Lee Anne Brown

Responsible for the day-to-day oversight and administration of all company benefits and policies, including medical, dental, vision, FSA, HSA, life insurance, short- and long-term disability, 401(k), ancillary benefits, EAP as well as benefit related policies. First point of contact and escalation for issue resolution for our internal benefit team members and responsible for overall management of third-party vendors and providers.

• Manage vendor and carrier relationships in coordination with our benefit offerings and agreements.
• Act as a team lead and assist the Benefits Analyst/Coordinator in their responsibilities.
• Ensure effective management and administration of the company's benefits programs.
• Monitor file feeds, feedback file errors and payroll deduction files for accuracy to and from systems.
• Evaluate benefit coverage; conduct benchmarking; monitor costs and provide recommendations.
• Mediate problems and provide issue resolution between employees and benefit plans and escalate where necessary.
• Educate and communicate benefits information to employees through the People Portal, Benefits Communication portal, intranet articles, mailings especially during our annual open enrollment.
• Conduct audits as required

Instrumental in the management of a benefits program that served over 1500 employees. Managed all STD and LTD programs with 20 active cases at any given time. Maintain compliance and knowledge surrounding State and Federal laws. Facilitated the acquisition of medical, dental, vision insurance coverage, and flexible fringe benefit programs.

• Overhauled the HR department perception, renewing focus on employee engagement and communication.
• Designed and delivered new hire orientation presentations across North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. Established as a point-of-contact for all benefits-related matters.
• Developed a wellness program that aligned with the culture of the company and brought focus on health screenings / outcomes. Achieved a 98% participation rate. Program success recognized by the Charlotte Business Journal.

Partnered with business accounts to evaluate needs and design employee benefit plans, addressing ongoing needs quickly. Tasked with oversight of complex and larger accounts due to experience.

• Quickly developed lasting relationships with clients, going that extra mile to check fo understanding of processes and provide key education.

Recruited to manage the evaluation, planning and administration of the Firm's employee benefit programs. Delivered consistent ERISA, COBRA, and FMLA compliance. Connected with employee population to counsel on employee benefit selections and changes. Negotiated with insurance carriers and external contractors to secure best possible benefits rates and plans.

• Instrumental in growing HR department from 2 employees to 6, aligning the department's capabilities to meet the growing firm's demand.
• Halted the use of a 3rd party vendor for open enrollment process, instead implemented self-service program which saved the company an average of $20k per year.
• Designed and implemented a Wellness Program which earned a spot in the Top 10 of the Charlotte Business Journals Wellness Companies, 2 consecutive years.
• Identified unnecessary increases in FSA contributions which had resulted in decreased quality and sustainability of the overall medical plan. Overhauled procedures to lower premium costs and increase quality and sustainability.
• Changed employee behavior surrounding the medical plan, further reengaged team to increase enrollments and overall success of the program.
• Recognized noticeable gap and lack of engagement between upper-level and lower-level employees. Utilized the Wellness Plan to implement office workout classes which served as a bridge to bring employees together in a health-centric setting.

Fostered outstanding customer service and relationship management while overseeing client FSA accounts. Accountable for claims adjudication, audit procedures, and account reconciliation. Delivered solid understanding of technical IRS code and legal compliance.

• Grew client portfolio from 20 to 80 over tenure, a 400% increase.
• Supported clients through Non-Discrimination Testing and 5500 Preparation. Collaborated with each non-compliant account to resolve problems and implement key solutions to bring account back into compliance quickly.