Adrienne Johnson, Benefits Managing Director, Mercer
Adrienne is a Principal for Mercer Health and Benefits and leads the Tennessee Health and Benefits Practice. With over fifteen years of experience in the insurance and employee benefits industry, Adrienne works closely with clients to develop and execute strategies surrounding their benefit plans. Adrienne also serves as Mercer’s Health Business Client Solutions Leader in the East market.

Alicia Henson, Vice President, Fidelity Workplace Consulting
Alicia specializes in the design, benchmarking, administration, and financing strategies of nonqualified deferred compensation plans. Alicia began her career at Fidelity Investments and has been involved with Nonqualified Plan Deferred Compensation administration for 14 of her 16-year tenure. She has a Bachelor of Science from Western Kentucky University, in addition to her holding FINRA Series 7 and Series 63 licenses.

Ben Merrill, Senior Principal, Mercer
Ben is a Senior Principal within the Career Services practice. He supports and leads projects in the areas of employee rewards, executive compensation, and total rewards strategies. He is based in Nashville, Tennessee. Ben has over 20 years of experience leading innovative rewards and HR solutions for large companies in the healthcare and technology industries. He served as the Vice President, Total Rewards and HR for Asurion, a global technology protection and services provider. 

Cassandra Williams, Vice President Human Resources, Endodontic Practice Partners
Cassandra is a key member of the leadership team and is responsible for building out and leading the HR function. Cass is a leader and mentor that implements effective HR initiatives to fit business strategies. With over 15 years’ experience, she has managed all facets of the human resources function including recruiting, retention strategies, benefits administration, training, performance management and recognition, and has led a team of high performing HR professionals. Prior to joining EPP, Cass served as the Head of Human Resources for Verus Healthcare (acquired by Adapthealth) and Sr. Director, of Human Resources for Adapthealth where she was responsible for the HR management of multiple regions and operations. Her business acumen combined with a wealth of HR knowledge and experience makes Cassandra the epitome of what it means to be a strategic HR business partner. She is always seeking solutions to benefit both the organization and the employees. Cass received her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology, minor in Business Administration from Tennessee State University and Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Organizational Leadership and Communication from Belmont University, in Nashville, TN.

Chad Smolinski, Regional Sales Manager, Prudential
Chad is Regional Sales Manager at Prudential responsible for the Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio markets focused on working with employers from 100 to 5,000 lives.  Chad has over 17 years of experience helping Benefit Consultants and Employers provide cost-effective Employee Benefit Solutions to employees. As a subject matter expert in Life/AD&D, Disability, Statutory Plans, Absence Management, and Supplemental Health Benefits programs, Chad deeply understands employer needs, technology integration, and overall plan administration.

Jay Brown, President - Tennessee, Lockton Companies
As President of Lockton’s Tennessee offices, Jay is dedicated to culture, performance, and business growth. He is responsible for overseeing client relationships, guiding service teams, and advising his clients on human capital and risk management strategies. He is also responsible for delivering an equally great experience to Associates. As a Producer, Jay is a client advocate and has the ultimate responsibility in delivering all aspects of the customer service experience to clients.

Jeanne Sutton, Financial Benefits Advisor, Strategic Retirement Partners
Jeanne is a CFP and a CPFA with Strategic Retirement Partners. She has built a successful practice as an investment advisor for families and businesses. Jeanne’s goal is to simplify advice in an over-complicated, jargon-filled industry. National publications, including Forbes Magazine, Time Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times, CNBC News, etc., have interviewed her. She brings energy and simplicity to complicated topics and is known for the original content she posts on social media. Topics range from personal finance to employer-sponsored plans. You can find her using the hashtag #401klady.

Jeremy Boraks, Vice President Rewards Consulting, Fidelity Investments
Jeremy has responsibility for strategic planning and consultative services for equity compensation. Jeremy joined Fidelity Investments in 2001. He has seventeen years of outsourcing and administration experience within the institutional client space. Before moving to Fidelity Workplace Consulting, he served as a managing director in Stock Plan Consulting and finance director focused on both product and strategic business development. Jeremy received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and his Master of Business Administration degree from Babson College. He earned the Certified Equity Professional designation from the Certified Equity Professional Institute and holds Series 7 and 63 securities registrations.

