Upcoming Events:
Dinner Meeting
The next dinner meeting for the Florida West Coast Employee Benefits Council 2023-2024 season will be on October 23, 2024; 5:30 PM; Maggiano’s at Westshore Plaza (203 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FL).
Jody Simon from Transamerica will be presenting understanding ramifications on nondiscrimination testing rules is critical for retirement plan administrators and practitioners in the wake of the SECURE 2.
We are now accepting renewals and new members for the 2024-2025 season.
Workshop
Info coming soon.
Past Events
| Date | Speaker | Topic | Title | Company | Contact |
| September 2024 | Joe DeBello | Overview of fiduciary issues; both from litigation issues and best practices for plan sponsors and advisors | Captrust | ||
| May 2023 | Patrick Delaney | PLANNING FOR THE REALITIES OF HEALTH CARE COSTS IN RETIREMENT | T. Rowe Price | ||
| March 2023 | Alex Sanchez | Common Retirement Plan Audit Findings | Pension Assurance | ||
| February 2023 | Jonathan Ricketts | ESG and the Future of Work | Natixis | ||
| January 2023 | John Doyle | SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 | American Funds | ||
| November 2022 | Danny Cook | Pay(k)onnect | |||
| October 2022 | Hank Pariseau | Recession Risk and Retirement Planning | Bernstein Private Wealth Management | ||
| September 2022 | Rod Troyan | The Fundementals of QDROs | Troyan & Associates, P.A. | ||
| May 2022 | Christopher F. Terrigino and Dennis Paleveda | Audit process for employee benefit plans | Rivero, Gordimer & Company | ||
| February 2022 | Glenn Dial | Retirement Income Options and employee considerations inside 401(k) plans | American Century | ||
| January 2022 | Buck Blanton | What is the DOL looking for in an investigation. | Pensionmark | ||
| November 2021 | Chris Cavaliere | 2021 Employment Law Update (and How they Impact Your Benefits.) | Partner | Shumaker | |
| October 2021 | Lisa Ann Scalia | What happened to 2020 & 2021? How to prepare for 2022 | |||
| September 2021 | Tim Parker | How Ransomware Works | |||
| June 2020 | Webcast: COVID-19 Market Impact Analysis: What Plan Sponsors Need To Know | ||||
| February 2020 | Finding Fresh Business Models in Retirement | ||||
| January 2020 | EBSA Investigations | ||||
| November 2019 | How America Saves | ||||
| September 2019 | Bill Kline | The Future of Plan Governance | |||
| April 2019 | David Cowart | Real Choices Employers Make; Watching ERISA Work | |||
| March 2019 | Dannae Delano | Innovations in Welfare Plan Design | The Wagner Law Group | ||
| January 2019 | Paul Vitchock | Cyber Threat Landscape | Supervisory Special Agent | FBI | |
| November 2018 | Fred Barstein | Understanding DC Plan Mega Trends and DC Market Dynamics | Founder & CEO | The Retirement Advisor University | |
| October 2018 | Phyllis C. Borzi | Health Care Cost Challenges for Employer-Sponsored Plans While the ACA Is Under Attack | |||
| September 2018 | Stacey Tovrov | The Future of Indexing | Vice President and Investment Strategist | BlackRock | |
| May 2018 | Paula Calimafde | Legislative Developments, Including Tax Reform | Principal | Paley Rothman | calimafd@paleyrothman.om |
| April 2018 | Annual Education Workshop | ||||
| 1. Rick Grafmeyer | Washington Update | Partner | Capitol Tax Partners | ||
| 2. Bruce J. McNeil | A New Sheriff In Town (The Tax Cuts & Jobs Act and NQDC) | Partner | The Wagner Law Group | ||
| 3. Matthew Jackson | Cyber Liability Insurance: New Concerns and New Protections | Senior Vice President | Segal Select Insurance | ||
| 4. Russell L. Hirschhorn | How to Avoid ERISA Litigation | Partner | Proskauer | ||
