James Valis and Gregg Manis, financial advisors at Blackstone Valley Wealth Management in Hopkinton, earned a place among LPL Financial’s Ascent Club Program for 2025. This distinction is reserved for advisors who set the standard for excellence in financial guidance.

“On behalf of the entire LPL team, I’m proud to celebrate Gregg and James for this outstanding achievement,” said Peter Vincent, executive vice president and head of client success for LPL’s advisor channels. “Gregg and James continue to raise the bar, empowering clients to transform aspirations into tangible outcomes and driving meaningful impact in Massachusetts and beyond.”

Valis and Manis have partnered with LPL Financial — one of the fastest-growing firms in wealth management— for 13 years. They serve clients based in and around Hopkinton and Middlesex County, providing comprehensive wealth management services.

“Being named to LPL’s Ascent Club is about where we’re headed: a future-ready practice that pairs deep planning expertise with new capabilities to guide positive outcomes for our clients,” said Valis. “Our distinctive wealth management formula allows us to go beyond investment advice to provide holistic strategies that address the full spectrum of our clients’ financial needs — including the ‘unknown unknowns’ that they have yet to face. By addressing investment consulting, advanced planning issues and relationship management we can help our clients make informed decisions to work towards the goal of achieving all that is important to them.”

Additionally, Valis and Manis were recognized with the 2026 Five Star Wealth Manager Award in the February edition of Boston Magazine. This award comes to the advisors for the 12th year in a row, since their opening of Blackstone Valley Wealth Management in 2013.

This exclusive designation has been given to select wealth managers for over 15 years, in more than 45 markets throughout the U.S. and Canada. Award candidates were evaluated against 10 objective criteria. Almost 5,000 Boston-area wealth managers were considered for the award; 9% of candidates were named 2026 Five Star Wealth Managers.