Academy of Past Presidents

Michelle Oram, CEBS

2023

Then

Director, Financial Wellness

Manulife

Kitchener, Ontario

Now

Retirement Coach

Second Life Vision

Kitchener, Ontario

2023 Symposium

August 20-23, 2023
Westin, Seattle, Washington
Attendance: 390

Topics:

• Gen Z Is Coming: Can Your Benefits Attract and Retain the Next Generation?
• The Future of Health Care and Increased Longevity
• DOL Investigations: What to Expect and Best Practices to Avoid ERISA Issues
• Pirates of the PHI: Identifying and Responding to a Cyberattack According to HIPAA Best Practices
• How to Comply with the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act
• The Intersection of Leave Laws and Benefits
• Meeting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives Through Your Medical Plan
• Health Equity and Disparity for Those With Obesity
• Gender Affirmation Benefits in the Workplace: Why It Matters, and How Plan Sponsors Can Support Their Employees
• Successful Battles Against High-Dollar Claims: Tales From the Front Lines
• How Can Plans Mitigate Risk When Implementing an Infertility Benefit?
• The Emergence of Plan Sponsor Pharmacies in Canada—An Innovative Approach to Expanding Access to Health Benefits

Notable Events

• Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) is launched by the European Space Agency (ESA) to search for life in the Jovian system, with an expected arrival date of 2031.
• The World Health Organization ends its declaration of COVID-19 being a global health emergency, but continues to refer to it as a pandemic.
• SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America each went on strike in protest of low compensation, ownership of work, and generative AI, shutting down TV and film productions for months.
• Canadian federal workers, members of Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) went on strike in April.
• The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup is held in Australia and New Zealand, with Spain winning 1-0 over England in the final.
• The Beatles release "Now and Then", the band's last ever song, featuring restored vocals by John Lennon (1940–1980), as well as guitar tracks by George Harrison (1943–2001).
• Barbie was the year’s highest grossing movie, with many moviegoers opting for a “Barbenheimer” double feature.
• The Kansas City Chiefs win Super Bowl LVII, leaving the Philadelphia Eagles to shake it off.

Ryan Siemers, CEBS

2022

Principal

Aegis Risk LLC

Alexandria, Virginia

2022 Symposium

August 8-11, 2022
Sheraton Toronto Centre, Toronto, Ontario
Attendance: 200

Topics:

• Building the Postpandemic Future of Work
• The Cost of Delayed Cancer Care
• Understanding Gene Therapy and Its Impact on Private Drug Plans
• ESG Investing in Pension Plans
• Don’t Be Surprised by the No Surprises Act
• A Look at the New Long-Term Part-Time Employees Rules
• Total Rewards: Essential to a Total Inclusion Solution
• Cybersecurity in a World of Remote and Hybrid Work
• Does Your Retirement Reflect Your DEI Efforts?
• Managing Specialty Pharmacy Costs
• Putting Virtual Care to the Test

Notable Events

• The number of COVID-19 vaccinations administered worldwide exceeds 10 billion
• The 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are held in Beijing, China, making it the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympics and Winter Games.
• Russia invades Ukraine, prompting economic sanctions from the U.S., EU and their allies, and a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Russia is banned from competing in many major global sporting events.
• Canada and Denmark end their competing claims for Hans Island by dividing the island roughly in half, ending what was referred to as the Whisky War.
• Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II dies at the age of 96, ending the longest reign of any monarch in the country’s history. Her funeral is estimated to be one of the largest television events in history.
• The world’s population reaches 8 billion.
• NASA launches Artemis 1, the first uncrewed mission of its Space Launch System, the most powerful rocket ever to reach orbit. The onboard Orion capsule orbits the Moon before returning to Earth.
• Argentina wins the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar.

Carey Wooton, CEBS

2020-2021

Then

Director

IUE-CWA Pension Fund

Bloomington, Indiana

Now

Director, Educational Program Development

International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans

Brookfield, Wisconsin

Notable Events

2020

• COVID-19 wreaked havoc across the globe.
• The Summer Olympics were postponed to 2021.
• The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaces NAFTA.
• Parasite is the first non-English language film to win the Oscar for Best Picture.
• The murder of George Floyd casts a new a spotlight on racism, policing and justice.
• The U.S. elects Joe Biden as president, and Kamala Harris as the first woman vice president in U.S. history.
• This television legend passed away after 36 years of hosting Jeopardy. Who is Alex Trebek?
• The U.S. and Canada begin mass vaccinations for COVID-19.

2021

• Violence interrupts the peaceful transfer of power for the first time in U.S. history on January 6.
• NASA's Mars 2020 mission (containing the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter drone) lands on Mars.
• Canadian singer-songwriter The Weeknd headlines the Superbowl halftime show.
• Ever Given, one of the largest container ships in the world, runs aground and obstructs the Suez Canal for six days, disrupting global trade.
• World leaders mark Earth Day by hosting a virtual summit on climate change, during which more ambitious targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions are proposed, including a 40% cut by 2030 for the U.S.
• Blue Origin successfully conducts its first human test flight, with a reusable New Shepard rocket delivering four crew members into space, including 82-year-old aviator and Mercury 13 member Wally Funk.
• The Summer Olympics and Paralympics are held in Tokyo, Japan.
• The Canadian federal election is held, with Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party retaining a minority government.

Sam Henson, CEBS

2019

Then

Senior Vice President, Director of Legislative/Regulatory Affairs

Lockton Companies

Kansas City, Missouri

Now

Chief Legal Officer

Creative Planning Retirement

Kansas City, Missouri

2019 Symposium

September 8-11, 2019
Hyatt Regency, New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance: 548

Topics:

• Health Care Ate My 401(k) contributions
• Work Like a Start-Up: Using Innovation Principles to Improve Your Benefits Projects
• Mindfulness in the Workplace
• Navigating Paid Leave Impacts to Benefit Policies
• The Intersection of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Total Rewards
• Telemedicine, On-Site Clinics and Other New Plan Options: Avoid Traps for the Unwary
• Challenges and Effective Solutions for Small Groups of Non-U.S. Employees
• Is Unlimited Vacation right For Your Company?
• Money Matters and the Millennial Mindset
• Medical Cannabis in the U.S. and Canada
• Is Wellness Worth It?
• Benefits as a Service: Who Wants to Go BAAS Fishing?

