PRESS RELEASE

November 25, 2024

For Immediate Release

NATIONAL – The Cerrado Group, the national collective of independent TPA firms would like to announce the retirement of its Executive Director and industry veteran Ann Slotwinski. Ann came to the group as its first Executive Director, right out of her retirement from a long and successful career at John Hancock and has been instrumental in the growth and development of the organization.

Parrish Pettey, Principal of founding member firm ABG Houston notes that, “Ann has been an integral part of The Cerrado Group’s journey from its inception. She shared her passion and unique expertise and played a pivotal role in shaping the vision and strategic direction of the organization. Her reputation gave us instant creditability, while her influence brought opportunities.  She leaves a legacy of elevating her peers and forging lifelong friendships. She has amplified the voice of The Cerrado Group, allowing for all TPAs to have greater influence in the marketplace. Ann’s impact on The Cerrado Group cannot be overstated. She leaves behind a stronger organization, a more united team and a wider-reaching voice in the industry. We are truly grateful for everything she has done for TCG and our industry, overall.”

About her time as Cerrado Executive Director and her retirement Ann Slotwinski says; “The opportunity to act as Executive Director to help create and lead The Cerrado Group is probably the only thing that could have enticed me to come out of retirement. The last four years have been the most exciting and rewarding time in my career and I am very proud of the work we have done. However, the time has come for me to try my hand at retirement once again. I would like to express my gratitude to the group for this opportunity and their unwavering support, partnership, hard work and friendship. I will miss them and look forward to seeing their continued growth and success as the only collective of independently owned TPAs in industry.”

At the same time, The Cerrado Group is excited to announce that industry veteran and Cerrado Group Founding member Theresa Conti will be re-joining the group as its new Executive Director. Theresa was formerly the owner of Sunwest Pensions. Theresa is well known throughout the retirement plan industry as an expert in the field, she is also known for being extremely active in the industry, being involved with multiple organizations such as NIPA and ASPPA. She also speaks at multiple conferences and webinars, as well as teaching online retirement plan certification courses. She was recently named as one of the Top Industry Social Media Influencers by NAPA.

Of this new opportunity Theresa says,” I have come full circle with The Cerrado Group!  As one of the original and founding members of the group, one of the saddest things for me in 2023 was having to leave the group when I sold my firm, but now I can once again work with my friends and long-time industry colleagues.  I also look forward to continuing the mission of The Cerrado Group as they maintain their independent status and continue to serve the retirement plan industry. At the same time, I wish Ann all the best, when she retired the first time and agreed to join this group – we had nothing in place yet, but she jumped right in and never looked back.”

Notes Cerrado Group founding member Patrick Shelton of Benefit Plans Plus, LLC, “Theresa’s servant leadership style, business acumen and creativity will bring fresh perspectives and strategic initiatives that will further strengthen The Cerrado Group’s position in the retirement plan eco system. Her belief in the importance of community and belonging embodies the spirit of The Cerrado Group”.

About the Cerrado Group:

The Cerrado Group was founded by Nine of the nation’s preeminent Third Party Administrator (TPA) consulting firms, this member only, 501(c)(6) Trade Association was established to offer an entirely new approach to the highly specialized work of retirement plan design, reporting, compliance, administration, and industry education. The Cerrado Group members, while remaining independent regional operators, actively combine their vast resources to fully serve the retirement plan industry at large.

Website:

www.CerradoGroup.org

For more information, contact:

Theresa Conti

Executive Director of The Cerrado Group

TConti@cerradogroup.org

PHONE: 480-600-2348