| 5. Amber Griffith | Developing a Compelling Experience for the Future of Work | Principal | Mercer | ||
| March 2018 | Ted Schmelzle | Emerging Liability of Recordkeeper Fee Arrangement Under New DOL Rules | Director of Plan Sponsor Services | Securian Financial | theodore.schmelzle@securian.com |
| February 2018 | Lisa Germano | What Is In An RFP | President and General Council | Lisa@ab-d.com | |
| January 2018 | Linda R. Mendel | Group Health Care Challenges | Of Counsel | Vorys, Sater, Symour and Pease LLP | |
| October 2017 | Thomas E. Clark, Jr. | Current Trends in ERISA Litigation | Partner | The Wagner Law Group | tclark@wagnerlawgroup.com |
| September 2017 | Steve Kraus | Update on the New Fiduciary Rule | Shareholder | Carlton Fields | skraus@carltonfields.com |
| May 2017 | Michael J. Dullaghan | Millennial Money – Engaging the Millennial Participant Population | Investment Specialist, DC Plans | Putnam Investments | Michael_Dullaghan@putnam.com |
| April 2017 | Annual Educational Workshop | ||||
| 1. Chatrane Birbal | 1. The 115th Congress and the Trump Administration: The Washington Outlook for HR Public Policy | 1. Senior Advisor, Government Relations | 1. Society for Human Resource Management | ||
| 2. Tim Kastrinelis | 2. FMLA Administrative, Compliance & Workplace Productivity Management | 2. Senior Vice President | 2. Liberty Mutual | ||
| 3. Don Trone, GFS | 3. Behavioral Governance: Applying Neuroscience to Amplify Fiduciary Metrics” | 3. Co-founder & CEO | 3. 3ethos | ||
| 4. Kelly Davis, AIP | 4. Wellness Rules and Regulations | 4. Benefit Client Advocate | 4. Bouchard Insurance | ||
| 5. Felix Okwaning Jr., FSA, EA | 5. DC Optimization | 5. Vice President | 5. Prudential Financial | ||
| March 2017 | Brian McNulty | Health Plan Cost Containment Strategies and Trends | S.E. Region Employee Benefits Practice Leader | USI Insurance Services, LLC | |
| February 2017 | Heidi LeMieur, C(k)P | Washington Retirement Update: Ahead of the Trends | DCIO Senior Consultant | Retirement Learning Center, LLC | |
| January 2017 | Kelly Davis, AIP | The Future of Health Insurance and Compliance | Benefit Client Advocate | Bouchard Insurance | |
| December 2016 | MEMBER’S HOLIDAY PARTY | ||||
| November 2016 | David N. Levine | DOL Enforcement for Plan Providers and Plan Sponsors: Where Does it Go Next? | Principal | Groom Law Group | |
| October 2016 | Dr. Mark Bush | Health and Welfare Issues Facing Employers | Program Director for the Bachelor’s in Health Service Administration | University of Central Florida | |
| September 2016 | Gail Buckner | Social Security: Key Concepts & Sophisticated Strategies to Help Maximize Benefits. | Vice President and National Financial Planning Spokesperson | Franklin Templeton | |
| May 2016 | Lisa Power | Cyber Liability – Network Security and Privacy | Florida Branch Manager | AIG | lisa.power@aig.com |
| April 2016 | Annual Educational Workshop | ||||
| Pam Perdue | ERISA and Employee Benefits 20 Years From Now – Laying the Groundwork Today | Partner | Summers Compton & Wells, LLC | ||
| Heidi Braren-Walsh | Welfare & Fringe Benefit Plan Compliance | President | Braren-Walsh & Associates, Inc. | ||
| Michael Rosenbaum | Best Practices for Retirement Plan Committees and Potential Impact of Pending DOL Fiduciary Rules | Partner | Drinker Biddle & Reath, LLP | ||
| Jenifer A. Cromwell | ‘Everything Old is New Again’ or Why We’re Talking about HIPAA Today | Partner | Bredhoff & Kaiser, P.L.L.C. | ||
| Ann Schleck | Get Credit for the Value You Deliver to Your Plan Sponsor Clients | President | Ann Schleck & Company | ||