Notable Events

• During Holy Week, a major fire engulfs Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, resulting in the roof and main spire collapsing.
• World leaders gather to honor WWII veterans on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
• The United States Women’s National Soccer Team wins the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
• Toronto Raptors win Canada’s first ever NBA championship.
• The last Volkswagen Beetle rolls off the line in Puebla, Mexico.
• Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wins re-election.
• Activist Greta Thunberg leads protests and addresses the United Nations on climate change.
• Brexit, scheduled to be completed in October 2019, is delayed.
• NASA astronauts complete the first all-female spacewalk in October.

Lisa Kaiser, CEBS

2018​

Then

Fund Administrator

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 189 Admin Office

Columbus, Ohio

Now

Fund Administrator

Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 189 Admin Office

Columbus, Ohio

2018 Symposium

August 26-29, 2018
Westin Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts
Attendance: 542

Topics:

• Blockchain Technology for Employee Benefits
• Predicting and Disrupting the Opioid Addiction Cycle
• Reaching Your Participants: The Case Against Technology
• Paid Family Leave—Navigating a Complicated (and Changing) Landscape
• CAP: The Past, Present and Future
• Pharmacogenetics and the Value of Personalized Medication Management
• Disaster Preparedness for Benefits and HR

Notable Events

• The 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
• A global television audience of nearly 2 billion watches Britain’s Prince Harry marry American actor Meghan Markle.
• The presidents of North and South Korea meet, marking the first time a North Korean leader has crossed the Demilitarized Zone since its creation in 1953.
• The longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century occurs, and Mars makes its closest approach to Earth since 2003.
• A youth soccer team and their coach are successfully rescued from a flooded cave in Thailand after 17 days.
• Apple, Inc. becomes the world’s first public company to achieve a market capitalization of $1 trillion.
• Canada legalizes the sale and use of cannabis for both recreational and medicinal purposes.
• Nations around the world commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.
• The United Nations reports that by the end of 2018, more than half (51.2%) of the world’s population are now using the Internet.

Debora Green, CEBS

 

2017

Then

Benefits Manager

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Washington, DC

Now

Director, Benefits​

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine​

Washington, DC​​​​

2017 Symposium

September 17-20, 2017​
Hyatt Regency, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 466

Topics:

• CrazySexyCool: Thoughts and Predictions on the Future of Work
• Private Exchanges: Four Years Later
• Fintech: Opportunity or Threat to the DC Retirement Industry?
• Hacking Mental Health
• Unlimited PTO: Considerations for Implementation
• What’s Next for Medical Marijuana in the U.S. and Canada?
• Pension Division on Marriage Breakdown
• Deskless Yet Informed

Notable Events

• Millions become amateur astronomers as a total solar eclipse is visible coast-to-coast across North America
• The #MeToo movement emboldens millions around the world to share their stories of harassment, mistreatment and abuse.
• The “Envelopegate” mix-up at the Academy Awards ceremony initially gives the Best Picture award to LaLa Land, instead of Moonlight
• CPP Expansion legislation takes effect

Donna Malliett, CEBS

2016

Then

Benefits Manager

Farella Braun + Martell

San Francisco, CA 

Now

Benefits Manager

Farella Braun + Martell

San Francisco, CA

2016 Symposium

September 18-21, 2016​
Hilton Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland
Attendance: 454 

Topics:

• The Global Economy: Trends and Predictions 
• One Employer's Journey to Reinvent Time Off 
• Penstion Innovation in Canada
• ACA Reporting Compliamce and Helpful Tips for Year Two and Beyond
• Financial Education--Let's Get Personal
• Rebranding Your EAP

Notable Events

• The Summer Olympics and Paralympics are held in Rio, Brazil, the first time the events have been held in South America.
• Britian votes to leave the European Union (EU)
• Ontario releases details for ORPP

Ronald Krupa, CEBS

2015

Then

Global Benefits Director 

First Advantage 

St. Petersburg, Florida 

Now

Senior Manager, Indirect Tax 

Ernst & Young 

Bradenton, Florida

2015 Symposium

August 23-26, 2015​
Hyatt Regency Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia 

Attendance: 423

Topics:

• Benefit Challenges of a Multigenerational Workforce 
• HIPAA Tune-Up for Your Health Plan 
• What the Proposed "Conflict of Interest" Rule Means for Retirement Professionals 
• Demystifying Section 409A
• Creative Benefit Communications 
• IS 75 the New 65?

Notable Events

• Same sex marriage is legal in all 50 U.S. states. 
• NASA's New Horizons spacecraft has a close fly-by of Pluto, the first of its kind. 
• Brititan's Queen Elizabeth II becomes the longest serving head-of-state of any nation in modern history. 
• Leaders from 147 nations attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. 

Wayne Murphy, CEBS

2014

Then

Manager Corporate Services 

Prudent Benefits Administration Services Inc.

Toronto, Ontario 

Now

Senior Manager Corporate Services 

Prudent Benefits Administration Services Inc. 

