James Armstrong

Thomas Vaccaro Jr. is a CFP® and registered investment advisor with Briarcliff Manor Wealth Advisors, where he has worked since 2005. He has three years of industry experience and also operates BMWA Notary Services, providing notary services for residential mortgage transactions in New York. Briarcliff Manor Wealth Advisors manages discretionary investment accounts and offers personal financial planning for individuals, small businesses, and trusts, using a combination of fundamental and technical analysis with a focus on tax-aware investing.

Alan Lax is a financial advisor at Ryefield Capital, LLC with 12 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 66 designation and has been associated with Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated since 2011. Ryefield Capital, LLC is an independent registered investment adviser that provides portfolio management and retirement planning services to individuals, professionals, and small businesses. The firm employs a combination of fundamental and technical analysis to pursue capital appreciation and utilizes tactical hedging when appropriate.

Alan Besterman is a financial advisor with FSP Advisors, Inc., holding a Series 66 designation and over 42 years of industry experience. He has been with FSP Advisors since 2017 and is also affiliated with Leigh Baldwin & Co., LLC. Outside of his advisory role, Besterman serves as a certified NRA pistol instructor and has held leadership and bookkeeping roles with the East Chatham Fire Department. FSP Advisors, Inc. is a small team managing approximately $32.6 million across 233 clients, offering portfolio management, modular financial planning, and pension consulting. The firm combines discretionary and non-discretionary management, provides participant education, and maintains third-party adviser referral arrangements.

Meredith Briggs is a CFP® with 13 years of industry experience and has been with Taconic Advisors since 2015. She holds a Series 66 license and works out of Saugerties, NY. Taconic Advisors provides personalized financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals and families, including both high-net-worth and non-high-net-worth clients. The firm emphasizes passive, diversified portfolios tailored to clients’ goals, tax situations, and risk tolerances, and operates on a fee-only, fixed retainer basis.

Kathleen Peer is a financial advisor at SAGE 360 Advisors LLC with 30 years of industry experience. She holds a Series 63 designation and has worked at Peer Law Firm since 2011 while also serving at Sage360 Advisors since 2007. Outside of financial advising, she is an investor in Coalbed Methane Solutions LLC, a company that develops and manufactures down-hole sensor equipment for oil and gas wells. SAGE 360 Advisors serves individual and high-net-worth clients, as well as trusts and estates, managing approximately $21 million for about two dozen households. The firm provides portfolio management and financial planning services, primarily using fundamental analysis and a variety of investment strategies, and maintains a mostly non-discretionary management approach.

John Kelly is a CFP® professional at Taconic Advisors with 12 years of industry experience. Before joining Taconic Advisors in 2017, he worked at Wells Fargo Clearing, Wells Fargo Bank, and Neuberger Berman LLC. Taconic Advisors provides personalized financial planning and investment advisory services to individuals and families, serving both high‑net‑worth and non‑high‑net‑worth clients. The firm emphasizes passive, diversified portfolio strategies tailored to clients’ goals and tax situations and typically acts on a discretionary basis while overseeing an independent sub‑advisor.