| March 2016 | Joan Neri | 2016 Fiduciary Hot Topics | Counsel | Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP | joan.neri@dbr.com |
| February 2016 | E. Thomas Foster Jr. | Retirement Readiness & The Bottom Line | National Spokesperson | MassMutual Retirement Services | tfoster@massmutual.com |
| January 2016 | Susan P. Luskin | Welfare Benefit 5500 Filings – What’s New and How To Comply | President | Diversified Administration, Inc. | susan@div125.com |
| December 2015 | MEMBER’S HOLIDAY PARTY | ||||
| November 2015 | Glenn A. Dial | Target Date Fund Glidepath Optimization: Creating Participant Income Reliability in Retirement | Managing Director – Head of Retirement Strategy | Allianz Global Investors | glenn.dial@allianzgi.com |
| October 2015 | Jean A. Young | How America Saves 2015 | Senior Research Analyst | Vanguard Center for Retirement Research | jean_young@vanguard.com |
| September 2015 | Brian T. Kench, PhD | Economic Indicators to Watch: October 2015 Update | Dean, College of Business | University of New Haven | bkench@newhaven.edu |
| May 2015 | Brian Furgala, Esq., CPC, QPA | IRS Correction Programs – Being the Plan’s MacGyver | Shareholder and Employee Benefits Attorney | GrayRobinson, PA | brian.furgala@gray-robinson.com |
| April 2015 | Annual Educational Workshop | ||||
| 1. Lawrence H. Thompson | 1. What to Expect in a DOL ERISA Investigation: From Appointment to Closing | 1. Deputy Regional Director | 1. Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), United States Department of Labor (USDOL) | ||
| 2. Joel Bennett | 2. LeadWell, LiveWell: The Key Role of Management in your Wellness Programs | 2. President | 2. Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems (OWLS) | ||
| 3. Jeffrey M. Petrone, AIF | 3. Industry Trends and Best Practices for Retirement Plan Management | 3. Managing Director | 3. SageView Advisory Group | ||
| 4. Maxine J. Moore | 4. What to Expect From a Health Plan Investigation | 4. Senior Advisor – Health Investigations | 4. Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), United States Department of Labor (USDOL) | ||
| 5. Jason C. Roberts, Esq. | 5. Hiring Service Providers: Tips & Traps for ERISA Plan Fiduciaries | 5. CEO of PRI; Partner of RLG | 5. Pension Resource Institute, LLC and Retirement Law Group, PC. | ||
| March 2015 | Jason Block, MD, MPH | Working for Wellness: From Cafeterias to Financial Incentives | General Internal Medicine Physician/Assistant Professor and Associate Director of the Obesity Prevention Program of the Department of Population Medicine | Harvard Medical School/Harvard Poilgrim Health Care Institute | jblock1@partners.org |
| February 2015 | Kent O. Peterson | Retirement plan fiduciary issues | Director of Investment Services & Senior Associate Actuary | Securian Financial Group | kent.peterson@securian.com |
| January 2015 | Jeremy Stempien | No Portfolio is an Island | Director of Investments – Retirement Solutions Group | Morningstar Investment Management | jeremy.stempien@morningstart.com |
| December 2014 | MEMBER’S HOLIDAY PARTY | ||||
| November 2014 | Shelby C. George, JD, CEBS | “A Holistic Approach to Benefits: Managing Plan Failure Risk | Practice Leader | Manning & Napier | nhamblin@manning-napier.com(585) 325-6880 |
| October 2014 | Don A. Mazursky | Health Care Reform | Founder & Managing Partner | Mazursky Constantine, LLC | DMazursky@mazconlaw.com(404) 888-8840 |
| September 2014 | Rennie Worsfold | Help in DC Plans | VP National Sales Manager | Financial Engines | |
| May 2014 | Aleya Henderson | What to Expect in an EBSA Audit | Supervisory Beneftis Advisor | U.S. Department of Labor | |
