U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Appoints New Members To 2004 ERISA Advisory Council and Leadership Posts

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao today announced the appointment of five persons to three-year terms on the 2004 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans.

The five appointees and their council positions include: Charles J. Clark of New Jersey, representing actuarial counseling; Lynn L. Franzoi of California, representing employer organizations; Neil Gladstein of Maryland, representing employee organizations; Sherrie E. Grabot of California, representing investment counseling; and Tim Knopp of Oregon, representing the general public.

Clark is senior vice president of Aon Consulting, where he represents Aon’s New Jersey office on the Aon Consulting Retirement Practice Council. He also is an associate of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Clark has been a member of the ERISA Industry Committee and was a member of the retirement policy committee of the American Benefits Council.

Franzoi is senior vice president of benefits for the Fox Entertainment Group Inc., responsible for the design, administration and financing of all benefit programs for over 12,000 domestic and 800 foreign employees. She is an active member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce; where she has chaired its qualified plan committee and serves as a member of the Chamber’s employee benefits committee. Franzoi has represented the Chamber on ERISA-related issues before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Gladstein is a senior research economist and assistant director of the Strategic Resources Department of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. He has experience working with single and multiemployer plans, and defined contribution and defined benefit plans. He has served on the Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Research Advisory Council since 1984 and chaired its Committee on Foreign Labor Statistics from 1992 to 1996. He also served on the department’s Labor Advisory Committee on Trade Negotiations and Trade Policy from 1989 to1996.

Grabot is president, founder and chief executive officer of GuidedChoice Inc. A former manager of HR systems at Apple Computer Inc., she spearheaded the automation of that company’s 401(k) plan. At T. Rowe Price, Grabot was vice president and regional client manager for the company’s West Coast institutional practice responsible for many of the company’s largest retirement plan clients. She managed all aspects of the clients’ plans, including their investment programs and policies, plan design and benefits automation.

Knopp is currently serving his third term as a member of the Oregon House of Representatives. He also served one term as the House Majority Leader and has served as Chair of the House Public Employees Retirement System Committee. A part-time legislator, Rep. Knopp also is executive vice president of the Central Oregon Builders Association (COBA), a non-profit trade association consisting of builders, subcontractors, lending institutions and utilities. At COBA, his primary responsibility is setting up a 401(k) plan for the association’s 550 employees.

The 2004 council leadership includes David Wray of Chicago as the chair and R. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga, Tennessee as vice chair. Wray, president of the Profit Sharing Council of America, is beginning his third year; last year he served as vice chair of the council. Gardenhire, senior vice president of investments at Smith Barney, is beginning his second year and last year served as chair of the council’s Optional Professional Management Working Group.

The ERISA Advisory Council, as it is more commonly known, consists of 15 members appointed by the Labor Secretary to three-year terms. Five of the terms expire each November 14^th, the end of the Council year. The members represent various stakeholders in the employee benefits world.

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.