Schedule of Events:

Note: When you register, you will need to indicate which Breakout Session topics you would like to attend.

7:00-8:00 – Registration & Breakfast

8:00-8:30 – Opening Remarks - USI Colorado / Chancellor Sponsor

8:30-9:20 – BREAKOUT SESSION #1:

"FMLA - You've got questions? Well we've got answers!" - Ken Kelly (Account Executive) and Angela Ripper (Assistant Vice President and Special Counsel), Unum Group
OR “Tax Credits - Interested in uncovering hidden dollars?” - Vaqar Khan (Director - R&D Tax Credits), ADP

9:20-9:40 – Break

9:40-10:30 – BREAKOUT SESSION #2:

"Science of Learning & Reinforcement – Teach or Train employees? Learn how to do it better!" - Meredith Masse, ICC, Senior Vice President
OR "Reference Based Pricing – Don’t fear the future of employee benefits! Come learn about reference based pricing" - Tom Pusic, ELAP Services, Director of Business Development

10:30-10:50 – Break

10:50-11:40 – BREAKOUT SESSION #3:

"Unravel the Insidious Impact of Untreated Behavioral Health Conditions in your Workforce" - Michelle Buysse, Catasys, Director of Member Relationships
OR "RX – Tips and tricks for navigating the complex world of pharmacy costs" - Susan Hayes, USI, Principal - Pharmacy Outcomes Specialists

11:40-1:10– Lunch

1:15-2:05 – Key Note Speaker #1: Dr. Haley Perlus, Ph.D – Sport & Exercise Psychology; Published Author, International Speaker and Consultant - "How to Maximize Energy for Optimal Success in Business and Beyond"

2:05-2:25 – Break

2:25-3:15 – Key Note Speaker #2: Anne Burkett, USI National Practice Leader for HR Technology

3:15-3:30 – Closing Remarks

3:30-4:30 – Happy Hour

FOR PARKING DETAILS, MAP, AND DIRECTIONS, CLICK HERE.

Speaker Bios:

Ken Kelly – Unum Group, Senior Account Executive

Join the experts from Unum as they explain the ins and outs of FMLA and keep HR professionals up-to-date on the latest happenings. Unum Group is the parent company with insurance company subsidiaries that issue disability and life products to individuals and groups.

Bio: Ken has worked for Unum Group for 34 years, in numerous positions. He has held numerous positions with Unum such as Sales Representative in Denver, General Manager in San Antonio, TX, 2nd Vice President of Products in the company’s Home Office, General Manager in Denver, and has been Senior Account Executive in Denver since 2009. He is responsible for sales in Unum’s National Client Group segment (2,000+ lives) for CO and UT, and was Unum’s Rep of the Year nationally in 2015. He is a member of SHRM and DMEC, and is on the Board of Directors at Craig Hospital in Denver.

Angela Ripper – Unum Group, Managing Partner

Bio: Angela Ripper has worked for Unum Group for 21 years. In 2000, she helped build the Leave Management Center, a unit within Unum Group that administers FMLA and state leave laws for employers/customers which now covers 1.6 million lives and administers 227 state leave laws. She has provided legal support and contract negotiation for the Leave Management Center since its inception. Ms. Ripper speaks at seminars nationally on FMLA and ADA and is featured annually by DMEC with a representative from DOL to speak on FMLA. She is a certified trainer for SHRM and CE credit, and advises HR on decisions ranging from initial hires to disciplinary actions to termination.

Vaqar Khan – ADP, Director - Research & Development Tax Credits

Billions of dollars in tax savings are available nationwide. Vaqar shares key strategies for identifying, maximizing and monetizing tax benefits to claim incentives for which your business may be eligible.

Bio: Vaquar has oer 19 years of tax and 12 years of direct credits and incentives experience, with a focus on The Federal Research & Development Tax Credit Program. He has assisted a variety of Fortune 100 companies across several industry sectors implement their statutory and negotiated credits and incentives. Vaqar manages a team of associates dedicated to the ADP's largest clients. Over the past two years, he has helped lead the efforts in generating over $100 million in credits on behalf of his clients. He has significant oversight responsibilities to ensure all incentives available are researched and maximized for each client and also management functions overseeing projects from inception to audited completion.

Meredith Masse – ICC, Inc., Senior Vice President

Meredith explores the science of training and reinforcement and helps HR professionals develop more effective training programs.

Bio: Meredith’s personal mission is to partner with organizations to create “best places to work” filled with engaged employees and “follower-worthy” managers and leaders. Meredith guides leaders, teams and entire organizations to increase productivity and profitability while developing happier employees. She personally specializes in leveraging natural strengths and creative instincts in the workplace – through team development programs as well as through career coaching and pre-hire selection and development assessments.

Tom Pusic – ELAP Services, Director of Business Development

HR Departments break out in a cold swear and CFO’s love the idea of savings, let Tom Pulsic dispel preconceived notions!

