2026 Employer Symposium
Recap Portal
Tuesday, May 9, 2023 | 8:30 am - Noon
DoubleTree Conference Center
2111 Butterfield Rd, Downers Grove, IL 60515
Speaker’s Name
Title
Company Name
"The topic that the speaker is going to present on."
Steve Hamman
President
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term"
Steve Hamman
President
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois
As president, Steve is responsible for the overall financial performance, long-term growth strategy and strategic planning of the state’s largest health insurance company, which serves more than 8 million members.
Steve joined BCBSIL in 1991 and has served in a variety of management roles within the company during his tenure at BCBSIL and at Health Care Service Corporation — which operates Blue Cross and Blue Shield Plans in Illinois, Montana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. He most recently served as senior vice president, Enterprise Network Solutions and Provider Partnerships, for Health Care Service Corporation.
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes"
MPP, President, District Policy Group
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Ilisa Halpern Paul
Recognized by The Hill as a Top Lobbyist for the past several years, Ilisa Halpern Paul has deep experience and command of a wide range of issues, including health care financing and delivery system reform, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Affordable Care Act, digital health and telemedicine, home health, public health, behavioral health, and the federal budget and appropriations processes.
Ilisa partners with for-profit companies and nonprofit organizations to develop strategies to advance their federal legislative, regulatory, programmatic, policy and business goals. She works with clients to establish and strengthen relationships with elected officials and federal agencies, develop and implement government relations and advocacy programs, and craft effective grassroots campaigns. Clients value Ilisa’s strategic insight, creative ideas and ability to anticipate federal policy challenges and opportunities.
Ilisa Halpern Paul
MPP, President, District Policy Group
Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
Speaker’s Name
Title
Company Name
"The topic that the speaker is going to present on."
Jeff Kolker
Senior Vice President
GCG Financial
"2020 Benchmarking Results"
Jeff Kolker
Senior Vice President
GCG Financial
Jeff joined GCG 1992 and became Vice President of Employee Benefits in 1999. His responsibilities include supervision of the employee benefits resource team, product review, and the sale of new and renewal employee benefits programs including medical, dental, disability, and various other employee benefits to our clientele.
Jeff has used his accounting background and communication skills to become a leading producer in group benefits. He has been involved in speaking and advisory roles for many of the national health carriers, helping design benefit plans and providing valuable feedback on various plans’ strengths and weaknesses. His understanding and grasp of the continued pressures on businesses to remain competitive and profitable have helped make him successful in the employee benefits field. Jeff has also served on various advisory boards for insurance carriers doing business in the Chicagoland area. Jeff, along with GCG’s employee benefits division, has been recognized by several of the national carriers as a top producer and preferred broker.
Speaker’s Name
Title
Company Name
"The topic that the speaker is going to present on."
Michael Catalano
Lead Financial Analyst
GCG Financial
"2020 Benchmarking Results"
Michael Catalano
Lead Financial Analyst
GCG Financial
Michael Catalano is a Lead Financial Analyst who joined GCG in 2012. Michael’s primary responsibilities include heading up the financial analyst department and supporting GCG’s key account clients in the area of financial and data analytics. Additionally, Michael also helps to oversee GCG’s relationship with the Milliman actuary team in order to audit and interpret the deliverables they provide to GCG clients. Ultimately, Michael’s reports, observations and skills use analytics information to support the strategic goals of the advisor team and provide meaningful interpretations to GCG clients.
Karen English
Senior Vice President
Spring Consulting Group
Karen is a Partner and Senior Consultant with Spring Consulting Group, an Alera Group company. She has over 20 years of experience in the P&C and health & welfare arenas with an emphasis on product development, risk financing, process improvement and project implementation. Karen provides strategic direction, quantitative & qualitative analysis and implementation expertise for workers’ compensation, disability, absence, health and productivity programs that allows her to routinely work with alternative risk financing vehicles such as captives. Karen is committed to researching how disability, absence and health management programs can be integrated and uses that research to develop employee focused solutions that provide a cost savings for the employer. Karen is on the Executive Advisory Board for the Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC), where she recently served as lead editor for the DMEC’s Tools of the Trade – Guide to Integrated Programs and DMEC’s Return to Work Program Manual. Prior to joining Spring, Karen was a Senior Consultant with Watson Wyatt’s US Insurance & Financial Services division, a risk manager with US Bancorp and a P&C broker for both Marsh and Aon.
Karen English
Senior Vice President
Spring Consulting Group
"2020 Benchmarking Results"
We brought together a group of people that have devoted their time and energy to employee benefits and the healthcare industry.
"2020 Benchmarking Results" by Jeff Kolker, Michael Catalano and Karen English
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term" by Steve Hamman
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes" by Ilisa Halpern Paul
Closing Statements
9:00-9:10 AM
10:20-11:20 AM
11:20-11:30 AM
AGENDA
THE SPEAKERS
© 2026 Alera Group
Three Parkway North, Suite 500
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 457-3000
Alera Group
Thank you for attending!
We hope you enjoyed the event that took place on Tuesday, January 28, at Northwood Technical College, New Richmond, WI.
The HRCI / SHRM credit codes are as follows:
SHRM: 23-2XPYK
HCRI: 627895
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute's® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
Access the post-event resources.
