The Spark Institute
SHAPING AMERICA'S RETIREMENT

SPEAKERS
 

Andy Adams
Principal
Strategic Benefit Advisors
  Andy Adams has been involved in employee benefits consulting for nearly 20 years. Prior to founding Strategic Benefits Advisors, Andy served as the Chief Operating Officer and Director of National Sales for a national consulting firm. He is recognized as one of the first people to innovate, design and implement the concept of Defined Contribution Strategic Alliances and the ability to daily trade and settle investments from separate managers. Andy has provided guidance and compliance support for 403(b) plan sponsors and fund providers. He is a graduate of The Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in industrial management.


John Arant
Head of Business Development and Strategic Partner Relationship Management
Lincoln Employer Markets
  John manages a team of relationship management directors who are responsible for working with Lincoln's strategic partners in various distribution channels to increase product knowledge and secure shelf space and selling agreements for the company. Prior to this position, he directed a team of regional vice presidents delivering retirement solutions to the employer marketplace. His responsibilities included establishing, implementing and refining the strategic direction, goals and priorities of the organizations. As a member of Lincoln Financial's leadership team, John continues to be responsible for directing the position of the company in the financial marketplace.

He has 35 years of experience in the financial services industry, including several senior-level executive positions in the retirement services market. Prior to joining Lincoln in 2000, he was employed with Aetna, Keyport Life Insurance Company and American General. John holds NASD Series 6, 7, 63 and 65 registrations and also has a CLU designation. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts degree and has a Master of Science degree from Rensselaer.



Bruce Corcoran
Senior Vice President, National Markets – Education
AIG Retirement
  Bruce heads the operations of AIG Retirement’s efforts in the K-12 market. He specializes in both ERISA and Non-ERISA plans from a design and operations perspective.

Bruce holds a number of licenses and professional designations which include General Securities Principal, Investment Advisor Representative, General Securities Representative, and Life, Health, and Variable Annuity Insurance Agent. He serves on the ASBO ethics committee and leadership task force. He is a 1992 graduate from the US Naval Academy with a BS in Physics.



Ralph DelSesto
National Director of 403(b) TPA Support & Distribution
ING
  Ralph is responsible for managing ING’s TPA relationships nationally. This includes implementing TPA technology solutions, working with our product development teams to ensure the successful launch of TPA friendly products and services as well as developing and coordinating various TPA meetings and educational programs. With over 15 years of experience in the 401(k) defined contribution market, he recently shifted his focus to the 403(b) market as a result of the new regulations that take effect on January 1, 2009. He has held various positions that include time in customer service, information technology, and sales & marketing. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and finance from CCSU, a Series 6 and 26 registrations with FINRA and various ASPPA and NIPA designations.


Sandy Fotiades
Vice President - Plan Sponsor Services
Fidelity Investments
  Sandy is responsible for plan sponsor strategy and services for Fidelity’s workplace retirement savings offerings for health care, higher education, public sector, and other tax-exempt organizations. She has served this market for more than a decade in numerous capacities, including institutional strategy, new product development, relationship management, and thought leadership. In this role, Sandy also leads the quarterly Tax-Exempt Market Client Advisory Board.

Prior to her work in the nonprofit markets, Sandy spent nine years serving Fidelity’s corporate retirement clients, holding numerous leadership positions in sales and marketing, operations, and client services. She began her career in retail services at Fidelity in 1983, transitioning to the retirement services division in 1987. Before joining Fidelity, Sandy was a Special Education teacher in the Massachusetts Public Schools.

Sandy earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Mount Holyoke College and her Master’s of Education degree from Boston University. She holds FINRA Series 7, 24, and 63 licenses.



Paul J. Gallagher
Vice President, Service Strategy - Institutional Client Services Business
TIAA-CREF
  Paul’s primary responsibility is to ensure that TIAA-CREF’s pension-related products and services are delivered efficiently and effectively to their institutional clients. Paul is also the product manager for TIAA-CREF’s recently announced Compliance Coordinator service, a web-based application that will allow retirement plan sponsors to comply with the new 403(b) regulations that take effect on January 1, 2009.

Paul has extensive experience building and implementing transformational service strategies. His background includes senior leadership positions at Morgan Stanley, Fidelity and AXA. He earned his B.A. degree from Franklin & Marshall College and an M.B.A. from Cornell University.



Evan Giller
Partner
Giller & Calhoun
  Evan has over two decades of experience working on benefit plans for tax exempt organizations, including retirement plans under IRC sections 403(b) and 457. His practice addresses a wide variety of benefit plan issues, including plan design, compliance, and fiduciary responsibility. He also has experience developing and supporting the operational issues of financial products used by retirement plans. He is a contributor to the 403(b) Answer Book. He is a frequent speaker on topics relating to retirement plans.

