ARLINGTON, VA (October 1, 2019) —Effective January 1, leadership of the Plan Sponsor Council of America – the nation’s premier information, education and advocacy association for plan sponsors - will transition to Will Hansen, Chief Government Affairs Officer for the American Retirement Association.
Hansen takes the PSCA reins from current PSCA executive director Jack Towarnicky who, having led the PSCA during a critical period of integration with the ARA, will now help build and expand the organization’s current research capabilities as part of a new initiative, led by ARA’s Chief Content Officer, Nevin Adams.
Hansen, who previously managed all employee benefit programs for a Fortune 200 company, joined the American Retirement Association in January from The ERISA Industry Committee where he advocated on behalf of large employers, and has been actively involved in representing PSCA’s legislative and regulatory agenda over the past year. More recently, he has been conducting a series of educational seminars on PSCA’s exciting new education program, the Certified Plan Sponsor Professional (CPSP).
Hansen, who will retain his current responsibilities leading ARA’s government affairs team, previously served as the Executive Director of the United States Congress Joint Economic Committee, as well as Legislative Counsel for Senator Robert Casey, Jr. (D-PA), and as Legislative Director for Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI). He also has experience as an employee benefits attorney with McDermott Will & Emery LLP, where he focused on qualified and non-qualified retirement plans.
Towarnicky has more than 35 years of human resources/benefits experience, including HR/Benefits leadership positions at four different Fortune 500 companies. In addition to his leadership of PSCA, Jack previously served on the Department of Labor’s ERISA Advisory Council, and held board/trustee positions at World at Work, the Council on Employee Benefits, the American Benefits Council and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
“Jack was tireless in his representation and advocacy for plan sponsors, and we are grateful for his leadership,” noted Kenneth Raskin, President of PSCA. “His knowledge and experience are a perfect match for this expanded research focus.”
“Working with PSCA members and staff, we have achieved some remarkable things in the past two years,” noted Brian Graff, CEO of the American Retirement Association. “Not only have we developed and launched a robust education credential for plan sponsors, we have launched a new survey on Health Savings Account trends, and reinvigorated the PSCA National Conference. We are excited about expanding our research focus, and thrilled to have talented professionals like Jack, Nevin and Will on hand as we continue to enhance and expand the PSCA membership.”
About the American Retirement Association
The American Retirement Association, based in the Washington, D.C. area, is a non-profit professional organization established to empower retirement plan professionals who are dedicated to building a better retirement for Americans. The American Retirement Association is comprised of five premier retirement industry associations; the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA), the National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA), the National Tax-deferred Savings Association (NTSA), and the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA).
About the Plan Sponsor Council of America
The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) is a diverse, collaborative community of employee benefit plan sponsors, working together on behalf of more than six million employees to solve real problems, create positive change, and expand on the success of the employer-sponsored retirement system. With more than 1,000 members representing employers of all sizes, we offer a forum for comprehensive dialogue. By sharing our collective knowledge and experience as plan sponsors, PSCA also serves as a resource to policymakers, the media and other stakeholders as part of our commitment to improving retirement security for millions of Americans.
For more information, visit www.usaretirement.org.