9:10-9:40 AM
Introductions
9:40-10:10 AM
10:10-10:20 AM
Break
HRCI / SHRM Credits
"2020 Benchmarking Results" by Jeff Kolker, Michael Catalano and Karen English
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term" by Steve Hamman
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes" by Ilisa Halpern Paul
Closing Statements
9:00-9:10 AM
10:20-11:20 AM
11:20-11:30 AM
AGENDA
CEOs, CFOs, COOs, and HR leaders of all industries.
This event has been submitted for HRCI and SHRM Credits.
The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute's® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.
9:10-9:40 AM
Introductions
9:40-10:10 AM
10:10-10:20 AM
Break
WHO SHOULD ATTEND
DoubleTree Conference Center
2111 Butterfield Rd,
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Location
- Breakfast and Carrier Partner Fair - 8:30 – 9:00 am
- Speaker Presentations - 9:00 – 11:30 am
- Carrier Partner Fair Continues - 11:30 am – Noon
- The state of healthcare in 2023 (Aaron Mauck)
- Trends, spend and data around mental health, health equity and pharmacy (Mary Delaney)
- Medicare (Larri Luthy)
- Retirement Plans and economic update (Bob Janson)
- Compliance and regulatory updates (Danielle Capilla)
"2020 Benchmarking Results" by Jeff Kolker, Michael Catalano and Karen English
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term" by Steve Hamman
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes" by Ilisa Halpern Paul
Closing Statements
9:00-9:10 AM
10:20-11:20 AM
11:20-11:30 AM
AGENDA
9:10-9:40 AM
Introductions
9:40-10:10 AM
10:10-10:20 AM
Break
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Moderating: Ross Bjella, Founder - Alithias
Panelists:
Emily Dilley, CEO - Cumberland Health
Kelly Macken-Marble, CEO - Osceola Medical Center
Steve Massey, CEO – Westfields Hospital & Clinic
Root Causes, Real Solutions: A Provider Perspective on Health Care Costs
Kristi Cherney, Market Client, Consulting & Operations Leader - Alera Group
Healthy America: Election Outcomes and the Future of Health Care
Bill Derrick, Author & President
- Derrick Building Solutions
Restored by the Storm:
Embracing Resilience and Change
Lida Bannink, Shareholder
- Eckberg Lammers
Lida Bannink, Shareholder - Eckberg Lammers
Bridging Borders:
WI & MN Policies Impacting HR Strategy
"2020 Benchmarking Results"
Stacy Barrow, Partner
- Barrow Lent LLP
Stacy Barrow, Partner - Barrow Lent LLP
Minnesota PFML is Coming: What You Need to Know (Part 1)
"2020 Benchmarking Results" by Jeff Kolker, Michael Catalano and Karen English
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term" by Steve Hamman
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes" by Ilisa Halpern Paul
Closing Statements
9:00-9:10 AM
10:20-11:20 AM
11:20-11:30 AM
AGENDA
9:10-9:40 AM
Introductions
9:40-10:10 AM
10:10-10:20 AM
Break
Complete the Survey for a Chance to Win!
Attendees: please complete our survey to help us create events that are meaningful to you. Three participants chosen at random will win Alera Group swag.
Survey closes Friday, April 19, at 5 p.m. CST
- Breakfast and Carrier Partner Fair - 8:30 – 9:00 am
- Speaker Presentations - 9:00 – 11:30 am
- Carrier Partner Fair Continues - 11:30 am – Noon
- The state of healthcare in 2023 (Aaron Mauck)
- Trends, spend and data around mental health, health equity and pharmacy (Mary Delaney)
- Medicare (Larri Luthy)
- Retirement Plans and economic update (Bob Janson)
- Compliance and regulatory updates (Danielle Capilla)
- Breakfast and Carrier Partner Fair - 8:30 – 9:00 am
- Speaker Presentations - 9:00 – 11:30 am
- Carrier Partner Fair Continues - 11:30 am – Noon
- The state of healthcare in 2023 (Aaron Mauck)
- Trends, spend and data around mental health, health equity and pharmacy (Mary Delaney)
- Medicare (Larri Luthy)
- Retirement Plans and economic update (Bob Janson)
- Compliance and regulatory updates (Danielle Capilla)
State of Labor: Employer Challenges
Neil Kline, Executive Director
– Family Friendly Workplaces
Focus-Forward:
Trends and Strategies For Success
Jill Gorres, Employee Benefits Consultant
– Alera GroupAlicia Schwartz, Employee Benefits Consultant
– Alera Group
"2020 Benchmarking Results"
Stacy Barrow, Partner - Barrow Lent LLP
Welcome
"2020 Benchmarking Results" by Jeff Kolker, Michael Catalano and Karen English
"COVID-19 Impact to the Health Care System and What Employers Should Be Thinking About Long-Term" by Steve Hamman
"The Political Landscape: Health Policy Outlook and Potential Election Outcomes" by Ilisa Halpern Paul
Closing Statements
9:00-9:10 AM
10:20-11:20 AM
11:20-11:30 AM
AGENDA
9:10-9:40 AM
Introductions
9:40-10:10 AM
10:10-10:20 AM
Break
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