Patrick Cunningham

Katherine Younce is a Financial Advisor with Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, specializing in helping individuals and families pursue long-term financial goals through customized wealth management strategies. She focuses on areas including family wealth management, legacy planning, retirement income, philanthropic planning, tax minimization, and small business strategies. Katherine partners with clients to develop actionable plans tailored to their priorities, leveraging Merrill Lynch’s investment expertise alongside Bank of America’s banking and lending solutions. Katherine holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and maintains the Personal Investment Advisor (PIA) designation. With experience rooted in both the mortgage industry and her own life as a wife and mother, she understands the importance of planning for homeownership, education, retirement, and healthcare costs. Her approach centers on simplifying complex financial concepts and fostering transparency to empower clients on their financial journeys. Outside of her professional work, Katherine is committed to her family and community. She has been married for 29 years and enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. Her personal interests include football, gardening, reading, and traveling. Katherine actively volunteers with local non-profits such as the Boys & Girls Club of North Beaufort County, the Foundation of Educational Excellence, and Hopeful Horizons, reflecting her values of growth, stewardship, and connection.

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.