The EBS Foran Team

KENNETH LOMBARDI

DENISE J. ETHIER-COLE

PATRICK J. FORAN

SEAMUS F. O'HARA

EDWARD W. BYRNES, JR.

JACK DOLAN, ESQ.






JOHN P. FORAN


John (Jay) P. Foran is the President of the EBS Foran Group, which is comprised of three distinct entities that specialize in the field of Employee Benefits. A graduate of Assumption College in Worcester, Massachusetts, Mr. Foran has over thirty years experience in the Employee Benefits field and has been a licensed insurance advisor and a licensed insurance broker since 1983.

Prior to beginning his consulting practice in 1983, Mr. Foran was formerly employed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts in various marketing and senior management positions. Mr. Foran also participated in the founding of the Central Massachusetts Business Group of Health, a coalition of major Employers in the Central Massachusetts Region dedicated toward controlling Employee Benefit costs.

In September, 1983 Mr. Foran resigned his position as Regional Director of Blue Cross Blue Shield to establish a private consulting practice geared toward assisting Employers in procuring high-quality cost efficient benefit programs for their Employee and Retiree populations. A former member of the Board of Trustees of the Northshore Health Planning Council, Mr. Foran also helped establish the Council's Business Advisory Committee.

Mr. Foran has worked extensively with Clients throughout the United States on areas of benefit design for Employee Medical and Dental programs, the introduction of cost-containment techniques, as well as in the areas of risk management, alternate delivery system products and variable funding arrangements. Mr. Foran has also worked with both Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO) and Commercial Insurance carriers to create unique health programs for self-funded Employers. Among Mr. Foran's specialties is the underwriting and placement of medical excess risk/stop loss coverage.

The EBS Foran Group has Clients throughout the Eastern portion of the United States including Public and Private Sector Employers located in Massachusetts, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania as well as servicing Clients with an International presence. The EBS Foran Group is recognized as one of the preeminent independently owned Employee Benefits specialty firms in the Northeast with well over one-quarter billion dollars worth of Client premiums under management

In addition to being a licensed accident and health Advisor and Broker, Mr. Foran is also a Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) and in his capacity at EBS Foran one of his primary responsibilities is to work with Clients to introduce the new generation of healthcare plans, (commonly referred to as consumer-driven health plans) along with the new generation of Federal Tax programs available to help further integrate the Employees into the healthcare procurement process. Mr. Foran is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (corporate designee). A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, Mr. Foran is currently a resident of Dennis, Massachusetts and Naples, Florida.



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VINCENT A. DiBENEDETTO


Vincent A. DiBenedetto is Vice-President and Director of Client Core Services and Special Projects for EBS Foran Insurance and Advisory Services.

Vin has over 30 years experience in Administrative Services and Client Relations. Prior to joining EBS Vin worked for both Budget Rent-a-Car and Ford Motor Company in various senior management positions concentrating in Product Development and Client Relations and Retention. Since joining EBS Foran in 2003 Vin has managed the impact of The Medicare Modernization Act on Employer Sponsored Retiree Group Health plans, been instrumental in the implementation of section 125 plans such as Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Reimbursement Accounts as part of our efforts to introduce the concepts of HDHP to our clients. He is currently Project Manager of our Employer Web Based Benefit program in addition to acting as a Senior Financial Analyst in compiling Employer financial Data for our Underwriting Department. Vin has an undergraduate degree in Foreign Affairs and graduate certificates in Business and Finance.

Vin is a volunteer with the United Way of Central Massachusetts where he Chairs a Review team for Supporting Positive Youth Development and also serves on the Community Solutions Council for Positive Youth Development. He is on the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement of Central Massachusetts and is also a class room volunteer for the organization

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KENNETH LOMBARDI


Kenneth Lombardi is our Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations for EBS Foran Insurance and Advisory Services, Inc. and currently resides in Grafton, Massachusetts.

Mr. Lombardi has over 20 years of experience in group benefit underwriting and consulting services. His career has evolved through most aspects of the group benefit industry, including sales, underwriting, underwriting management and consulting. He is currently a Licensed Insurance Advisor and holds a license as an Insurance Broker for Life and Accident & Health products in the State of Massachusetts.

Mr. Lombardi has significant experience directly related to the development of prospective costs of group medical care products, including the development of fully insured rates and the working rate levels required to fully fund for self-funded financial programs. In addition, Mr. Lombardi also has extensive underwriting experience with Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability and Dental Products.

Prior to joining EBS Foran, Mr. Lombardi was affiliated with Allmerica Financial for over 17 years in both an underwriting and sales. He was also instrumental in the development of Starnex, an employee benefits technology firm successfully launched in January 1999.



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DENISE J. ETHIER-COLE


Denise J. Ethier-Cole is Senior Account Executive for EBS Foran Insurance and Advisory Services, Inc.

Ms. Ethier-Cole has over 19 years of experience in the Employee Benefits field and has been a Licensed Life, Health and Accident Insurance Broker in the State of Massachusetts since 1987.

Prior to joining EBS Foran in 1997, Ms. Ethier-Cole worked for BHR Life & Group Insurance Agency, Inc. in Leominster, MA for seven years as Director of Customer Services. Her responsibilities included the training of new and experienced Customer Service Representatives, in plan benefits, underwriting procedures, interpreting claim payment systems, and enrollment and billing functions for several different insurance carriers. Her BHR career also included the preparation and presentation of employee benefit market analysis for existing and potential clients. Ms. Ethier-Cole's responsibilities also included quarterly service visits to all of the organization's Key Accounts to keep them abreast of changes occurring in the marketplace.