Toronto, Ontario 

2014 Symposium

September 7-10, 2014
Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Arizona 
Attendance:488

Topics:

• The Role of Behavioral Economics in Retirement Plans 
• Health Care 2.0: How Technology is Transforming Health Care 
• The Expatriate Perspective 
• Mindfulness in the Workplace 
• Medical Identity Theft and Fraud: Can You Afford the Results?
• Mental Illness in the Workplace

Notable Events

• The 2014 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are held in Sochi, Russia. Slopestyle events are included for the first time. 
• Canadian men's and women's hockey teams take home Olympic gold medals. 
• The ALS Ice Bucket challenge goes viral on social media 
• U.S. restores diplomatic relations with Cuba 
• The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act goes into effect 
• Colorado and Washington legalize the purchase of marijuana for recreational purposes ​

Gordon Erley, CEBS

2013

Then

Vice President 

Aetna National Accounts 

Southfield, Michigan 

Now

Consultant

Plymouth, Michigan

2013 Symposium

September 22-25, 2013
Westin Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts 
Attendance: 564

Topics:

• Are Employee Benefits Forever?
• Organizational Impact of Mental Health Issue 
• ACA and Competitive Advantage in the Talent Wars 
• Early Insights From the First National Multicarrier Corporate Exchange 
• Inpact of the DOMA Decision on Employee Benefit Plans 
• New Pension Standards in Western Canada

Notable Events

• Benedict XVI resigns as pope, the first to do so voluntarily since 1924. Pope Francis succeeds him as the first pope from the Americas and the Southern Hemisphere
• Researchers from Oregon Health & Science University describe the first production of human embryonic stem cells by cloning. 
• The American Taxpayer Relief Act is enacted to prevent the "fiscal cliff."
• The National Hockey League and the NHL Player's Assocation end a 113-day lockout and avoic the cancellation of the 2012-13 season
• The spire atop One World Trade Center in New York City makes it the world's sixth tallest freestanding structure, at a symbolic 1,776 feet.
• The U.S. Supreme Court strikes down section 3 of Defense of Marriage Act as unconstitutional. 
• The Royal Canadian mint discontinues distribution of the penny. 
  

Sandra Wood, CEBS

2012

Then

VP of Operations 

GHB Insurance 

Seattle, Washington 

Now

Chief Benefits Consultant 

The Benefits Academy 

Auburn, Washington 

2012 Symposium

August 5-8, 2012 
Hilton San Francisco Union Square, San Francisco, California 
Attendance: 462

Topics:

• The Future of Retirement 
• Pooled Registered Pension Plans (PRPPs): What You Need to Know 
• mHealth: How Mobile Apps are Changing Health Care 
• The Art of Selling Wellness 
• Social Media Labor and Employment Issues 

Notable Events

• Queen Elizabeth II marks her Diamond Jubilee with 60 years on the British throne 
• Encyclopedia Britannica discontinues its print edition after 246 years 
• London, England hosts the Summer Olympics, with 204 nations participating 
• The "Curiosity Rover" successfully lands on Mars 
• The space shuttle Endeavour has its final flight. 
• The U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Affordable Care Act
• The Court of Appeals for Ontario decides the Carrigan v. Carrigan Estate case

Steven E. Grieb, CEBS

2011

Then

Vice President and Senior Trust Counsel

M & I Institutional Trust

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

Now

Senior Compliance Counsel - Financial and Retirement Services

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 

2011 Symposium

October 2-5, 2011
Grand Hyatt, San Antonio, Texas 
Attendance: 475

Topics:

• Benefits in the (Slowly) Recovering Economy
• Implementing Health Care Reform 
• Retirement Security

Notable Events

• Magnitude 9 earthquake and tsunami hit eastern Japan. 
• American troops kill Osama bin Laden on May 2. 
• Prince William marries Kate Middleton.
• LinkedIn goes public in IPO-second only to Google. 
• Nuclear disaster in Japan
• Value-based health care and retirement security are major focus points for benefits professionals. 
  

Susan Cranston, CEBS

2010

Then

Assistant Vice President HR and Communications

Manulife Financial 

Waterloo, Ontario 

Now

Manager, Strategic Change 

Deloitte Canada 

Kitchener, Ontario ​​

2010 Symposium

October 3-6, 2010
Westin Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina 
Attendance: 525

Topics:

• Health Care Reform and the Economy Showing Signs of Life 
• Introduction/Passing of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 
• Spending Accounts: The Canadian Way 
• Contingent Workers and Benefit Concerns 

Notable Events

• The worst oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry started on April 20, after an explosion at the BP-run Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico killed 11 workers aboard. Close to five million barrels of crude gushed into Gulf waters until it was capped on July 15. 
• In Apri, Steve Jobs launched his iPad. And it was good. 
• Angry Birds becomes an instant hit--and an instant time-waster. 
• A January 12 earthquake rocked the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Within hours, more than a million people became homeless. 
• In the U.S.--COBRA extension 
• PPACA goes into effect. 
• U.S. economy shows signs of life--positioning for economic recovery. 
• Global benefits move toward the front of the bus. 
• In Canada, managing the cost of biologics--prescription drug costs for plan sponsors. These pharmaceuticals are the fastest-climbing expense. 
• in May 2010, the loss of Canadian patent protection on the drup Lipitor
• Pension reform in Canada with plans to modernize the retirement savings system and help working Canadians save more--Bill C-9
• First Canadian president of ISCEBS 
• New/refresh of the ISCEBS website ​

C. Scott Boring, CEBS

2009

Then

Vice President

Lockton Insurance Brokers, LLC 

Los Angeles, California

Now

Director of Employee Benefits and Pension Plan

TAKKION

Fulshear, Texas 

2009 Symposium

August 9-12, 2009
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance: 429

Topics:

• Health Care Reform Proposals 
• 401(k) Participants After the Market Decline 
• Using Technology to Engage Employees 
• How New TFSA Impact Canadian Employer Beneftis 

Notable Events

• America is hit hard by an economic crisis--the worst since the Great Depression. Unemployment soared to 10.2%.
• Health care reform--On November 7, the House passed a sweeping bill by a razor-thin 220-215 margin; two weeks later, the Senate voted along party lines to send its proposed ten-year, $848 billion legislation to the floor of the chamber. 
• The King of Pop, Michael Jackson, dies on June 25. 