| April 2014 | Nevin Adams | Key Note – A Retirement Crisis or a Crisis of Confidence | Director, Education & External Relations Director ASEC, Co-Director EBRI CRI | EBRI Center for Research on Retirement Income | (202) 775-6329 | Email |
| Travis Klavohn | An Inside Look into Health Care Consumers | Director of Consumer Health Solutions | Benefit Wallet a Xerox Solution | (770) 916-4152 | Email | |
| David S Rosner | The Post-DOMA World – The Windor Decision’s Impact on Retirement Plans & Other Benefit Plans | Ogletree Deakins Nash Smoak & Stewart PC | (202) 263-0164 | Email | ||
| Kevin Brooks | The Role of an Effective Comminications Strategy in Driving Employee Engagement in Health and Wellness | VP, Integrated Marketing – Consumers Solutions Group | Optum – Consumer Solutions Group | ||
| Gregory C Braden | The Latest and Greatest in ERISA Litigation | Partner | Morgan Lewis & Bockius, LLP | (202) 739-5217 | Email | |
| March 2014 | Steven G Schaffer | ESOPs; A benefit plan that works for owners and employees | Attorney | Steven G. Schaffer, Bryan Cave LLP | |
| February 2014 | Janice Wegesin | Form 5500 and Other Filing Updates | President | JMW Consulting | |
| January 2014 | Allison Ullman | Tax-advantaged Funding Vehicles under the Affordable Care Act | Council | Crowell & Moring LLP | |
| December 2014 | MEMBER’S HOLIDAY PARTY | ||||
| November 2013 | Neil Quinn | The Employer’s New Clothes: Workplace Wellness in the 21st Century | Vice President /Director | The Oswald Companies | |
| October 2013 | Brodie Wood | Commitment to Outcome: New Realities in Not-for-Profit Retirement Benefits | Vice President | Transamerica Retirement Solutions | |
| September 2013 | Rob Austin, FSA, EA | Behavorial Economics: How Irrational Decision Making Impacts Retirement | FSA, EA | Aol Hewitt | |
| May 2013 | Fred Stewart | Industry Update on Target Date Funds & the Latest Trends for Plan Sponsors | Performance Evaluations, Inc. | ||
| April 2013 | Annual Educational Workshop:Stephen Mason, President and CEOAndrea Powers, CounselBrian Pinheiro, PartnerBrian Kench, Professor and ConsultantDebbie Harrison, Senior Manager, Public Policy | Healthcare Industry and Healthcare ReformHelping Businesses Navigate thru Healthcare ReformFiduciary Best Practices in 401(k) and 403(b) PlansEconomic Indicators to Watch: April 2013 UpdateEmployer-Sponsored Health Coverage and the Affordable Care Act: Perspectives on Future Health Plan Design and Compliance Strategies | Baycare Health SystemBaker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, PCBallard Spahr, LLPThe University of TampaNational Business Group on Health | ||
| April 2013 | Phyllis Borzi, Assistant Secretary of Labor | What to Expect from the DOL: Regulatory and Enforcement Priorities Affecting Pension and Health Plans | Assistant Secretary of Labor | Employee Benefits Security Administration | |
| February 2013 | Glenn Carnathan | A State of the Union on Retirement Readiness: Why is the needle not moving? | Regional Benefits Consultant | Financial Soundings, LLC | |
| January 2013 | Linda Mendel | Employer Pay or Play Penalties: What’s Your Plan? | Councel | Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP | |
| November 2012 | Jean Young | How America Saves – 2012 | Senior Research Analyst | Vanguard’s Center for Retirement Research | |
| October 2012 | Janice McClendon | Healthcare Reform and Election Implication | Professor of Law | Stetson University of Law | |
| September 2012 | Andrew Ferguson | Cash Balance Plan Design Alternatives: Maximizing Pre-Tax Contributions | FSA, EA | Altman Cronin | |