Prior to her career at BHR Life & Group Insurance Agency, Inc., Ms. Ethier-Cole was employed by the Travelers Insurance Company in Worcester, MA. Ms. Ethier-Cole held the position of Account Executive in the Employee Benefits Department. Her responsibilities included the processing of all new business inclusive of the preliminary and final rating, implementation and on-going service requirements. In addition to new business, Ms. Ethier-Cole was also responsible for the presentation of all renewals and on-site service visits.

As Senior Account Executive at EBS Foran, Ms. Ethier-Cole's extensive background in product knowledge, administrative and customer service areas has proven to be a strong asset to our Municipal Clients.




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PATRICK J. FORAN


Patrick J. Foran is a Worcester Native and is a current resident of Yarmouth, MA.

Patrick followed in the family tradition and attended Assumption College and has a BA in Politics.

His first job was at Arbella Mutual Insurance Company as a claims specialist.

Since 1995 Patrick has worked for EBS Foran on a part-time basis serving in various Administrative, pre-renewal Underwriting and Marketing support capacities until joining on a full-time basis in 2000.

Patrick is an Account Executive and is a licensed Life, Accident and Health Insurance Broker in Massachusetts and is Director of COBRA Administration for the firm. He is also responsible for Directing Private Sector Marketing efforts for the Cape and Islands, a new region for our affiliate Services.

Patrick also serves on the Harwich-Dennis Rotary Club Board of Directors.


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SEAMUS F. O'HARA

Seamus F. O’Hara, is the Director of Voluntary Dental Plans and Senior Account Executive for Private Sector Employers for South Eastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod and the Islands and resides in Yarmouth Port Massachusetts.

Seamus has 19 years experience as a both a business principal and a consultant in the International Hospitality and Entertainment Industries. Seamus has particular expertise in new business start up and venture capital consulting and brings these talents to his duties at EBS Foran. Seamus’s familiarity with the myriad difficulties facing private sector Employers in the field of Employee Welfare Benefits allows him to be instrumental in designing innovative plan designs to meet these issues. Seamus is also a project manager on our Section 125/FSA and HRA Client implementation team.

A graduate of the University College of Cork, Ireland, Seamus has been active in many social and civic organizations, including the Rotary Club of Harwich-Dennis, where he has served both on the Board of Directors and as Club President. Seamus is also the President of a local investment club and has a strong acumen in the area of finance Prior to coming to the United States, Seamus was the Advance Production manager for the rock and roll band, Bono and U2


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EDWARD W. BYRNES, JR.

A graduate of Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts, Mr. Byrnes has over thirty-two years experience in the Employee Benefits field and has been a licensed life and health insurance broker since in the Commonwealth since 1979. Mr. Byrnes is our Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President of Underwriting.

Prior to joining EBS Foran in 2004, Mr. Byrnes was employed by Sun Life of Canada as a Senior Manager in their Stop Loss Underwriting Operation. Managing a group of 6 to 8 underwriters his team brought successful sales results each year coupled with underwriting profits consistent with Sun Life's target goals. Prior to Sun Life Mr. Byrnes has had extensive underwriting and sales experience with Allmerica Financial, Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey and the John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Mr. Byrnes has worked extensively with Clients throughout the United States on areas of benefit design for Life Insurance, Short and Long Term Disability coverage, Medical and Dental programs. He has worked effectively with these clients to develop solid benefit offerings that are priced appropriately, whether they were conventionally insured products or self funded products. His expertise in prospective pricing brings added value to EBS Foran and their clients.

Mr. Byrnes is also a Licensed Insurance Advisor in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Mr. Byrnes is currently a resident of Worcester, Massachusetts and is also a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (corporate designee).


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JACK DOLAN, ESQ.

John (Jack) F. Dolan, Jr. is the newest addition to our Senior Management and Client Service team. Jack is Vice President for Legal Affairs for EBS Foran Insurance and Advisory Services.

In this capacity, Jack works closely with our Senior Account Managers to help ensure compliance with ever-changing Employee Benefit laws and regulations, including HIPAA, COBRA, and ERISA. In addition to overseeing the quality-assurance for our own internal documents and procedures, Jack works with our Clients to provide training and education in current and emerging issues involving the intersection between law and employee benefits (a very busy intersection!). Jack also provides assistance in communicating benefit issues to Employee Groups and Insurance Advisory Committees and, where applicable, in the bargaining of health insurance issues, in conjunction with a Client's labor counsel.

Jack joined us with an impressive educational background and extensive experience in both the Private and Public sectors. An Honors graduate of Harvard College, Jack received his Juris Doctor degree from Boston University School of Law. He is presently licensed to practice law in both the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the State of New Hampshire. He has over twenty-five years experience in representing clients in the Private and Public sectors, with particular emphasis on Municipal and School law, Labor Relations, and Insurance Defense. He was a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association's Ethics Committee for over twelve years and authored the majority of their Municipal Law Ethics opinions during that time.

In addition to his legal experience, Jack has over eleven years experience as a Municipal Manager. In that capacity, Jack acquired extensive knowledge of collective bargaining, labor relations, and the procurement and management of Employee Benefits, and in particular Health Insurance. He served three terms as Chairperson of the Southeastern Massachusetts Health Group and was a Founding Director of the Gateway Health Group. He also oversaw the Medical Benefits of another community that was independently self-insured.

Jack resides in Westport, Massachusetts.

 

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