Evan received his undergraduate and law degree from the State University of New York, and is admitted to practice in New York. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association where he served as a member of the Employee Benefits Committee, the New York State Bar Association and the American Bar Association. Prior to becoming a founding partner of Giller & Calhoun, Evan worked for the financial services company TIAA-CREF in various legal capacities, including General Counsel, Institutional Client Services.



Larry H. Goldbrum
General Counsel
The SPARK Institute
  Larry is Executive Vice President and General Counsel of The SPARK Institute. As Chairman of The SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee, which is responsible for developing the regulatory and legislative priorities and positions of the SPARK Institute, Larry works extensively on helping to resolve critical industry issues.

Larry has over 20 years of experience in the retirement plan industry, including six years of private practice specializing in ERISA matters. He is a frequent speaker at retirement plan industry conferences and is often quoted in industry media. Larry is a member of the Washington, D.C. Bar and American Bar Association. He received his law degree from the Vanderbilt University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from The George Washington University.



Donald C. Harris
Vice President, National Markets - Education
AIG Retirement
  Don is responsible for the strategic direction and national market activity for the higher education market segment. He has over 20 years experience in financial services, primarily in retirement planning and consulting. Prior to joining AIG Retirement, Don worked as a consulting officer, vice president of marketing and vice president for product and service development.

Don received a BA degree from McDaniel College and an MBA from the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business. He currently holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 and 65, and also holds several professional designations including Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC).



Gary Herzlich
Associate General Counsel,
TIAA-CREF
  Gary advises on Section 403(b) plans, Section 401(a) qualified plans, non-qualified deferred compensation arrangements, fiduciary issues, compliance and general compensation matters. Before joining TIAA-CREF, Gary was a member of the Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation group at Proskauer Rose LLP. Gary received his JD from Boston University School of Law and his LL.M. in Taxation from New York University School of Law. He is a contributor to the 403(b) Answer Book, and he speaks frequently on Section 403(b) and other benefit and retirement related matters.


Elaine Immerman
Associate General Counsel
TIAA-CREF
  Elaine Immerman is Associate General Counsel at TIAA-CREF and has been a member of the Law Department since 1988. Ms. Immerman specializes in 403(b) pension and tax law issues, with particular emphasis on 403(b) and 457 plan design. She has been a frequent speaker for various industry groups including the ICI, ALIC, CUPA and CUBO on 403(b) and 457 plan issues. Prior to joining TIAA-CREF, she was employed as a tax lawyer by Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Ms. Immerman is a graduate of Duquesne University, Cleveland State Law School and received an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University.


Joseph S. Kendy III (Joe)
Senior Counsel
AIG Retirment
  Joe is a member of AIG’s team of tax, benefits and ERISA professionals. He is a frequent speaker on the range of plans maintained by public schools, colleges, & universities, with a particular focus on 403(b) plans, 403(b) audits, and the new 403(b) regulations. Joe has over ten years of experience working with retirement plans and products. He graduated from Providence College in Providence, RI with a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Business Studies, and from the Quinnipiac University School of Law.


Lynn Bahler Knight
Senior Advanced Markets Consultant
ING
  Lynn has worked extensively in retirement plan consulting for a broad spectrum of defined contribution retirement plans, both in private practice and with financial service providers. She has made presentations of topical legislative and regulatory issues to industry groups as well as plan sponsors. Lynn holds a Bachelor’s Degree with a concentration of Legal Studies/Employee Benefits from Charter Oak State College. In addition, Lynn holds a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP) in conjunction with the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also a member of the NTSAA Education Committee.


David J. Kolhoff
Senior Counsel
Lincoln Financial Group
  David manages a team that provides legal support for the development and implementation of new products and services that Lincoln provides to retirement plan sponsors and participants. He advises business areas when issues arise concerning retirement plans serviced by Lincoln. Principally, such advice concerns qualified defined contribution plans, 403(b), 457 and other deferred compensation plans. David provides training on the latest developments in pension law to Lincoln’s technical experts.

David has twenty-two years of in-house, employee-benefits counsel experience, twelve with Federal Express Corporation in Memphis, TN and ten with Lincoln Financial Group in Fort Wayne, IN. He holds a bachelor of arts degree, cum laude, from Kent State University and a law degree, cum laude, from the University of Akron School of Law. David is a member of the Indiana and American Bar Associations, American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries, Pension Committee of the Investment Company Institute, President of ASPPA Benefits Council of Northern Indiana.


