Raymond Gazelle is a CFP® professional with 18 years of experience, operating independently through his firm, Raymond L. Gazelle Jr., since 2005. His practice includes consulting services to small banks on internal operations and data processing, reflecting a background in bank operations. The firm offers comprehensive financial and investment planning services to individuals as well as corporate and nonprofit organizations, often collaborating with clients’ financial officers or committees. It employs a long-term, strategic portfolio allocation approach focused on asset allocation, diversification, and selection of mutual funds and ETFs, providing advice on a consultative, non-discretionary basis without managing client assets.

Kathleen McQuade is a Certified Financial Planner® with three years of industry experience, operating as the sole advisor at her independent firm in Laurel, MD. She has been managing her practice since 2010 and holds a Series 65 license. Her firm provides fee-only financial planning and consulting services to individual clients, focusing on investment, retirement, insurance, education, and estate planning. The practice employs a long-term, buy-and-hold investment approach, primarily recommending no-load, low-cost, tax-efficient mutual funds with asset allocation as the key factor in portfolio returns.

Katrina Riddick is the President and CEO of People First Financial Advisors, with 30 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and has previously worked at Percival Financial Partners, Ltd and Backstrom Mccarley Berry & Co., LLC. In addition to her role at People First, she serves as President and CEO of FAIM Group Strategic Solutions Center, LLC, where she consults for small and start-up minority-owned businesses. People First Financial Advisors specializes in municipal financial advisory services for government and quasi-government bond issuers, including structuring public debt transactions and assisting with broker-dealer selection. The firm provides non-discretionary advice focused on municipal advisory work and is developing capabilities in traditional investment advisory and pension consulting.

Robert Clark is a CFP® professional with 25 years of experience in financial advising. He has been the principal at Clark Company since 2017 and previously worked at National Planning Corporation for 12 years. In addition to his advisory work, Clark provides income tax preparation and fixed insurance services for clients. Clark Company offers asset and portfolio management, comprehensive wealth planning, and tax preparation for individuals, trusts, businesses, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm employs customized investment strategies and generally operates on a primarily non-discretionary basis, combining investment advisory services with insurance and tax services.

Christopher Oland is a financial advisor with Harmony Wealth Advisors, LLC in Edgewater, MD, holding Series 65 and Series 66 licenses and bringing eight years of industry experience. He has worked with Harmony Group, Inc. and Harmony Wealth Advisors since 2015. Outside of advising, he is a passive owner of a restaurant in Annapolis, MD, and serves as President of Southern Maryland Little League. Harmony Wealth Advisors, LLC serves a small client base including individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm provides ongoing portfolio management and financial planning using individualized Investment Policy Statements and a long-term investment approach based on fundamental and cyclical analysis and modern portfolio theory.

Jacolyn Wetmore is a financial advisor at JWC Capital Management, LLC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses with 15 years of industry experience. Her prior roles include positions at United Income, Inc., Calvert Investment Counsel, and PBMares Wealth Management, LLC. She has been with JWC Capital Management since 2020. JWC Capital Management is an independent, state-registered, fee-based adviser providing tailored portfolio management to individuals, qualified retirement plans, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations. The firm emphasizes fundamental analysis and manager-level evaluation, primarily recommending exchange-traded funds, no-load mutual funds, and corporate debt, and manages a small client roster with high assets per client.

