U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Appoints 2005 ERISA Advisory Council and Leadership Posts

Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.

Washington, DC - Today Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao announced the appointment of five new members for the 2005 Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans. The new members will serve three-year terms.

The five new appointees and their council positions are: Kathryn J. Kennedy of Chicago, Illinois, representing the general public; Richard David Landsberg of Columbus, Ohio, representing the insurance industry; James D. McCool of Richfield, Ohio, representing employers; Willow J. Prall of Washington, DC, representing employee organizations; and Christopher Rouse of Atlanta, Georgia, representing the accounting field.

Kennedy is associate professor of law and director of the Center for Tax Law and Employee Benefits at the John Marshall Law School, where she oversees graduate degree programs in employee benefits. She has previous experience in private law practice and as a legal consultant and actuary for an employee benefits consulting firm. Kennedy is the co-author of an upcoming textbook on retirement plan issues.

Landsberg is a benefits lawyer and senior advanced sales consultant at Nationwide Financial Services who advises clients on life insurance, annuity and pension issues, and investments. He also provides consulting services to banks, securities broker-dealers, and independent financial advisors in the employee benefit plan and executive benefits areas. Landsberg previously served as counsel in financial services firms and has lectured at the University of Iowa College of Law on employee benefits issues.

McCool is president of Schwab Corporate Services and is responsible for the management of over $131 billion at the end of December 2004. McCool oversees more than 750 employees who service over 725 bundled 401(k) and other plans. He has been active in both the Society of Professional Administrators and Recordkeepers (SPARK) Institute and the National Defined Contribution Council.

Prall is a lawyer with DeCarlo & Connor where she provides legal counsel for single and multiemployer pension plans. She drafts plan amendments, provides legal advice concerning various aspects of laws affecting retirement, health and welfare plans, and is a frequent speaker on retirement plan issues.

Rouse is a principal in the accounting firm of Windham Brannon, P.C. He is responsible for quality control of the firm’s audit and accounting practice and serves as an advisor to businesses ranging from start-up enterprises to multinational public companies. Rouse also provides consultation on mergers and acquisitions, debt and equity securities offerings, strategic planning, accounting system reviews, budgeting, and internal auditing functions. He has performed peer reviews of other accounting firms.

The 2005 Advisory Council leadership includes R. Todd Gardenhire of Chattanooga, Tennessee as the chair and Sherrie Grabot of San Jose, California as vice chair. Gardenhire is senior vice president of investments at Smith Barney. He is serving his third year on the Advisory Council. In addition to his service as vice chair of the Advisory Council in 2004, he served as the 2003 chair of the Working Group on Optional Professional Management of Defined Contribution Plans. Grabot is president of GuidedChoice, a company that provides investment advice to 401(k) plans. In her first year on the Council, she served as the 2004 vice chair of the Working Group on Plan Fees and Reporting on the Form 5500.

The ERISA Advisory Council consists of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of Labor to terms of three years. The terms of five members expire each November 14th at the end of the council year. The members represent various stakeholders in the employee benefits community.

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