Philip Grisafi, CEBS

20​08​

Then

Senior Vice President 

Mosse & Mosse Associates 

Peterborough, New Hampshire 

Now

Senior Vice President 

Mosse & Mosse Associates 

Peterborough, New Hampshire 

2008 Symposium

September 21-24, 2008​
Disney's Yacht and Beach Club,Lake Buena Vista (Orlando), Florida 
Attendance: 512

Topics:

• Impact of the 2008 Election on Health Care 
• Health Savings Accounts for Canadians Mean Spend, Not Save 
• Sifting Through the Investment Clutter 
• Global Economic Outlook

Notable Events

• On September 13, we learned that Lehman Brothers, one of the pillars of American investment banking, was on the verge of bankruptcy.
• Barak Obamam was elected as the first African-American U.S. President
• Somalian pirates netted more than $30 million from more than 70 hijackings this year alone. The pirates raised alarms in late September by seizing a Ukranian freighter carrying tanks and other war material. 
• An ailing Fidel Castro suddenly relinquished the presidency to his younger brother Raul. Castro was 82 at the time. 
• Michael Phelps touched the wall .01 seconds before Milorad Cavic to clinh a surreal victory in the 2008 Summer Olymics--Phelps won eight gold medals. ​

Keith Rauschenbach, CEBS

2007​

Then

Managing Director 

TIAA-CREF

New York, New York 

Now

Retired

Cumberland Foreside, Maine ​​​​

2007 Symposium

September 16-19, 2007
Westin Seattle, Seattle, Washington 
Attendance: 564

Topics:

• New Technology for HR Service Delivery and Communications 
• On-Site Wellness Programs--How Data Drives Success 
• Are We Saving Too Much or Too Little for Retirement?

Notable Events

• The mortgage crisis starts --the housing bubble finally bursts, big time . . . . 
• Good-bye, Harry Potter. This summer Potter-mania crested with the debut of the seventh and final book in the sieries, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. 
• Chinese-made toy recall hits the United States and Canada. 
• Barry Bonds breaks the home-run record and gets indicted. Bonds hits a career 756 home runs amid accusations of steroid use. 
• IPhone -mania--Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone on January 9 along with news that it wouldn't be available for another six months. 
• Congress is likely to act on the Genetice Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), whifh would prohibit health and employment discrimination based on genetic information about  a plan participant, employee or family member. 

Rick Storms, CEBS

2006

Then

Vice President 

Mercer Health & Benefits

Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Now

Parish Manager​

Church of St. Odelia

Shoreview, Minnesota

2006 Symposium

September 10-13, 2006​
Sheraton Centre Toronto, Toronto, Ontario 
Attendance: 500

Topics:

• Competing in the New Economy: A North American Perspective 
• Are There Solutions to the Health Care Crisis in North America?
• Role of Government in Shaping the Future of Benefits 
• The Retirement Dilemma: Are Employees Prepared?

Notable Events

• Massachusetts legislators pass sweeping health bill. 
• Government Accountability Office report looks at use of Social Security numbers. 
• HHS adopts final rule on Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) enforcement. 
• Labor Department launches new compliance-assistance Web portal. 
• Labor Department issues first-ever regulations protecting the reemployment rights of American soliders. 
• Alan Greenspn ends 18 years as chairman of the Federal Reserve.
• Stephen Harper is Canada's new prime minister. 
• Disney plans to purchase Pixar. 
• Coretta Scott King dies. 
• Second Symposium held in Canada.  

David V. Repko, CEBS

2005

Then

Principal 

Towers Perrin 

Cleveland, Ohio 

Now

 

Consultant ​

Solon, Ohio 

2005 Symposium

December 4-7, 2005​
Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa, Phoenix, Arizona 
Attendance: 336

Topics:

• Social Security Point/Counterpoint 
• Forum on Retirement Income Security 
• The Health Care Dilemma 
• Note: The 2005 Symposium was originally scheduled to be held in New Orleans in early September, but had to be relocated due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. 

Notable Events

• Congress enacts American Job Creation Act of 2004 (AJCA) affecting virtually all nonqualified deferred compensation plans and arrangements, and adds new Internal Revenue Code 409A. 
• U.S. Treasury Secretary John Snows approves an easing of the Section 125 "use-it-or-lose-it" rules. 
• SBC Communications phases out its cash balance plan and another hybrid pension plan, and goes with a traditional defined benefit plan. 
• Mellon Financial Corp sells its benefit consulting and administration services unit to Affiliated Computer Service (ACS), renaming it Buck Consultants, Inc.
• Big three automakers get health care concessions from their employees. 
• Supreme Court of Canada rules that a Quebec law that bans health plans and other providers from offering the same services as Canada's single-player system is unconstitutional. 
• Hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit New Orleans, the Gulf Coast and Texas. 
• Delta and Northwest join other airlines in bankruptcy.  

Ross L. Coffey, CEBS

2004​​

Then

Principal 

Boyton Partners Inc. 

Baltimore, Maryland

Now

Retired

Dakota, Georgia

2004 Symposium

October 3-6, 2004
Paris Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada 
Attendance: 650

Topics:

• Perspective on 2004 Elections 
• Health Care Town Hall Meeting 
• Analysis of the Current Economic Environment 
• Legislative Update 

Notable Events

• JP Morgan Chase agreees to acquire Bank One. 
• Ray Charles, Marlon Brando, Julia Child, Estee Lauder and Christopher Reeve die. 
• Indian Ocean tsunami death toll is estimated to be over 150,000.
• Hundreds of gay and lesbian couples marry in Masschusetts, the first U.S. state to allow same-sex civil marriages. 
• Martha Stewart is sentenced to five months in prison and five months of house arrest for lying about the timing of her ImClone Systems stock trade. 
• Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 is passed. 
• UnitedHealth Group acquires Definity Health. 
• IBM decides to phase out disputed cash balance plan and offer an enriched 401(k) plan. 
• Supreme Court rules that "reverse age discrimination" under Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) permits plans to favor older workers over younger workers. 

