2025 WINNERS & EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
Award Categories
- Advisor of the Year – Alternative Investments
- Advisor of the Year – ESG/Responsible Investing
- Advisor of the Year (Regional – Mid-West)
- Advisor of the Year (Regional – Northeast)
- Advisor of the Year (Regional – Southeast)
- Advisor of the Year (Regional – Southwest)
- Advisor of the Year (Regional – West)
- Asset Manager of the Year
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR – ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTS

Winner: Chris Vizzi – South Coast Investment Advisors, LLC
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Aaron Hodari – Schechter Investment Advisors
- David Copeland – Strategic Wealth Partners
- Joseph Spada – Summit Financial
- Marti Marache – Harbor Asset Private Wealth
- Michaelangelo Dooley – NewEdge Wealth
- Sandra Cho – Pointwealth Capital Management
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR – ESG/RESPONSIBLE INVESTING

Winner: Peter Krull – Earth Equity Advisors
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Bud Sturmak – Perigon Wealth Management
- James Brewer – Envision Wealth Planning
- Jason Britton – Reflection Asset Management
- Jeffrey Kingzett – Ameriprise Financial
- Nick Cantrell – Green Future Wealth Management
- Peggy Haslach – Planning For Good
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – MID-WEST)

Winner: Jim Wessels – Vision Financial Group
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- MaryAnn Pietromonaco – Morgan Stanley
- Sam Huszczo – SGH Wealth Management
- Stoy Hall – Black Mammoth
- Tim Rueter – Foundation Wealth Strategies
- Travis Sholin – Keystone Financial Services
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – NORTHEAST)

Winner: Christina Nash – Knox Grove Financial, LLC
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Gregory Guenther – GRANTvest Financial Group
- Lawrence Sprung – Mitlin Financial Inc®
- Rocco Carriero – Rocco A. Carriero Wealth Partners Ameriprise Financial
- Zach Gering – Wealthspire Advisors
- Zack Hubbard – Greenspring Advisors
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – SOUTHEAST)

Winner: Divam Mehta – Mehta Financial Group, LLC
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- James Wolf – Merrill Lynch Wealth Management
- Kirk Klein – Koss Olinger
- Nina O’Neal – AIM Advisors
- Stanley Funches – INTELUS Wealth Management
- Tom West – Signature Estate & Investment Advisors
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – SOUTHWEST)

Winner: Stephanie Tsang – North Star Resource Group
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Jenna Biancavilla – 17 Capital Partners, LLC DBA Pearl Capital Management
- Jimmy Williams – Compass Capital Management
- John Loyd – The Wealth Planner™
- Keary Castleberry – Snowden Lane Partners
- Matthew Walker – Fortitude Family Office
ADVISOR OF THE YEAR (REGIONAL – WEST)

Winner: Wanda Delgado – Insight Financial Advisors
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Chris Giovinazzo – Accelerate Retirement
- Cody Klein – SageView Advisory Group
- Dave Alison – Alison Wealth Management
- Jourdan Sy – Growth Partners
- Rick Blanke – Blanke Schein Wealth Management
- Robert Patton – SageView Advisory Group
ASSET MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Franklin Templeton
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- American Funds
- BlackRock
- Dimensional Fund Advisors
- Fidelity
- Nuveen Investments
- PIMCO
- Schwab Asset Management
- Select Sector SPDRs ETFs
- T. Rowe Price
- Vanguard
BROKER-DEALER/CUSTODIAN OF THE YEAR

Winner: Raymond James Financial Services
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Cambridge Investment Research, Inc.
- Commonwealth Financial Network
- Goldman Sachs
- LPL Financial LLC
- Northwestern Mutual
- Park Avenue Securities
- Sigma Financial and Parkland Securities
- Transamerica Financial Advisors
CEO OF THE YEAR

