SPRINGFIELD, Virginia, Aug. 28 -- The Boat Owners Association of the U.S. issued the following news release:

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Dorian is spending more time over the warm waters of the Atlantic gathering strength and could strike the southeastern U.S. coast as a full-blown category 2 hurricane (96-110 mph wind speed) early next week. Now with the National Weather Service advising residents of Florida's east coast to have a hurricane plan in place, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) has issued hurricane-preparation alerts to its members and is offering free hurricane planning help for all of the region's boat owners at BoatUS.com/Hurricanes. This no-cost assistance includes:

1. the new BoatUS Magazine Hurricane Preparation Guide with information on what to expect, where to keep a boat, how to find and fix potential breaking points, develop a hurricane plan, and more.

2. Boater's Guide to Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes for details on what you can do to protect your boat in a slip, dock, canal, on a lift, in a dry-storage rack, mooring, anchor or hurricane hole.

3. Hurricane Preparation Worksheet to easily manage your boat's hurricane prep efforts and to give a copy to your marina owner/manager.

4. A sampling of hurricane plans for marinas or yacht clubs that can be adapted for your facility.

Boat owners can also start by tracking the storm with the free BoatUS.com/App. (After downloading, go to settings to enable "push notifications" for your region.)

BoatUS, the national advocacy, services and safety group for recreational boat owners, also says it's wise for boaters to take photos of their hurricane prep efforts, as they may help if a dispute later arises during salvage and recovery efforts.

BoatUS and its Marine Insurance Catastrophe (CAT) Team has been a leader in recreational boat hurricane preparedness with more than 30 years of post-hurricane boat salvage experience. For more, go to BoatUS.com/Hurricanes.

FORT WORTH, TX – June 16,2026 – Sparks Financial is pleased to announce that Scott Theodore has joined the firm as a Private Wealth Advisor, bringing decades of leadership, mentorship, and financial services experience to the organization. Theodore previously served as Managing Partner of Northwestern Mutual's Denver office, where he spent decades developing advisors, mentoring leaders, and helping drive the growth and success of one of the company's most respected offices. Throughout his career, he has earned a reputation for leadership, character, and an unwavering commitment to helping people reach their full potential.

"Scott is an exceptional leader who has spent decades building, developing, and elevating Northwestern Mutual's Denver office," said Taven Sparks, Partner and Private Wealth Advisor at Sparks Financial. "His passion for caring for people and helping them reach their full potential is truly inspiring." The addition of Theodore reflects Sparks Financial's continued commitment to attracting experienced professionals who share the firm's mission of helping clients define, build, and enjoy prosperous lives.

For clients, Theodore's arrival adds another layer of experience and perspective to an already accomplished advisory team. His background as a Managing Partner, mentor, and advisor strengthens the firm's ability to serve individuals, families, executives, and business owners across the country. His leadership experience and client-first approach further enhance the depth of expertise available throughout the Sparks Financial organization.

"Beyond his professional accomplishments, Scott exemplifies excellence as a father, leader, and advisor," Sparks said. "His character and commitment to others perfectly align with our mission at Sparks Financial." Theodore will work closely with clients and advisors throughout the Sparks Financial organization as the firm continues its growth and service to clients nationwide. "We couldn't be more excited to welcome Scott as we continue working to help individuals and families define, build, and enjoy prosperous lives," Sparks added.

About Sparks Financial Sparks Financial is an independent wealth management and financial planning firm dedicated to helping clients define, build, and enjoy prosperous lives. The firm provides comprehensive financial planning, investment management, risk management, and multigenerational wealth strategies to individuals, families, executives, and business owners across the United States. Serving clients in all 50 states, Sparks Financial manages approximately $2 billion in assets and has been recognized nationally for its commitment to client outcomes, advisor excellence, and community impact.

For more information, visit http://www.sparks-financial.com/.

About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual has been helping people and businesses achieve financial security for more than 165 years. Through a comprehensive planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial professionals with a personalized digital experience and industry-leading products to help its clients plan for what's most important. With more than $780 billion of total assets1 managed across the company's institutional portfolio as well as retail investment client portfolios, more than $40 billion in revenues, and $2.5 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than five million people with life insurance, disability income insurance, long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. Northwestern Mutual ranked 109 on the 2026FORTUNE 500 and was recognized by FORTUNE® as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2026.

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company® (NMWMC) (investment advisory and services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). Not all Northwestern Mutual representatives are advisors. Only those representatives with "Advisor" in their title or who otherwise disclose their status as an advisor of NMWMC are credentialed as NMWMC representatives to provide investment advisory services.

Members of Sparks Financial use Sparks Financial as a marketing name for doing business as representatives of Northwestern Mutual. Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group is a select group of NM advisors and representatives. Sparks Financial and Northwestern Mutual Private Client Group are not a registered investment adviser, broker-dealer, insurance agency, federal savings bank or other legal entity. To view detailed disclosures regarding individual representatives, view their information at http://www.sparks-financial.com/.