Mary Komornicka, CEBS

2003​

Then

Senior Vice President Trust Division 

Marshall & Isley Trust Co, NA

Minneapolis, Minnesota 

Now

Retired

Oxford, Michigan

2003 Symposium

September 14-17, 2003
Biltmore Hotel, Phoenix, Arizona 
Attendance: 447

Topics:

• Passion: Do What You Love, Love What You Do!
• Latest Developments in Financial Planning in the Corporate Marketplace 
• An Analysis of the North American Economy 
• Note: The 2003 Symposium was originally scheduled to be held in Toronto, but was relocated due to the SARS epdemic. 

Notable Events

• United Airlines enters Chapter 11 reorganization. 
• According to the IRS, debit cards are a legitimate way to pay expenses electronically. 
• A federal judge rules that IBM's cash balance plan discriminates against older workers. 
• California passes a mandate establishing a "pay or play" approach to health insurance coverage. 
• States and municipalities explore ways to purchase Canadian prescriptions for their citizens. 
• Anthem and WellPoint Health Network announce their merger. 
• President Bush signs legislation expanding Medicare (Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act)--the largest expansion in its 30-year history. 
• Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) scare--OSHA issues guidelines for health care workers, airline employees and others at risk. 
• New York Stock Exchange head Richard Grasso steps down as a result of controversy over his compensation package.  

Michael D. Joyce, CEBS

2002

Then

Vice President/Senior Consultant 

Marco Consulting Group

Boston, Massachusetts 

Now

Senior Vice President and Senior Consultant 

Segal Marco Advisors 

Braintree, Massachusetts 

2002 Symposium

October 20-23, 2002
San Francisco Hilton, San Francisco, California 
Attendance 470:

Topics:

• The Future Isn't What It Used to Be
• Maneuvering Through Today
• Checkup on Health Care: Overview of Health Care Systems Worldwide

Notable Events

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is passed in response to the Enron and WorldCom scandals. 
• Health care costs rise for active employees an average of 14.7%, according to Mercer survey. 
• PBGC's $7.5 billion surplus in 2001 experiences extensive takeovers and low interest rates. 
• Sen. Paul Wellston (D-Minn.) is killed in a plane crash. 
• Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act of 2002 is passed that gives temporary funding relief to interest rates and PBGC premiums, and provides technical corrections to EGTRRA.
• Euro makes uneventful debut. 
• Britain's Queen Elizabeth celebrates 50 years on the throne. 

Juliet E. Sears Milligan, CEBS

2001

Then

Executive Vice President 

CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services 

Orlando, Florida 

Now

Executive Vice President 

CBIZ Benefits and Insurance Services 

Maitland, Florida

2001 Symposium

September 9-12, 2001 
Sheraton Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts 
Attendance: 470

Topics:

• Sustaining Success and Leading "On the Edge" in a Revolutionary World 
• HIPAA Regulatory Overview 
• Pharmacy Benefit Trends and Innovations 

Notable Events

• Terrorists attached the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11. 
• Pensioin and Welfar Benefits Administratioin releases 5500 guidelines. 
• President Bush establishes new Social Security Commission to study reforms. 
• EEOC releases policy guidelines on what constitutes reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. 
• Health Care Financing Administration changes its name. It will now be the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 
• IRS issues final regulations on nondiscrimination requirements for certain DC plans. 
• Health and Human Services issues the first guidance on the new patient privacy protections. 
• Announcement 2001-77 and Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) Plan Amendment Procedures are released. 
• House votes to expand patient's rights in health care but limits lawsuits.  

Debora W. Karstetter, CEBS

2000

Then

Executive Vice President 

ABD Insurance and Financial Services 

Belmont, California 

Now

Retired 

San Jose, California 

2000 Symposium

September 17-20, 2000
Hyatt Regency, San Diego, California 
Attendance: 489

Topics:

• Retiree Health Care: Where Do We Go From Here?
• The Future of Health Care in an Internet Age 
• How Good Is the New Economy?

Notable Events

• The publication of proposed IRS rules aids employers that want tot set up tax-favored transportation of benefits. 
• PBGC announces a record surplus helped by a strong economy, high interest rates and an absence of significant plan terminations. PBGC Executive Director David Strauss warns that it would be premature to cut the premiums employers pay the agency.  
• The Big Three automakers agree to provide domestic-partner health care benefits to their U.S. employees 
• Several Medicare HMOs announce they will significantly reduce the number of markets in which they operate next year due to inadequate government payments. 
• A federal judge rules that cash balance plans do not violate age discrimination laws. 
• The Labor Department releases final regulations to take effect in 2003 that will force most employers to rewrite their employee benefit summary plan descriptions. 
• Congress gives its final approval to legislation continuing for two more years a four-year pilot program that would have expired on December 31, allowing small employers to establish tax-favored MSAs.
  

Dennis W. Wootan, CEBS

1999

Then

Director, Benefits Adminstration and Services 

Northrop Grumman Corporation 

Hawthorne, California 

Now

Consultant 

Santa Ana, California 

1999 Symposium

October 3-6, 1999
Wyndham Palace, Orlando, Florida 
Attendance: 485

Topics:

• Launching the Health Care Culture of the 21st Century 
• The Economy: Where Do We Go From Here?
• COBRA Update

Notable Events

• Amid growing complaints that HMOs are unfairly denying coverage, the House passes patient protection legislation, giving enrollees in HMOs and other managed care plans new legal remedies. The Senate also passes a patient protection bill, but does not give enrollees new rights to recover damages.
• Long-awaited IRS regulations on COBRA provide much of the guidance employers have been looking for.
• Under fire from thousands of employees and from members of Congress, IBM more than doubles the number of employees eligible to choose to remain in the traditional pension plan rather than move to its new cash balance plan.
• UnitedHealthcare, the HMO subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group Inc., drops its longstanding prior-approval requirement for physician treatment decisions.​

