Thomas Clayton

Colbie Dwiggins is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor at Credit Union Investment Services with two years of industry experience. She has held roles at Members Trust Company, SECU Brokerage Services, SECU Life Insurance Company, and State Employees' Credit Union. Outside of advising, she serves as a life insurance agent and trust representative within affiliated organizations. Credit Union Investment Services serves primarily individual investors in North Carolina, offering non-discretionary portfolio management and financial planning with a focus on low-cost, index-based mutual funds and ETFs. The firm operates as a salaried employee model under State Employees’ Credit Union and emphasizes client decision-making in investment implementation.

Elizabeth Waters is a CFP® professional with 17 years of industry experience. She is currently with Farther and has previously worked at Commonwealth Financial Network and operated Stable Waters Financial. Waters is also an independent insurance agent. Farther serves individual investors, trusts, and estates through a technology-driven advisory platform, offering discretionary investment management, retirement plan consulting, and non-discretionary recommendations for private investment funds. The firm employs a Modern Portfolio Theory-based approach using bespoke and algorithmic model portfolios with automatic rebalancing.

Wendolyn Forbes is a CFP® professional with 17 years of experience in the financial services industry. She is currently with Advisory Services Network and has previously worked at Bank of America, Merrill, and Wells Fargo. Outside of her advisory role, she is an author of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry, and serves on multiple nonprofit boards including Working Wheels, Haywood Chamber of Commerce, Haywood Vocational Opportunities, Haywood Community College Foundation, and Lake Logan Retreat Center. She also leads indoor cycling classes. Advisory Services Network serves individuals, families, corporations, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans through a network of independent Investment Adviser Representatives. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and investment consulting using a variety of strategies across asset classes, managing approximately $8.6 billion in client assets.

Jack Bishop III is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. He is currently affiliated with Commonwealth Financial Network and operates Bishop Financial Group, LLC. Prior to his current roles, he spent 10 years with Edward Jones. Commonwealth Financial Network is a registered investment adviser serving a national network of approximately 2,950 advisors. The firm provides a range of advisory programs and support services, including discretionary model portfolios managed by its Investment Management and Research team, and offers various program structures tailored to advisors’ client needs.

Sebastien Gruaz is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors, holding a Series 66 designation and two years of industry experience. Prior to his current role, he worked in various healthcare-related positions including at United Surgical Partners International and MD Anderson Cancer Center. He is also appointed as an agent to sell non-securities insurance products for AGIA. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet UMA models for portfolio construction and management.

Michael Wiercinski is a financial advisor with Kestra Advisory, holding a Series 66 designation and bringing 18 years of industry experience. Prior to joining Kestra Advisory in 2019, he worked at Wells Fargo Advisors and Wells Fargo Clearing from 2010 to 2019. He serves as president of Mountain Rock Wealth Management and is a member of the Parish Finance Council at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Kestra Advisory Services provides investment advisory and retirement-plan consulting to plan sponsors, institutional, and individual clients, offering a range of services including fiduciary consulting, plan design, and investment advice with access to multiple management platforms and third-party solutions.