members - The Cerrado Group

The Cerrado Group Member Firms

We want you to judge us by the company we keep.

The work we do in the retirement plan industry directly impacts plan sponsors and their participants’ ability to comfortably retire. This noble cause isn’t for everyone, which is why membership into The Cerrado Group is invite-only, reserved for what can only be described as the best of the very best.

The members of The Cerrado Group are specialists. We are positioned to enhance the interests of our industry by building a foundation of unrivaled expertise.

It’s the retirement plan industry and its clients that ultimately benefit from this partnership. We just believe that you should partner with the best.

11 Member Firms

With 230+ Credentialed Employees

15k + Plans Managed

With An Average Retention of 8 Years

More Than $30.2 Billion

In Total Plan Assets Under Administration

521,000+

Retirement Plan Participants

Scroll To Explore Our Member Partners

Click any logo to view their website

The Cerrado Group

Theresa Conti, QKA, APR, ERPA, CPFA
Executive Director

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Theresa Conti has been involved in the retirement plan industry for more than 35 years, she started her firm Sunwest Pensions in 1998 and sold it to July Business Services in 2023. In keeping with her dedication to the industry, Theresa holds many designations including a QKA with ASPPA, APR with NIPA, CPFA with NAPA and an ERPA with the IRS. Theresa is fully involved in the industry, volunteering with many industry associations including ASPPA and NIPA along with writing regular articles for Plan Consultant Magazine, 401(k) Specialist and does speaking engagements at industry conferences. Her LinkedIn Blog and Newsletter is followed by more than 5,000 individuals.

In November of 2024, Theresa took on the role of Executive Director of The Cerrado Group which is a consortium of independent third-party administrators to further expand the reach of the TPA in the marketplace. She was also a founding member of the group. In early 2024, Theresa also partnered and launched a podcast called “Step into the Pivot” and is also working as a Business Coach with TPA Business Owners, a Life Coach with women in the retirement industry and providing Leadership Training. She was recently named one of the NAPA Top Social Media Influencers in 2024. Theresa also continues to provide technical knowledge and support to the retirement plan industry through her consulting practice, True Strategy Consultants.

Theresa and her husband, Peter, run their own charitable organization, The Peter & Theresa Conti Foundation. Through their foundation they annually operate the Salvation Army Christmas Angels program in Fountain Hills, AZ. They also support their local school district through scholarships to graduating seniors and they were the primary donor for the Conti Planetarium at McDowell Mountain Elementary School. Theresa also serves on the board of Junior Achievement of Arizona and is a prior board member of both WIPN and the Fountain Hills Community Foundation.

Alliance Benefit Group of Houston, Inc.

Parrish Pettey
President

Founding Member Firm
Cerrado Group Executive Committee Member

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Alliance Benefit Group of Houston, Inc. (ABG) is one of the fastest growing retirement plan, pension administration and recordkeeping firms in Texas. We provide services to all types of qualified retirement plans, with particular emphasis on 401(k) plans. Michael G. Pettey founded Custom Benefit Services in 1978 to service employee benefit plans. In 1992, he formed Alliance Benefit Group as a separate company to concentrate on the rapid growth of the qualified retirement plan market. Since that time, ABG has focused on providing daily valuation services for small to mid-size companies. Growth in pension administration firms over the past few years has been reflected in the growth of ABG.

Visit our website: www.ABGHouston.com

American Retirement Plan Services, LLC

Amy Uddeme
President

Member Firm

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We represent approximately four hundred and seventy retirement plan clients, ranging in size from 1 – 2,500 participants in a single plan. Clients include legal, accounting, medical, dental, and other professionals; non-profit organizations; manufacturing, wholesale and retail companies; and financial service and insurance brokers.

Clients are located in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia.

Clients include legal, accounting, medical, dental, and other professionals; non-profit organizations; manufacturing, wholesale and retail companies; and financial service and insurance brokers.

Visit our website: www.arpsllc.com

Benefits Administrators

Leslie A. O’Bryan
Chief Executive Officer
Member Firm

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Established in 1995, Benefits Administrators has earned the loyalty and trust of hundreds of businesses, associations, and boards as well as their financial advisors. Every client relationship is a partnership in which we work together for mutual success. The personal assistance clients receive comes from years of advanced training, technical experience and financial acumen. We work with non-profit organizations, governmental entities, Taft-Hartley boards of trustees and single employers.

As an independent, fee-for-service provider, we work in concert with investment managers, brokerage firms, trust companies and banks. We do not market investment or insurance products.

As of September 13, 2011 Benefits Administrators earned the CEFEX designation for service provider excellence, which is also renewed each year. This world wide certification is an honor for us to have, and we are proud to have demonstrated the highest standards of practice.

Our Lexington-based employees serve clients from across the country. Our Retirement Plan Coordinators utilize the training programs provided by the American Society of Pension Professional and Actuaries (ASPPA), as well as the National Institute of Pension Professionals (NIPPA). They attend the quarterly user group meetings presented by the company providing our retirement plan administration software.