Karen B. Lewis, CEBS

1998​

Then

Senior Vice President and Manager

Institutional Trust Firstar Bank of Minnesota NA 

St. Paul, Minnesota 

Now

Retired 

Eden Prairie, Minnesota; Fort Myers, Florida 

1998 Symposium

November 1-4, 1998 
Westin Hotel, Seattle, Washington 
Attendance: 576

Topics:

• Benefits Implications for an Aging Workforce 
• Outsourcing - Why or Why Not?
• Forecasting Uncertainty: Trends in Employee Benefits 

Notable Events

• Pension executives express concern over the Y2K computer problem, especially with custodials and mutual funds.
• PBGC reports surplus assets of $3.5 billion, built by a booming stock market and economy.
• President Clinton testifies for more than four hours on videotape for the grand jury investigating his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.
• In September, in a series of falls, the stock market plummets about 20% from its July 17 high of 9337.97.
• Roger Maris’ home-run record of 61 is blasted out of the record books by Mark McGwire of the St. Louis Cardinals with a record of 70. Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hits 66.
  

James D. Davidson, CEBS

1997

Then

President 

EOI Serivce Company Inc. 

Anaheim, California 

Now

President 

EOI Serivce Company Inc. 

Santa Ana , California 

1997 Symposium

November 9-12, 1997 
Sheraton Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana 
Attendance: 576

Topics:

• Opportunities and Challenges in the 21st Century
• The Evolving Role of the Benefit Professional 
• Social Security Reform - Two Differing Views 

Notable Events

• Martin Slade, executive director of PBGC, dies unexpectedly. David Strauss, deputy chief of staff to Vice President Al Gore, is named the new director.
• Golfer Tiger Woods, 21, wins the Masters Tournament.
• After 99 years as a British territory, Hong Kong reverts to China.
• TIAA-CREF loses its tax-exempt status as part of the tax reform bill passed by Congress. The reform includes provisions for Roth IRAs.
• A Teamsters strike against UPS that cripples many businesses has a key pension issue. The company wants to quit multiemployer funds and set up a replacement fund for members.
• Princess Diana is killed in a car crash.
• Mother Teresa dies in Calcutta.
• Asian economic crisis sends the U.S. market tumbling to its biggest one-day point plunge ever.
• Twelve major public pension funds that own $466 million in total in the stock market join a suit against Columbia/HCA Healthcare over allegations of mismanagement and abuse by some officials.
  Titanic takes over the theaters.
  ​
  

Jean L. Rose, CEBS

1996

Then

Manager, Human Resource Planning North American Truck Company

General Motors Corporation

Pontiac, Michigan 

Now

Retired

Mackinaw City, Michigan 

1996 Symposium

October 6-9, 1996 
Hyatt Regency, Atlanta, Georgia 
Attendance: 494

Topics:

• Social Security and Medicare Reform - No Longer "if," but When and How?
• Investment Education - A Catch-22?
• The Next Wave of Technology 

Notable Events

• Britain’s Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorce.
• Unabomber Theodore Kaczynski is arrested by federal agents in Montana.
• Dan Rostenkowski, a former Democratic congressman from Illinois and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, pleads guilty to two counts of mail fraud.
• The first mammal, Dolly the sheep, is successfully cloned in Scotland.
• The Centennial Summer Olympics are held in Atlanta, Georgia.
• Boris Yeltsin is sworn in as president of Russia, the first to be chosen by a democratic election.
• President Clinton names Madeleine Albright as secretary of state, the highest- ranking woman in the executive branch.
• Congress passes legislation curbing use of preexisting medical condition exclusions in health care plans.
• Congress passes legislation requiring health plans to provide at least 48 hours of inpatient coverage after childbirth.
  

David A. Harvey, CEBS

1995

Then

Account Executive 

Kirke-Van Orsdel Inc. 

St. Louis, Missouri 

Now

Retired 

Safety Harbor, Florida 

1995 Symposium

October 8-11, 1995
Westin St. Francis, San Francisco, California 
Attendance: 635 

Topics:

• Dynamics of a Changing Health Care System 
• The Political Landscape and Its Effect on Employee Benefits 
• Strategic Retirement Planning 

Notable Events

• Kobe, Japan is devastated by an earthquake. 
• The Orange County California Employees Retirement System sues the county to collect its $10.4 million loss in the derivatives fiasco. 
• The space station Atlantis docks with the Russian space station Mir. 

Ted Carlson, CEBS

1994

Then

President

Carlson's Consulting 

Houston, Texas

Now

Managing Principal

Carlson's Consulting 

Houston, Texas 

1994 Symposium

October 2-5, 1994
Radisson, Hotel, Denver, Colorado
Attendance: 507

Topics:

• Medicine's Dilemmas - Infinite Needs vs. Finite Resources 
• Health Care Reform - Update on Federal Legislation 
• ERISA - 20 Years Later 

Notable Events

• Attackers connected with Tonya Harding attack Nancy Kerrigan. Kerrigan goes on to win the silver medal at the Winter Olympics.
• President Clinton lifts the economic embargo on Vietnam.
• Steven Spielberg wins best director and best picture Academy Awards for Schindler’s List.
• South Africa holds its first democratic elections and Nelson Mandela is elected president.
• The Chunnel links France and Britain.
• Israel and Jordan formally end their state of war.
• Major league baseball players go on strike and the World Series is later canceled.
• Republicans win control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time since 1954.
• A leveraged derivatives strategy used by Orange County, California, Treasurer Robert Citron blows up when interest rates move against him. The disaster costs the county investment pool $1.5 billion, and the county files for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
• The Clinton administration’s health care reform effort collapses amid widespread criticism that the plan was too far-reaching.
• Group health care costs start to decline as HMOs aggressively compete for market share.​
  

Peter J. McCauley, CEBS

1993

Then

Manager, Corporate Pension and Savings Plans 

The Upjohn Company 

Kalamazoo, Michigan 

Now

Passed away, 2006

1993 Symposium

September 12-15, 1993
Hilton Hotel, Washington, D.C. 
Attendance: 489 

Topics:

• Benefits in the Winds of Change 
• Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform 
• PBGC--Is the Sky Falling?