Timothy E. Lane
Timothy E. Lane
Managing Director - Institutional Relationships
TIAA-CREF
  Tim is responsible for managing TIAA-CREF’s relationships with a variety of client groups, most notably consortia and associations that serve the higher education, health care, research and cultural fields.

He joined TIAA-CREF in 1986, and spent 12 years working with colleges, universities and other institutional clients on their TIAA-CREF retirement and tax-deferred savings programs. He led the organization’s Tuition Financing business as it entered the college savings field and from 2003 through 2006 he managed TIAA-CREF’s Large Institutions Segment, focusing on the organization’s relations with institutions with $250 million or more in pension assets under management.

Tim is a 1985 graduate of Fairfield University, and attained the designation of Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS). He is a Registered Principal of TIAA-CREF Individual & Institutional Services, LLC and holds FINRA Series 7, 24, 63 registrations and insurance licenses in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.



Thomas Peller
Vice President, Compliance
Fidelity Investments
  Tom Peller is responsible for compliance requirements affecting the design and administration of tax-deferred retirement and savings programs of tax-exempt organizations.

Prior to joining Fidelity Investments in 1996, he was a consultant with a major multinational employee benefits consulting firm. His retirement plan experience also includes plan administration with large plan sponsors and enforcement of the ERISA labor provisions at the U.S. Department of Labor.

Tom is the author of “Retirement on a One-Legged Stool” (Journal of Compensation and Benefits, March/April 2000), “Correcting 457(b) Plan ‘Excess Deferrals’ Under Final Regulations” (Journal of Deferred Compensation, Winter 2004), “Nongovernmental 457(b) Plan ‘One Time Elections’” (Journal of Deferred Compensation, Winter 2005), “Catching Up With Catch-Up Contributions” (Journal of Pension Planning & Compliance, Winter 2007), and “When is 403(b) + 401(a) = 415(c)?” (Journal of Pension Planning & Compliance, Winter 2008). He holds a BA from Yale University and a JD from Boston University School of Law.



Jim Racine
Assistant Vice President and Director of Customer Support Strategy and Projects
Lincoln Financial Group's Employer Markets
  Jim is responsible for setting, coordinating and implementing the strategic direction of the Defined Contribution Services offered by Employer Markets. With more than 20 years of experience in the retirement plan business, Jim joined Lincoln in 1986 and has held a number of positions, including, most recently, Director of New Business and Contribution Processing.

He is a member of Lincoln Financial Group's 403(b) Strategy Team and works closely with industry groups, intermediaries and clients to define and execute on our strategy. Jim has also held positions at AIG VALIC, leading the Contribution Unit and later serving as Director of Strategic Projects.

He earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Technology from Purdue University and holds a number of industry designations, including CLU, ChFC, FLMI and NASD 6 and 26 licenses.



Lucy Sagansky
Vice President - Product Strategy
Fidelity Investments
  Lucy Sagansky is Vice President of Product Strategy, Fidelity Personal and Workplace Investing, a division of Fidelity Investments. She is responsible for Fidelity’s business and operational readiness strategy to support the new 403(b) regulations. She brings ten years of experience in the tax-exempt market, managing new product and services development to meet the needs of tax-exempt employers and employees.

Prior to joining Fidelity Investments, Lucy was vice president and business development officer with BankBoston, N.A. for eleven years, focusing on the private banking and commercial real estate markets. She has been in the financial services/investments industry for over twenty years.

Lucy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Business Administration from Babson College. She currently holds her series 24, 7, and 63 licenses and is a Certified Financial Planner.



Jay C. Schmitt, A.S.A.
Senior Benefits Consultant
Strategic Benefits Advisors
  Jay Schmitt is a benefits consultant who has firsthand experience with the complex aspects of defined benefit, defined contribution and health and group employee benefit programs. He has a Masters of Actuarial Science from Georgia State University and a B.S. in mathematics from Davidson College. Jay is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries.


Richard Turner
Vice President and Deputy General Counsel
AIG Retirement
  Richard leads a team of attorneys and other tax and ERISA professionals who focus primarily on employer-sponsored retirement programs and retirement savings products. He and his legal team have extensive experience working with plans sponsored by public schools and other public and tax-exempt employers, including 403(b) plans, qualified (401(a)/(k)) plans, and deferred compensation plans (both eligible and ineligible). Richard is a contributing author of Panel’s 403(b) Answer Book and an active participant in a number of industry committees. He has worked extensively with retirement plans and products generally since 1984, in a combination of legal, compliance, actuarial and marketing capacities. He is a frequent speaker on retirement plans and related topics.

Richard received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics and his Juris Doctor, both with honors, from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He has been a member of the Ohio Bar since 1991.

 
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