Gina Smith
Wallingford
Summary
Hard-working professional with 10+ years of experience and a proven knowledge of Americans with disabilities act, FMLA benefits administration, and employee benefits. Aiming to leverage my skills to successfully fill the Benefits Specialist role at your company.
Overview
19
19
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
HRIS & Benefits Manager
Regional Water Authority
12.2022 - Current
- Manage all aspects of HRIS administration, improvements, upgrades, design & additional implementations
- Manage all system configurations within all technical areas of current HRIS system
- Act as liaison to all other functional areas within HR and across the organization
- Proactively identify risks or opportunities and recommend changes to processes which improve the deliver of HR services to the organization
- Negotiate priorities and support requirements with the IT department, functional staff and others as appropriate based on business needs
- Responsible for all HR reporting; receive and interpret all report requests from internal customers
- Plan, budget and forecast HRIS needs and applications
- Maintain awareness of vendor plans and the potential impact of those plans on current and future HRMS functionality
- Administer the company’s employee benefits program, which includes retirement plans, leave policies, wellness programs, and health, life, and disability insurance policies, and HSA, and FSA reimbursement accounts
- Ensure compliance with all benefit and retirement plans; including up to date Plan Documents, compliance with PPACA, IRS, DOL and other state and federal regulations and required filings
- Partner with broker and vendors to analyze utilization and claims data and identify trends/issues; recommend process improvements and plan design changes
- Process weekly payroll as back up to the payroll specialist
- Audit benefit programs and agreements to optimize service delivery.
- Assist employees with resolving complex benefit-related issues, providing timely support and guidance.
- Implemented wellness programs to encourage healthy lifestyles among employees and lower insurance premiums.
HRIS & Benefit Specialist
Knights of Columbus
01.2015 - 11.2022
- Maintains all benefit related records
- Administered and monitored other benefit programs including on-line COBRA notifications and voluntary benefit plans
- Determined FMLA eligibility as mandated by law utilizing consistency and objectivity
- Successfully managed leave of absence requests, ensuring timely communication with employees and proper documentation.
- Generated timely determination of FMLA eligibility within required timeframe, including all communication notices and reporting
- Coordinated FMLA Administration with Short Term Disability (STD) and Workers' Compensation (WC)
- Responded to inquiries from employees and retirees regarding benefits and coverage
- Explain plan provisions and resolves questions concerning claims
- Resolved complex benefits-related issues promptly, maintaining strong relationships with both employees and vendors.
- Provides support to KRONOS HR users in system changes, problem solving and training
- Assists in developing standard and nonstandard reports for HR and end-users
- Counseled employees experiencing life events, guiding them through the necessary steps to update their benefit elections accordingly.
Disability Claims Processor
Knights of Columbus
12.2013 - 01.2015
- Receives incoming mail and prepares claims for review, establishes new claims, determines which policies are eligible for Waiver, assigns claim number and inputs pertinent information in Life70 and Ingenium
- Analyzes policy accounting history to determine amount of premium refund and/or loan repayment; generates the premium refunds and/or repays the loan through policy accounting
- Places policies on Waiver of Premium through file maintenance transactions; determines conversion date for term policies; calculates a cease date when applicable; re-opens previously closed claims and removes policies from Waiver when required; adjusts policy paid to date accordingly
- Types all disability claim approval letters and check requests using templates; requests accounting audits when required; requests translation of documentation when necessary
- Processes reversal of premiums on policies that have been terminated for death claim processing; makes adjustments to policies resulting in a GPO exercise and automatic policy conversion
- Uses reports to process file maintenance when periodic follow up is required, client is deemed totally disabled or when the claim is closed, reviews daily automatic status and notifies the appropriate department
Fraternal Service Mail Clerk
Knights of Columbus
11.2012 - 12.2013
- Department Call Center – Received and responds to telephone and email inquiries and requests from internal and external parties; explains procedures; answers questions and resolves routine issues, researching responses as necessary
- Orders business cards for KofC management employees and State Officers from in-house printing; orders personalized name badges for meetings from outside vendors
- Administers Columbian and Star Council award programs; reviews awards forms to determine if eligibility criteria have been met; enters data into Ingenium; reviews membership records and insurance status to research disputes; explains reasoning and resolutions to Councils
- Prepares information on council awards to provide for vendor engraving
- Assists with the Annual Survey of Fraternal Activity processing and report
- Receives and reviews all department emails and forwards to appropriate party
- Receives annual hard copy Service Program Personnel Report Survey from councils, inputs membership number and validates names for accuracy, including State Service Program Personnel data into Ingenium
Membership Records File Clerk
Knights of Columbus
08.2012 - 11.2012
- File all correspondence of Knights of Columbus councils
- File new member, Fourth Degree and Squire Applications
- Mail membership cards to Knights of Columbus members
- Prepare new member applications to be imaged
Second Grade Permanent Substitute Teacher
New Haven Board of Education
09.2010 - 06.2011
- Collect and analyze student data to help drive instruction
- Implement differentiated instruction techniques
- Co-chair National Young Reader's Week
- Implement second grade curriculum
Kindergarten Teacher
Hamden Board of Education
01.2006 - 06.2010
- Classroom Responsibilities
- Instruct with Responsive Classroom philosophy
- Implement guided and shared reading lessons as part of a balanced literacy approach
- Use data from Connecticut Mastery Tests to create SMART goals for math
- Use data collected from assessments to drive instruction
- Conduct parent/teacher conferences twice a year
- Building Responsibilities
- Literacy Team
- Collaborate with colleagues to plan and implement a school wide focus and goal in literacy
Education
Masters of Science - Early Childhood Special Education
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT12.2009
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT12.2005
Bachelor of Arts - General Psychology
Southern Connecticut State University
New Haven, CT12.2005
High School Diploma - undefined
North Haven High School
North Haven, Connecticut06.2001
Skills
- Fluent in Italian
- Competent In Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- HRIS systems
- 401K experience
- Open enrollment coordination
- FMLA administration
- ACA compliance
Certification
- ADP Certified Human Resources Specialist In ADP Workforce Now
- FMLA and ADA compliance
Timeline
HRIS & Benefits Manager
Regional Water Authority
12.2022 - Current
HRIS & Benefit Specialist
Knights of Columbus
01.2015 - 11.2022
Disability Claims Processor
Knights of Columbus
12.2013 - 01.2015
Fraternal Service Mail Clerk
Knights of Columbus
11.2012 - 12.2013
Membership Records File Clerk
Knights of Columbus
08.2012 - 11.2012
Second Grade Permanent Substitute Teacher
New Haven Board of Education
09.2010 - 06.2011
Kindergarten Teacher
Hamden Board of Education
01.2006 - 06.2010
Bachelor of Arts - General Psychology
Southern Connecticut State University
High School Diploma - undefined
North Haven High School
- ADP Certified Human Resources Specialist In ADP Workforce Now
- FMLA and ADA compliance
Masters of Science - Early Childhood Special Education
Southern Connecticut State University
Bachelor of Science - Elementary Education
Southern Connecticut State University
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