Notable Events

• NAFTA agreement is signed and stocks jump.
• A historic peace pact is signed at the White House between the PLO and Israel.
• President Clinton offers sweeping health-care reform program.
• Congress passes the Family and Medical Leave Act.
• Michael Jordan retires from basketball and begins a brief baseball career.
• After a two-year ratification process, the European Community’s Treaty on the European Union becomes effective.​
  

Richard A. Kleinert, CEBS

1992

Then

Office Head 

William M. Mercer Incorporated 

Los Angeles, California 

Now

Retired

Los Angeles, California ​

1992 Symposium

November 15-18, 1992​
Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, California
Attendance: 428

Topics:

• Cash Balance Plans 
• Implementing FAS 106
• Debate on the Future of the Health Care System 

Notable Events

• In February, the Cold War formally ends as Presidents Bush and Yeltsin meet in Washington, D.C.  to declare a new era of friendship and partnership.
  
• Rioters and looters terrorize Los Angeles’ financial community after police officers are found not guilty of beating Rodney King.
• The U.S. Supreme Court rules unanimously that pension assets are beyond the reach of creditors in bankruptcy court.
• Starbucks Corp. goes public.
• The DOL issues final 404(c) regulations after five years of debate. Safe-harbor provisions include requiring at least three diverse investment options.
• Enrollment in managed care plans tops traditional indemnity plans for the first time.
  ​

Michael J. Dooley, CEBS

1991

Then

Vice President of Group Marketing 

Prudential Insurance Company of America 

Chicago, Illinois 

Now

Retired 

Chesterfield, Missouri ​​​​

1991 Symposium

October 20-23, 1991 
Westin Hotel, Toronto, Ontario 
Attendance: 368

Topics:

• 404(c) Regulations 
• Long-Term Care 
• Americanization Trends in Canadian Affairs 

Notable Events

• Pan American Airlines declares bankruptcy, slightly more than two years after one of its jets explodes over Lockerbie, Scotland.
• Boris Yeltsin, president of the Russian Federation, calls for the resignation of Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev.
• Rodney King beating takes place in Los Angeles.
• Slovenia and Croatia declare independence.
• President Bush lifts sanctions against South Africa that were imposed by Congress in 1986.
• Anita Hill tells the Senate Judiciary Committee that Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas sexually harassed her when they both worked for the EEOC.
• Robert Maxwell dies and $717 million in UK-based company pension fund assets are missing.
• The World Wide Web system and sofware are released.
• The Soviet Union officially disbands one day after Gorbachev resigns. 

Sally S. Welborn, CEBS

1990

Then

Vice President-Manager of Corporate Benefits

Union Bank 

San Francisco, California 

Now

Advisor 

Welborn Advisory Services 

Walnut Creek, California 

1990 Symposium

September 9-12, 1990
Westin Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts 
Attendance: 343

Topics:

• Benefits in the 90s
• The Future of Social Security 
• Debate on the Canadian Health Care System

Notable Events

• Nelson Mandela is freed after 27 years in prison.
• Peter Lynch announces that he will retire as manager of Fidelity Magellan. 
• Michael Milken pleads guilty to six felony counts of breaking federal securities law and agrees to pay $600 million in fines and restitution. 
• The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC) for the first time releases the data on the 50 largest unfunded pension plans. 
• The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. vs. LTV Corp. that the PBGC can return to LTV three previously terminated pension plans with $3 billion in underfunded liabilities. 
• Charles Keating is indicted on 42 charges of criminal fraud. 
• Margaret Thatcher resigns after 11 1/2 years as prime minister and is succeeded by John Major. 
• Germany is reunited after 45 years. 
• Financial Accounting Standards Board issues a final rule, FAS 106, requiring employers to recognize future retiree health care liabilities on their future finacial statements. 

Michael Fegan, CEBS

1989

Then

Vice President 

TIAA-CREF

New York, New York 

Now

Retired 

Southport, North Carolina 

1989 Symposium

October 22-25, 1989
Phoenician, Scottsdale, Arizona 
Attendance: 278

Topics:

• Section 89 Update 
• COLI/TOLI
• Mandated Benefits - Misery or Cure?
• Note: The 1989 Symposium was originally scheduled to be held in San Francisco, but had to be moved to Scottsdale due to the earthquake. 

Notable Events

• Exxon Valdez wreck and oil spill occurs in Alaska. 
• Dilbert makes his appearance on the Sunday San Francisco Examiner as the winner of a pooch/owner lookalike contest.
• Just moments before the start of the third game of the World Series, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake shakes the San Francisco/Oakland area.
• The Berline Wall starts to crumble NOv. 9 and the next day demolition begins. 
• Romania's president Nicolae Ceausescu is overthrown and executed. 

Alan P. Cleveland, CEBS

1988

Then

Attorney at Law 

Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green Professional Association 

Manchester, New Hampshire 

Now

Retired

Manchester, New Hampshire 

1988 Symposium

October 9-12, 1988
Westin Hotel, Chicago, Illinois 
Attendance: 234

Topics:

• The Effectiveness of Managed Care 
• Section 89 - Qualification Requirements and Testing Overview 
• Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA)

Notable Events

• United Mine Workers creates the first nationwide multiemployer 401(k).
• The Assembilies of God church defrocks Jimmy Swaggert after he admits moral failure. 
• Surgeon General C. Everett Koop declares cigarettes and other tobacco products to be addictive. 
• Mikhail Gorbachev is elected Soviet president. 
• The U.S. Treasury Department announces a six-month freeze on pension plan terminations. 
• AlliedSignal Inc. launches a trail-blazing health care program by more than a stipulated percentage in each of the next three years. The new plan comes at a time of record increase in group health care costs. 