Winner: Marianne Caswell – Park Avenue Securities
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Amy Webber – Cambridge Investment Group
- Dave Welling – Mercer Advisors
- George Nichols III – The American College of Financial Services
- Jamie Price – Osaic Inc.
- Kevin R. Keller – Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.; Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. (CFP Board)
- Laura Prieskorn – Jackson Financial Inc.
- Matt Brown – CAIS
- Peter Mallouk – Creative Planning
- Rob Sechan – NewEdge Wealth
- Shirl Penney – Dynasty Financial Partners
- Terry Rasmussen – Thrivent
DEI ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORT OF THE YEAR

Winner: Females & Finance
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- All(In)Vested
- Carson Group
- Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc.; Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Center for Financial Planning, Inc. (CFP Board)
- Equitable
- FS Investments
- Northern Trust Asset Management
- Prudential Advisors
- SEIU 775 Benefits Group
- The American College of Financial Services
DEI TRAILBLAZER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Benjamin Ola Akande – Stifel Financial
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Carina Diamond – Stella Secunda
- Christian Nwasike
- Ethel J Davis – VZD Capital Management, LLC
- Kimberley J. Mendall Mondonedo – The Mendall Financial Group
- Maz Kamaruddin – Guardian Life
- Michelle Morris – Morgan Stanley
- Nena Chhoum
- Ryan Philmon – Equitable
- Simi Dubb – Citi
EMPLOYER OF CHOICE

Winner: Prudential
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
- Cambridge Investment Group
- Charles Schwab
- Jackson Financial Inc.
- Mercer Advisors
- Merit Financial Advisors
- Sanctuary Wealth
- SignatureFD
- Wells Fargo & Company
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY

Winner: Bill Crager – Envestnet
MOST INNOVATIVE USE OF WEALTHTECH

Winner: MassMutual / MML Investors Services
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Emerald Retirement Planning Group, Inc.
- Farther
- Mercer Advisors
- Montage Wealth Advisors
NEXTGEN ADVISOR OF THE YEAR

Winner: Julie Penwell – Wealthspire Advisors
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Alex Petsis – Anthony Petsis & Associates
- Andrew Fincher – VLP Financial Advisors
- Erin Christy – Choreo LLC
- Jorrell Bland – Mitlin Financial, Inc
- Kristin Strom – North Star Resource Group
- Kyle Pahnke – Retirement Solutions
- Miller Hoffman – TradeWinds
RIA FIRM OF THE YEAR

Winner: Merit Financial Advisors
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Creative Planning
- Hightower Advisors
- Integrated Partners
- Mercer Advisors
- NewEdge Capital Group
- Wealthcare Capital Management
RIA TEAM OF THE YEAR (10 ADVISORS OR MORE)

Winner: Destiny Wealth Partners
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Callan Family Office
- Carlson Capital Management
- East Paces Group
- HoyleCohen
- Koss Olinger
- MAYFLOWER ADVISORS
- Modern Wealth Management
RIA TEAM OF THE YEAR (UNDER 10 ADVISORS)

Winner: Helium Advisors
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Ausperity Private Wealth
- Dahring | Cusmano
- Gertsema Wealth Advisors
- GRANTvest Financial Group
- Kendall Capital
- Palumbo Wealth Management
- Pensionmark
- Saige Private Wealth Management
- The Clifford Group
THE COMMONWEALTH FINANCIAL NETWORK AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PHILANTROPHY AND COMMUNITY SERVICE

Winner: Sibyl Slade – IntegriVest Wealth Advisors, LLC.
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Greg Friedman – Wealthspire Advisors
- Heather Fortner – SignatureFD
- Johnson Bixby
- Jordan Toma – Prudential Advisors
- Koss Olinger
- Stacy Francis – Francis Financial
WEALTHTECH PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

Winner: intelliflo
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Advisor360°
- AssetMark
- BridgeFT
- Docupace
- Envestnet
- FusionIQ
- Nebo Wealth
- Orion Advisor Solutions
- SEI Investments Company
- Vestmark
WHOLESALER OF THE YEAR

Winner: Kristen McGarry – Pacific Life
EXCELLENCE AWARDEES
- Anthony Shutman – JP Morgan
- Austin LaVelle – Athene
- Ben Sullivan – AE Wealth Management LLC
- Gigi Norcross – Green Century Capital Management
- Salih Besirevic – Jackson National Life Distributors LLC

