, Prudential Financial Planning Services, Pruco Securities, People's United Bank, and Thomaston Savings Bank. Outside of his advisory role, he is also a licensed insurance agent involved with the Connecticut Health Enrollment Center Co. Rosales Wealth Group is a state-registered investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management, wealth management, and financial planning services. The firm’s investment approach emphasizes long-term strategies using diversified, low-cost mutual funds and ETFs, supplemented by individual equities and tactical trades, and includes oversight of unaffiliated independent managers.

Peter Kihara is a financial advisor at Fortress Financial Management with a Series 65 designation and no prior industry experience. He has worked at Fortress Accounting since 2020 and at Security Acquisition Partners since 2007. He is also a 50% owner of an affiliated accounting practice. Fortress Financial Management provides discretionary investment management and project-based financial planning to individuals, small business owners, and small-business retirement plans. The firm uses a proprietary fundamental-analysis methodology and a tax-aware, long-term buy-and-hold approach, typically exercising full discretionary authority and conducting formal portfolio reviews quarterly.