PLANSPONSOR - April/May 2018 - 4

Issue Intro
A Bellwether
A
t our homeowner's association board meeting,
we often evaluate best ways to communicate
with the owners-who span various
ages and generations-in our little community in
Northern Westchester. After this month's meeting, I
recalled the communication modes of the past: snail
mail-a big expense to the association; the community
website in 2005, deemed too complex for those
who weren't digital natives and too basic and lacking
content for savvy users; and the email blasts, beginning
in 2010 when approximately 94% of the owners
acclimated to digital communications. At this
month's meeting, one Baby Boomer board member
requested that the property manager begin texting important messages. Even with the
community's demographics weighing more heavily on older owners, texts no doubt
will be the communication mode for our community's future. However, at this rate of
change, this too may evolve.
How the association's communications and the owners' digital abilities
have evolved reminds me of the experience of being one of several judges for the
PLANSPONSOR of the Year Awards. The choice of plan design elements adopted by
plan sponsor nominees slowly evolves each year and acts as a bellwether for retirement
plan growth overall. For example, several years ago, plans that enrolled automatically
were outliers; fortunately for all, they are more common now.
But when many nominations look similar in plan design, we as judges are moved
to find the unique or innovative approaches that may be the auto-enrollment of the
future. For example, Plan Sponsor of the Year in the nonprofit DC plan >$100 million
category Boston Medical Center has much of what we'd consider " table stakes " -e.g.,
automatic plan features. But, beyond that, it partners with an organization that consolidates
and refinances student loans and also with an affordable housing alliance, plus
it offers the same financial advice and social worker services to its retirees as to its
current staff. Or take the police and fire department committee members of the City of
Plano, Plan Sponsor of the Year in public defined contribution (DC): Employees view
them as ambassadors for the city's 457 plan, individuals who spread the message about
why it's a good idea to participate in the plan-an effective engagement strategy when
the state of Texas doesn't allow auto-enrollment or escalation. Read about all of our
winners, starting on page 16. -Judy Faust Hartnett, Managing Editor
Note: Many 2018 plan sponsors of the year will be panelists at our annual conference, in
Washington, D.C., June 13 through 15. Register today at plansponsor.com/events/. Nominations
for these awards are made in the fall. Watch for communications in our NewsDash email newsletter
in September and October. (Subscribe today at plansponsor.com/subscribe/, so your plan
can aim to join the ranks of those highly esteemed winners!)
You may think you'd need the help of new providers to become worthy of recognition. To that
end, over the next two issues, we focus on various provider types. Our Plan Administration Guide,
Part 1 (page 56), offers insight into the provider marketplace for defined benefit (DB) plan, stock
plan and health savings account (HSA) administration. Defined contribution plan providers will
be part of the annual recordkeeping survey, in our next issue.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alison Cooke Mintzer
alison.mintzer@strategic-i.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR: SooJin Chun Buzelli, svp
soojin.buzelli@strategic-i.com
MANAGING EDITOR: Judy Faust Hartnett
judy.hartnett@strategic-i.com
MANAGING EDITOR, PLANSPONSOR.com:
Rebecca Moore, rebecca.moore@strategic-i.com
EDITORIAL STAFF: Lee Barney, John Manganaro,
Amanda Umpierrez, Karen Wittwer
CONTRIBUTORS: John Keefe, Judy Ward
SURVEYS & RESEARCH: Quinn Keeler,
Brian O'Keefe, Jackie Scott
DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Lynn Connelly,
Chris Kwon, Claire Merchlinsky, Tiffany Pai,
Micky Walls
DESIGN CONTRIBUTOR: Cherese Rambaldi
ART CONTRIBUTORS: Ben Boothman, Chris Buzelli,
Joseph Ciardiello, John Cuneo, Uijung Kim,
Chris Kwon, Hyesu Lee, Bill Mayer, Lily Padula,
Katherine Streeter
HEAD OF MEDIA SALES: Katie Bacon, vp
katie.bacon@strategic-i.com
ONLINE/DIGITAL PRODUCTS: Paul Zampitella, vp
paul.zampitella@strategic-i.com
ADVERTISING SALES: Meighan McGowan,
Bill Murray, Lisa Reilly
GLOBAL SALES ADMINISTRATOR: Anthony Groccia
CONFERENCES: Carol Popkins, vp;
Katie Campbell, Ana-Alyse Castelluccio, Melissa
Groccia, Lucille Velander
GLOBAL CONTROLLER: Younes Ismael-Aguirre
younes.ismael@strategic-i.com
ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS: Abeer Abu-Issa,
Mayrillane Bahi, Ruth Fissaha, Doreen Fucci,
Kristin Keeler, Ricky Kostik, Karen Kurtz,
Vivian Panton, Harris Weinstein
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR: Justin Hoffman
TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS: Stephan Dennis,
Ray Lucibello, Aaron Montecalvo, Bhakti Patel,
Jigar Patel, Dexter Reaves, Stephen Widom
CUSTOM MEDIA PROGRAM MANAGER:
Drew Donaldson, drew.donaldson@strategic-i.com
REPRINTS: Michelle Judkins
203-595-3276 michelle.judkins@strategic-i.com
CORPORATE OFFICES: 1055 Washington Blvd.,
Stamford, CT 06901-2218; 203-595-3200
PLANSPONSOR (ISSN 1077-1816) is published
six times per year by Strategic Insight. Periodicals
postage paid at Stamford, CT, and at additional
mailing offices.
PLANSPONSOR is a Strategic Insight business.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER: Joel Mandelbaum
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER: Karl Jaeger
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER: Tony White
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to:
PLANSPONSOR, 1055 Washington Blvd.,
Stamford, CT 06901
REPRODUCTION POLICY
PLANSPONSOR, Vol. 26, Number 1. No part of
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4 PLANSPONSOR.com April-May 2018

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PLANSPONSOR - April/May 2018

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