My path to founding a wealth management firm is different than most. As a child, my dream was to become a fighter pilot. After graduating from the United States Naval Academy with a degree in Aerospace Engineering, I achieved that goal, serving on active duty for a decade. I flew the F-18E Super Hornet from aircraft carriers and deployed multiple times to the Western Pacific. After those deployments, the Navy sent me to UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School to study finance, followed by the privilege of teaching undergraduate economics at my alma mater. After transitioning from active duty, I applied the skills I honed in the cockpit and classroom—leadership, effective communication, process improvement, and strategic decision-making—to multiple entrepreneurial ventures. My career as a financial planner is a natural extension of my passion for solving problems and serving others. With a background in engineering, military flight operations, top-tier business education, and collegiate economics instruction, I bring a unique perspective to wealth management: * Tenacity – Giving up is never an option. Just as a fighter pilot must persist in the air, I am relentless in helping my clients succeed. * Calm Under Pressure – I have a proven ability to think clearly in high-stakes situations, whether in the military or financial markets. I will not panic when volatility arises. * Candor – In aviation and life, speaking up is critical when the stakes are high. I will always provide honest advice, even when it’s uncomfortable. Living near Annapolis, Maryland, I cherish time with my family and enjoy Navy football, traveling, boating, and improving my golf game. I also continue to serve as a member of the U.S. Navy Reserves. Ventus Wealth Management — After a decade in the workforce, I became increasingly frustrated by the lack of financial services that truly met my needs. I couldn’t find a firm or advisor that offered the right combination of: ☑️A transparent fee and incentive structure ☑️ A flexible, client-focused service model ☑️ Modern technology solutions ☑️ Virtual meeting capabilities ☑️ Expertise tailored to my specific situation Recognizing this gap, I launched Ventus Wealth Management to address these shortcomings. Everything we do is designed with our clients in mind. Every element of our service and business model is intentionally crafted to deliver value and provide solutions that meet your needs.

Jeff Mitchell is the principal of JRM Capital Management Inc., an independent advisory firm based in Mitchellville, MD. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 27 years of industry experience. Prior to founding JRM Capital Management in 2003, he has been associated with Lifemark Securities Corp. since 2009. JRM Capital Management provides investment advisory and financial planning services to individual and institutional clients, including pension plans, trusts, and charitable organizations. The firm employs both fundamental and quantitative analysis to manage portfolios across various asset classes and offers specialized pension consulting services alongside unique engagement models such as performance-based fees and subscription publications.

William Tilghman is the sole advisor at Tilghman Wealth Management, LLC in Arnold, MD. He holds a Series 65 designation and has four years of industry experience, including time at Markin Asset Management, LP. Prior to his financial career, he worked in several roles including at Annapolis Yacht Sales and Compass Languages. Tilghman Wealth Management offers personalized financial planning and investment management to individuals, families, trusts, estates, and family-owned businesses. The firm employs a fee-only advisory model and utilizes tailored investment strategies that include individual securities, mutual funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts with risk management techniques such as dynamic asset allocation and the use of derivatives.

Christopher Mamunes is a financial advisor at Railroad Street Wealth Management, LLC with 29 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has led his independent firm since 2014. Railroad Street Wealth Management provides customized investment management and periodic financial planning to individual and high-net-worth clients. The firm manages approximately $20.4 million across 55 client relationships, using a tactical, rules-based investment process that combines technical analysis with a relative-strength framework to guide portfolio construction and risk management.

Jonathan Mathews is a CFP® professional with four years of experience in financial planning. He is the sole advisor at Nautical Financial Planning, an independent firm he has led since 2018. Mathews also works as a tax advisor with Block Advisors, providing personal and business tax preparation and planning. Nautical Financial Planning offers fee-only, hourly and project-based financial planning and consultation to individuals, couples, families, and business entities. The firm focuses on globally diversified, low-cost, tax-efficient passive investments and provides clients with guidance on asset allocation, custodial setup, and periodic portfolio reviews without managing assets directly.

Fletcher Perkins is a CFA® charterholder with 21 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at ACARA Capital Management, LLC, where he has worked since 2018. Prior to that, he was a personal trader from 2015 to 2018. ACARA Capital Management serves individual and high-net-worth clients with discretionary portfolio management and occasional custom portfolios. The firm employs concentrated equity strategies alongside ETFs, fixed income, and other asset classes, using a combination of fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis.

Michael Hocker is a Series 65-licensed financial advisor with CTG Wealth Management LLC, where he has worked since 2023. He has two years of industry experience and previously held positions at the Defense Acquisition University from 2013 to 2019. CTG Wealth Management LLC provides fee-only investment management and financial planning services to individuals, high-net-worth clients, and charitable organizations. The firm manages discretionary portfolios using a combination of passive and active strategies and serves a significant non-U.S. client base, which introduces cross-border considerations into its planning and custody decisions.