Jim Horrell, Senior Benefits Consultant, Lockton Companies
Jim has over 30 years of experience designing, funding, managing, communicating, and implementing health and welfare plans. His background includes developing strategic benefit plan options for medium and large organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, BPO services, logistics, governmental entities, METs, and MEWAs. Jim’s current responsibilities are focused on developing and delivering strategic benefit options to large employers. His prior experience includes working as a group benefits underwriter, technical consultant, and benefits manager for a Fortune 500 manufacturer. 

Karen Stone, Director of Business Engagement Strategies, Vanderbilt Health
Karen Stone leads the Business Engagement Strategies Team at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She and her team work collaboratively with VUMC stakeholders to drive strategic B2B and B2B2C business goals. Her work includes development, management and marketing of new direct to employer (DTE) products and solutions as well as driving client success and patient satisfaction for VUMC’s flagship DTE program, MyHealth Bundles. Karen is passionate about design thinking and the collection and utilization of feedback as the basis for building and sustaining high-value customer experiences that promote engagement, growth and loyalty. Her career spans multiple industries and disciplines where she has led large-scale marketing and market research programs for start-ups to the Fortune 100.

Kevin has spent his entire career in the healthcare industry and currently serves as the Area Vice President of Health and Welfare Consulting at Gallagher in Nashville, TN. Kevin began his career on the carrier side as an Underwriter focusing on portfolio pricing and management. He then served as an Account Manager with a focus on client service and client retention. In his final role on the carrier side, Kevin focused on business development and new client attraction. 
Kevin transitioned to Gallagher in 2017 to leverage his technical background and experience to help employers reduce total costs, improve outcomes, and enhance employee experience. 

Kyle Loretelli, Director of Market Operations for the State of Tennessee, Ashton Carter
Kyle started with Aerotek in 2010 working as an industrial recruiter out of the Stockton, California location. In 2012, he moved into sales and helped open the Aerotek Professional Services (APS) division for the Central Valley, where he created a legacy promoting multiple recruiters and ARMs. Kyle was promoted to practice leader in 2017 and then again to practice leader III in 2022 for Aston Carter’s West region. Throughout his tenure with the company, Kyle has accumulated nine contest wins, four of which being million-dollar-club wins, and has participated in both the director readiness program within the West region and Aston Carter’s Thrive Program for the 2020-2021 year. He not only upholds Aston Carter values at work but attributes legacy, balance, being a competitor, and excellence as values he brings into his daily life. Kyle and his family recently relocated to Franklin as he was promoted to Director of Market Operations for the state of Tennessee. 

Linda McDougal, Account Executive, Gallagher
Linda holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational communications from Middle Tennessee State University. Linda was welcomed back to Gallagher in 2022 as an Account Executive, where she has been able to help design and implement total rewards packages for clients.  Prior to joining Gallagher, she served as a Total Rewards & Employee Engagement Manager for Lee Company.

Michelle Lafalette, Vice President & Total Rewards Leader, AON
Michelle is based in Nashville, TN, where she is an Account Executive within AON’s Health Solutions Consulting Practice. In this role, Michelle works with a mix of middle and large-market clients across various industries and manages multiple teams to deliver client benefits consulting services. Michelle is experienced in building health and benefits strategies, overall plan and vendor management, managing and delivering renewals, and implementing new vendors and products.

Sara Tynes, Assistant Vice President, AON
Sara is as an Assistant Vice President with Aon’s Health Solutions Consulting practice based in Nashville, TN. Her primary responsibilities include partnering with clients to ensure the successful execution of their benefits program while maintaining a strategic focus on future initiatives. Sara leads her client’s day-to-day activities, including project and program management, vendor oversight, issue resolution, and long-term planning, development, and implementation across a variety of mid-market and large-market clients. 

Stephanie Hawkins, Area Vice President and HR Consulting Practice, Gallagher
Stephanie serves as a trusted adviser to her clients at Gallagher, leveraging her human resources experience to provide benefits consulting services. She spends her time helping clients design an ideal mix of reward systems customized to each client’s unique organization. She is also passionate about communicating those reward systems in a way that is meaningful to employees. Her work history includes progressive responsibility in the areas of Strategic HR Programs, Employee Benefits, Compensation, HR Audits, Employee Relations, Talent Acquisition and Management, Affirmative Action, Mergers/Acquisitions, Compliance, Policy and Procedure Development, and Training/Development.