8 SEPTEMBER 2026 Edward Jones Regional Leadership Team Performance Leader, Lone Oak Lions Club President, Leadership Paducah Class #33 Graduate, Paducah Young Professionals Member What are your most significant professional accomplishments to date? My proudest professional accomplishment is being a two-time recipient of the Ted Jones Spirit of Caring Award, given annually to one financial advisor who demonstrates leadership in the firm and community. Our team has also been recognized multiple years for finishing in the top 25% of the firm in our Voice of the Client survey, reflecting excellence in client service, which I believe is our most important metric. Additionally, through my work in the community and Lions Club, I received the Melvin Jones Fellow Award and an International Presidential Certificate of Appreciation. Describe a challenge in your career and how you overcame it. One of the first challenges that comes to mind is our move to Paducah in 2018. Relocating my business and family to a town where I didn’t know a single person created real challenges early on. I quickly knew Paducah was the place I wanted to call home, so we went all in. I got involved almost immediately with the Paducah Citizens Academy, Lone Oak Lions Club, and as many Chamber events as I could. I believed that surrounding myself with other service-minded people was the fastest way to become ingrained in my new home. What makes you stand out in your industry or field? I strive to be authentic and bring genuine enthusiasm to every facet of my life, especially my business. My three biggest goals in life are to be a good man, husband, and father, and I share those goals often with the clients I serve. Money conversations can be some of the most impactful in a person’s life, often tied to their best and worst moments. Building the trust needed to guide clients through those times is what I believe sets me apart in this industry. There’s real truth in the saying, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care,” and I keep that top of mind every day. Hardin Baptist Church Member, National Board of Certified Counselors Member What are your most significant professional accomplishments to date? Starting a business from zero clients and zero employees in 2022 and growing it into a private practice with 12 employees, two locations, and over 400 clients that we serve each month. This year (2026), New Pathways Counseling was awarded the Best of Kentucky Counseling and Therapy Practice. Describe a challenge in your career and how you overcame it. One of the greatest challenges in my career has been deeply personal. Through our family’s journey in foster care (both of our children are adopted through the foster care system) and raising children impacted by trauma and significant health challenges, we experienced firsthand the emotional, financial, and systemic barriers families often face when trying to access quality care. Rather than being discouraged by these challenges, they became foundational to New Pathways’ mission. We have established partnerships with four nonprofit organizations to utilize grant funding that allows foster and adoptive families to receive counseling at little to no cost. Our own experience has equipped us to walk alongside families navigating the trenches of the foster care system, ensuring they receive the compassionate, trauma-informed mental health support that every child and caregiver deserves. What advice would you give to other young professionals striving for success? I’d encourage you to avoid chasing the highs of success or becoming defeated by the lows. Be what my dad likes to call “Steady Eddy.” Success isn’t built on emotional highs, but instead on consistency. Your clients, team, and community need someone dependable, calm, and steady - especially when life is unpredictable. I’ve learned that remaining faithful in small, ordinary moments has a far greater impact than chasing extraordinary ones. As a person of faith, I also remind myself that it all belongs to the Lord. We are simply stewards of the opportunities, people, and resources He entrusts to us. That perspective removes much of the pressure to control outcomes and instead allows us to lead with humility, faithfulness, and peace. A.J. Collins Sponsored by Founder, LPCC-S, New Pathways Counseling Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Addison Futrell