Jere L. Cowden, CEBS, CLU

1987

Then

Principal 

Mockenhaupt, Mockenhaupt, Cowden & Parks, Inc. 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Now

Retired Chairman ​

Cowden Associates, Inc. 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

1987 Symposium

October 11-14, 1987 
Franklin Plaza, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 
Attendance: 287

Topics:

• The Future of Work and Health 
• COBRA 
• The AIDS Crisis 
• Integration/Coverage Changes Under TRA '86

Notable Events

• Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise is replaced by a new captain and galaxy-class ship in Star Trek: The Next Generation. 
• The savings and loan bailout begins. 
• Pension fundds liquidate a record $16+ billion of stock and move $8.9 billion to case in the first quarter due to the increasing unease with the stock market's high level. 
• The Department of Labor proposes a 404(c) safe-harbor provision allowing fiduciaries to avoid liability if their 401(k) offers a wide range of investment options.
• October 19 the stock market drops 23% costing pension funds $200 billion. 
• Oliver Stone's film Wall Street premiers.

Richard P. Day, CEBS

1986

Then

Senior Vice President

Bankers Life 

Lincoln, Nebraska

Now

Passed away, 2009

1986 Symposium

May 18-21, 1986
Hyatt Islandia, San Diego, California 
Attendance: 120

Topics:

• Revisiting the Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Controversy--Are Hybrid Plans the Answer? 
• The Changing Role and Responsibilities of Employees/Employers in Benefit Selection 
• HMOs/PPOs

Notable Events

• The Challenger space shuttle explodes, killing seven astronauts including Christa McAuliffe, who was to have been the first civilian, and the first teacher in space. 
• A reactor at Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes, producing the worst nuclear accident ever. 
• Falling interest rates wipe out $200 to $300 billion in pension plan surpluses. 
• Ivan Boesky is charged with insider trading and agrees to a record $100 million settlement to the Securities and Exchange Commission. 
• Congress passes the Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act (COBRA). 
• New tax law drastically cuts salary deferrals that can be made to 401(k) plans. 

Katherine A. Hesse, CEBS

1985

Then

Partner

Murphy Lamere and Murphy 

Braintree, Massachusetts 

Now

Partner

Murphy Hesse Toomey & Lehane 

Quincy, Massachusetts

1985 Symposium

April 21-24, 1985 
Fairmont Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana 
Attendance: 70

Topics:

• The Future of Employee Benefits 
• Health Care Cost Management Overview 
• Compliance Aspects of TEFRA and DEFRA 

Notable Events

• GM announces it will manufacture a new line of subcompacts under the name Saturn. 
• New Coke is introduced but is a failure. 
• Bank of American is the first major corporation to adopt a cash balance plan. 
• Employers lobby to save 401(k) plans from being killed by the Reagan administration.
• The Dow tops 1500 for the first time in December. 

Robert B. Jones, CEBS, J.D., CPA 

1984

Then

Assistant Vice President and Manager 

Executive Benefit Division Equibank 

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Now

Chief Executive Officer 

Innovative Compensation & Benefits Concepts, LLC

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 

1984 Symposium

April 29-May 2, 1984 
Hershey Hotel, Hershey, Pennsylvania 
Attendance: 75

Topics:

• Retirement Education
• FASB Update 
• ERISA Legal Update and Tenth Year Anniversary Review 

Notable Events

• Michael Jordan is drafted by the Chicago Bulls.
• Walter Mondale picks Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate--the first woman nominated by a U.S. major party as vice president. 
• Prime Minister Indira Gandhi is killed by Sikh gunmen. 
• A poison gas leak at a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India kills approximately 3,800 people and disables others. 
• The IRS issues "use-it-or-lose-it" rules for flexible benefit plans. These plans, the IRS says, must have the elements of insurance to be legal. 

John P. Carsten, CEBS

1983

Then

Administrative Secretary 

Local 373 U.A. Fringe Benefit Funds 

Spring Valley, New York 

Now

Personal Finance Consultant 

Kapaa, Hawaii 

1983 Symposium

May 22-25, 1983
Sir Francis Drake, San Francisco, California 
Attendance: 55

Topics:

• Outlook for the Private and Public Pension System
• Funding Alternatives 
• Top-Heavy Plans 

Notable Events

• Unemployment reaches an all-time high of 10.8%, its highest level since 1940. 
• The final episode of "M*A*S*H" becomes TV's most-watched segment ever. 
• The CD player is introduced. 
• Sally Ride is the first U.S. woman in space on the shuttle Challenger. 
• The bombing of U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut results in 241 Americans dead. 
• The junk bond market starts.
• Stores run out of Cabbage Patch dolls. 
• William M. Mercer and Meidinger merge. 
• Preferred provider organizations begin to expand rapidly as a health care cost-containment tool. 
• Social Security solvency legislation passes, gradually raising the retirement age to 67 from 65.

Walter C. Mailand, CEBS, CLU

1982

Then

Second Vice President 

United of Omaha

Omaha, Nebraska 

Now

Passed away, 2016

1982 Symposium

June 27-30, 1982
Pheasant Run, St. Charles, Illinois 
Attendance:34

Topics:

• Trends and Outlook for the '80s
• Flexible Benefits 
• Investment Trends 

Notable Events

• Savings and loans are deregulated. 
• Defined benefit plans may have peaked. Government policies are causing firms to swing to defined contribution plans, even though the IRS has not issued final rules on 401(k) plans. 
• Princess Grace of Monaco dies in an automobile accident. 
• The Vietnam War Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. 
• New federal regulations make employers the primary payer of health care bill for employees staying on the job after age 65. The legislation is intended to shift costs away from the financially strapped Medicare program.