Katherine Younce

Patrick Cunningham is a Senior Vice President and Senior Financial Advisor leading The Cunningham Team, a wealth management group based in Beaufort, South Carolina. The team has served clients in over 25 states since its founding in 1995 and operates with the resources of Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and Bank of America to provide comprehensive financial planning and investment management services. Patrick's expertise includes family wealth management strategies, services for endowments, foundations, and non-profits, legacy planning, liquidity management, managing new wealth, personal retirement planning, philanthropic planning, small business strategies, and retirement income. He has been recognized on multiple Forbes advisor rankings, including the Best-in-State Wealth Advisors from 2022 to 2025 and Best-in-State Next-Generation Wealth Advisors (under 40) from 2022 to 2024, achieving the #1 ranking in South Carolina in 2024. Previously, he served on Merrill's NextGen Leadership Council. A Beaufort native, Patrick holds a bachelor's degree from The Citadel and the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) professional designation. His community involvement includes service on St. Peter's Catholic Church Finance Council, presidency of the Beaufort Chapter of The Citadel Alumni Association, and graduation from Leadership Beaufort. He resides on Lady's Island with his wife Becky and their twin boys.

W Clark is a Private Wealth Manager with Merrill Private Wealth Management, serving clients since 2014. In this role, he focuses on developing financial strategies tailored to clients’ specific objectives, time horizons, risk profiles, and liquidity needs. His responsibilities include investment manager research and review, assisting with the design of wealth management strategies, executing trades for discretionary portfolios, managing executive trading and hedging strategies, and chairing his team’s investment committee. He also provides investment advice to young professionals, clients’ children, and recent collegiate graduates. Clark has been part of the Hise Lowry Group since graduating from McGill University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Chemistry. He holds the Certified Investment Management Analyst (CIMA®) designation as well as the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. His expertise emphasizes tax-efficient investment management within individual client risk frameworks.

John C. Troutman, Jr., CPWA®, CPFA, serves as a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management. Since joining the firm in 2011, he has focused on addressing the wealth management needs of affluent client families. His approach emphasizes personal attention and professional discipline, informed by over two decades of experience in the field and a family background in banking. John holds the Certified Private Wealth Advisor® designation and the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor credential. He earned bachelor's degrees in Finance and Management from the Moore School of Business and in Religious Studies from the College of Humanities at the University of South Carolina. His expertise encompasses a broad range of client focus areas, including family wealth management strategies, legacy and philanthropic planning, divorce transition planning, tax minimization, and portfolio management services. He works closely with clients, coordinating retirement, estate, and tax planning strategies with their CPAs and attorneys. In addition to his professional responsibilities, John is actively involved in community organizations. He serves on the board of The Historic Beaufort Foundation and has contributed to several other groups, such as the YMCA, Beaufort Rotary Endowment, Moore School of Business, Bluffton Self Help, and Penn Center. John resides on Lady’s Island with his wife Danielle and their four children.

William Scott is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and a founding member of the Pritsios-Scott Group. He specializes in working with high-net-worth individuals and families, focusing on family wealth management strategies, portfolio management services, and retirement income. Within his team, he is responsible for asset allocation planning and implementation, helping clients create and execute defined investment plans tailored to their specific financial objectives. Mr. Scott began his career as a United States Marine Corps Officer before transitioning to the financial services industry. He has held senior roles at Paine Webber, FBR, Oppenheimer Wealth Management, and Barclays Wealth prior to joining Merrill in 2015. He earned a bachelor's degree from Franklin and Marshall College and holds the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. A native Washingtonian, he serves on the boards of the Yellow Ribbon Fund and St. Johns College High School. He lives with his wife and their family in Bethesda, Maryland, and Beaufort, South Carolina. In his free time, he enjoys golf, fitness, cycling, hiking, reading, and spending time with his family.

Nicole Herron is a Benefits & Planning Consultant specializing in Executive Services at Fidelity Investments. In this role, she partners with executives to help them understand their employer benefits and supports them in developing confidence in their financial plans through a consultative approach. Nicole has extensive experience within Fidelity Investments, having held various positions since 2013, including Planning Consultant, Relationship Manager, Financial Consultant, Investment Consultant, and Financial Representative. Prior to joining Fidelity, she worked at Suntrust Bank as a Personal Banker and at Sterling Capital Management LLC as an Investment Associate. Outside of her professional work, Nicole has personal interests that include boating, cooking and baking, fitness, football, gardening, and spending time with her pets.