Bio: For the past seven years, Tom Pusic has been the Director of Business Development for ELAP Services, a cost containment organization that works with self-funded employers to significantly lower their company’s health care costs by applying the same rational business principals to health care that they apply to all other areas of their business. Prior to ELAP, Tom was in significant positions of Business Development, Marketing, Operations, and Product Development, with more than 30 years of experience in leading Consulting, Cost Containment, & Technology organizations in the Healthcare industry. Tom’s track record includes working with leading Healthcare executives to help reduce costs, increase revenues, implement technology, and create efficiencies to improve overall organizational growth.

Michelle Buysse, RN, BSN – Catasys, Inc., Director of Member Relationships

Let mental health professional Michelle Buysse from Catasys educate you about mental health in the workplace.

Bio: Michelle is the Director of Member Relationships for Catasys, Inc., a leading AI and technology-enabled healthcare company. Michelle leads the Member Relationships team in engaging and treating individuals who suffer from the medical consequences of untreated behavioral health conditions. Her deep understanding of the negative impacts of behavioral health on chronic disease stems from more than 20 years of experience across the healthcare continuum. Michelle is committed to driving change for the better, having overseen multi-disciplinary and cross functional teams driving at improved health outcomes and reducing unnecessary costs of care. Michelle’s passion for nursing began with her grandmother, a nurse who believed that nurses could change the world. Prior to Catasys, Michelle served as Director, Care Management for Priority Health. She previously held management positions with Health Alliance Medical Plans and McKesson Health Solutions. Michelle received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Bradley University.

Susan Hayes – USI, Principal - Pharmacy Outcomes Specialists

Susan Hayes shows you exactly what you need to know about pharmacy contracts and how to make sure your company doesn’t get taken for a ride!

Bio: Susan has over 30 years’ experience in the health care consulting and management industry. In her many years in the pharmacy benefits industry, Susan has developed a broad understanding of the marketplace, services offered by the pharmacy benefit managers, and pricing terms that are currently available in the industry. Susan has worked as Vice President of Marketing for Systemed Pharmacy, Inc. and Vice President of Marketing of Walgreens’ Healthcare Plus. In both positions, she was responsible for the strategic development of the target market and product mix for PBMs, growing retail and mail service revenues and enhancing overall client retention. For five years prior to Walgreen Co., Susan was the National Practice Leader for William M. Mercer, Inc., specializing in prescription drug auditing and bid procurement amounting to over $1 million annually in revenue. Clients included Fortune 500 employers. She is a member of the National Council of Prescription Drug Programs, Working Professionals in Employee Benefits, and the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy. She is a frequent speaker for Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (CEBS) and Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI). She has published several articles in Business Insurance and Employee Benefit News and was recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal regarding pharmacy benefit practices. Susan recently testified to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service and the District of Columbia on Transparency in the PBM Industry.

Dr. Haley Perlus, Ph.D, Sport & Exercise Psychology; Published Author, International Speaker and
Consultant – Key Note / Motivational Speaker

One of the biggest challenges in business is to generate consistent amounts of high energy to achieve your personal and professional best performance throughout your day. Whether at home, in the office, at the gym, or at a social event, the pressure to perform is never-ending. This presentation is focused on creating opportunities to develop, sustain, and harness high levels of mental and physical energy necessary for greatness in business and life. As a peak performance expert, Dr. Perlus’ knowledge of mental toughness training, stress management, and productivity techniques will be shared so audience members have specific actionable methods to incorporate immediately to further optimize their daily performance. A combination of scientific theory, examples from top performers in business and sport, practical exercises, and interactive discussions will enable participants to immediately apply these tools to their personal and professional lives, and achieve their personal highest standard of performance.

Bio: Since she was 12 years old, Dr. Haley Perlus aspired toward a career in Sport Psychology. Within one year of earning her Ph.D., at the age of 28, Dr. Haley became a professor, public speaker, consultant to national team and division I scholarship athletes, published author, and was appointed an industry leader. An entrepreneur, former elite Alpine ski racer, fitness pro and coach, she understands the difficulty of overcoming mental blocks so that you can quickly and consistently get results. Dr. Perlus educates, motivates and inspires people to reach their peak potential in sport, wellness, and business. Taking a unique 3-D approach to performance enhancement, she not only encourages you to dream big, she gives you the steps and answers you need to make those dreams come true.

Anne Burkett, CEBS, PHR, SHRM-CP – Key Note / USI National Practice Leader, HR Technology

Bio: Anne oversees USI’s HR Technology team as part of the employee benefits practice. In her role, Anne develops tools and resources to assist clients in their search and selection of HR technology to support business needs spanning human resources, payroll, system integrations and more. With a consultative approach, Anne helps clients to better understand their technology needs and align them with the best solutions available in the market, leveraging strong vendor relationships and effective pricing strategies. Prior to joining USI in 2016, Anne was Chief Operating Officer at Benefit Technology Resources, the leading mid-market HR technology consulting firm in the country. During her tenure there, the company experienced exponential growth and expanded business lines. Before this, Anne spent six years as the Director of HR Services for Higginbotham & Associates. She and her team worked with clients on benefits administration, HRMS consulting, call center support, HR software rollouts and more. She has assisted hundreds of clients, streamlining processes, enhancing accuracy and reducing overhead costs.

This program is eligible for 5 PDCs toward SHRM and HCRI recertification and 3 credits for CPE recertification.

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