Lorie Scheibel is the principal of Smarter and Wise, an independent financial advisory firm, with 15 years of industry experience. She holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has worked at firms including Cambridge Investment Research Advisors and Lincoln Financial Advisors. Scheibel also serves as adjunct faculty at Anne Arundel Community College and operates as an independent insurance agent. Smarter and Wise provides financial planning and discretionary wealth management to individuals nearing retirement, high-net-worth clients, and sponsor-level retirement plans. The firm employs a planning-first approach centered on a comprehensive RetireSmarter process, incorporating risk modeling and ongoing portfolio management, and offers specialized investment real estate planning alongside retirement plan advisory services.

Elizabeth Yoder is a CFP® professional with six years of industry experience. She is the sole advisor at Dependent Financial Planning, where she has worked since 2024. Her prior experience includes roles at Hibernia Wealth Partners, Private Advisor Group, Bay Point Wealth, and The Family Firm. Dependent Financial Planning is an independent firm that offers fee-only investment management, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and educational seminars to individuals, high-net-worth clients, charitable organizations, and employer plan sponsors. The firm’s investment approach combines asset allocation and Modern Portfolio Theory, employing both passive and active strategies, with options for socially responsible investing and held-away account reviews.

Kendell Phillip is a financial advisor at Lockstep Financial LLC with five years of industry experience. He holds a Series 65 designation and previously worked at Maverick Trading and Northrop Grumman. Lockstep Financial LLC is an independent advisory firm serving individual and high-net-worth clients with financial planning and discretionary portfolio management. The firm employs a primarily passive investment approach using index funds and ETFs, supplemented by fundamental and technical analysis, and manages held-away assets through third-party platforms.

Michael Parks is a CFP® professional with 11 years of industry experience. He is the sole advisor at Upraise Wealth Advisory, LLC and has prior experience at Edward Jones and Fidelity Investments. Upraise Wealth Advisory, LLC is a registered, fee-only investment adviser serving individuals and high-net-worth clients with discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management. The firm uses a combination of passive and active strategies focused on asset allocation and fundamental analysis, tailoring accounts to client goals and risk tolerance.

John Persico is the sole advisor at Persico Asset Management in Severna Park, MD. He holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and has 4 years of industry experience, alongside 25 years at Peregrine Capital Management, LLC / PERSICO Capital, LLC. Persico Asset Management is a fee-only independent advisory firm managing approximately $90.3 million across 88 client relationships. The firm serves individuals, trusts, estates, small businesses, charitable organizations, and pension or profit-sharing plans, employing a core-and-satellite investment approach with a range of instruments and an explicit pension consulting practice.

Youfeng Jiang is a CFP® and holds a Series 65 license with five years of industry experience. He currently operates Beyond Profit and Wealth Consulting, an independent advisory firm, and has prior experience at Kestra Financial, Offit Advisors, MuniCap, and Gelman Rosenberg & Freedman CPAs. Jiang has been self-employed since 2016. Beyond Profit and Wealth Consulting serves individual clients, businesses, charitable organizations, and employer-sponsored retirement plans. The firm offers discretionary investment management, financial planning, employee benefit plan consulting, and tax preparation, focusing on passive investment strategies combined with fundamental and technical analysis to tailor portfolios to client objectives.

Charles Ryan is a CFP® professional with 13 years of experience in financial advising. He is affiliated with Atlantic Financial Planning LLC and has a concurrent career at United Airlines since 1998. Atlantic Financial Planning LLC provides fee-only financial planning and investment advisory services to individual and family clients. The firm uses a goal- and risk-based process to recommend target asset allocations, primarily employing a long-term, buy-and-hold strategy with index funds and ETFs, and operates on an hourly engagement model without discretionary trading authority or custody of client assets.