Visit our website: https://benadms.com

Benefit Plans Plus, LLC

Patrick M. Shelton, GBA
Chief Believer

Founding Member Firm

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Benefit Plans Plus (BPP) is committed to providing every client with the effective tools and services they need to grow healthier retirement plans. BPP provides effective, hassle-free plan administration and consulting across our core service lines, fixing broken retirement plans, personalized plan design and plan administration. We have a proven track record of success and currently maintain more than 1,800 benefit plans, 90,000 participants and $4.3 billion in assets under administration. Our clients span across multiple states, professions, and industries. BPP works with all plan sizes from start-ups to plans with thousands of lives. We understand how valuable your time is, which is why our services are efficient and hassle-free. To make things simple, every client is provided with a single point of contact. Our staff possesses robust technical knowledge and are highly credentialed retirement plan experts.

Our focus is on your success—now and into the future.

Visit our website: www.BPP401k.com

CrossPlans

Jordan Cross, QKA
President

Founding Member Firm

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CrossPlans is a second-generation, family owned ERISA Consulting and Third Party Administration firm supporting Orange County and greater Southern California. Founded in 2006, CrossPlans is dedicated to solving problems and keeping things simple for Plan Sponsors. We utilize the latest retirement plan concepts, strategies and technology, but the bottom line is it is our people at CrossPlans who make the difference. We believe we employ the best retirement professionals in the industry and hold them to the highest standards in communication, problem solving and technical skills to improve the experience and outcome of Qualified Retirement Plans.

Visit our website: www.CrossPlans.com

Dunbar, Bender & Zapf

Nick Zapf
President

Jill Dennis
Director of Business Development

Member Firm

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Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Dunbar, Bender & Zapf, Inc.(DBZ) is the largest independent retirement plan consulting firm in the region. Since 1991, DBZ has provided third party administration, actuarial, plan design and consulting services to thousands of retirement plans ranging in size from one to several thousand employees. We spend a significant amount of time and resources to train and educate each of our more than 70 employees including 3 in-house actuaries. This allows us to offer exceptional service on all types of qualified retirement plans including 401(k), 403(b), Profit Sharing, Governmental, ESOP, Cash Balance and Traditional Defined Benefit Plans. In addition, DBZ offers individualized 3(16) Fiduciary Services to help reduce liability and administrative burden. DBZ is proud of our reputation for providing innovative, efficient, accurate and affordable services to our clients.

Visit our website: www.DBZinc.com

The Haslauer Group, Inc.

Jonathan B. Haslauer, ERPA, QPA, QKA
President

Member Firm

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The Haslauer Group, Inc. was established by Beverly B. Haslauer in October 2000. Building on her 20 years of experience in the retirement industry, Beverly and her children, Jonathan B. Haslauer and Tracy Haslauer Novak, employed personal service and creative plan design options to achieve optimal outcomes for her clients. Over two decades later, she watches from the comfort of her own retirement as Jonathan and Tracy continue her legacy of service to their clients.

Since then, The Haslauer Group has grown from a small, local service provider to one of the largest Third-Party Administration firms in the State of Louisiana, administering plans for nearly 1,000 companies across the continental United States. Whether the challenge was a hurricane, flood, recession, or even a global pandemic, the Haslauer Group has adapted to meet and overcome it; we have persisted and enjoyed sustained success and growth year over year.

Today, the company strives to continue providing the same level of personal service that led to its success. With over 20 employees and counting, our administration teams have manageable books of plans, allowing them to focus on getting to know our clients and attend to their needs.

The Haslauer Group focuses not only on its own growth but that of its employees. Every employee is trained and encouraged to earn the many available ASPPA credentials and are provided the continuing education opportunities and tools necessary to achieve sustained success.

Visit our website: haslauergroup.com

Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC

Amanda Rae Iverson, CPA, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, APM
Chief Executive Officer

Member Firm

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Pinnacle Plan Design is a third-party administrator (TPA) for employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans. We specialize in retirement plan design, administration, and actuarial consulting. We are very proud of our CEFEX-ASPPA Certification.

Pinnacle Plan Design has helped companies across the nation with their retirement plan needs, while providing the individual attention each company deserves.

Founded in January, 2001 by Kevin J. Donovan, EA, FSEA, FCA, Pinnacle Plan Design is a nationally recognized leader in the design and administration of qualified retirement plans. We provide retirement plan consulting and design, actuarial services and administrative services. Our team of actuaries and credentialed retirement plan experts are uniquely qualified to help you successfully navigate complex federal regulations and obtain maximum benefits for you and your stakeholders.

Visit our website:
https://pinnacle-plan.com

QRPS

Forrest Knowles
President

Member Firm

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Qualified Retirement Plan Services (QRPS) was founded in 1988 by Ross Knowles and today is run by his son and 2^nd generation owner, Forrest Knowles. The firm, headquartered in Raleigh North Carolina has spent its 35 years in operation growing to become one of the largest and most respected in the region. QRPS has grown to become a company focused on customer service, so instead of serving our clients once a year, we have weekly touch points. We help support their payroll operations, we offer a variety of communications tools they can use to inform and educate their plan participants. Anyone can generate a report; our approach is to support our clients in much more essential ways. All of us at QRPS are especially proud that we are an ASPPA Certified Recordkeeping Firm and have attained the CEFEX designation (Center for Fiduciary Excellence). We went through a rigorous qualification process that looked at our client relationships, our employee relationships, our business practices, our leadership succession plan, and financial stability. This certification confirms that QRPS is part of an elite group of the best retirement organizations in the country.

Visit our website: www.QRPS.com

Qualified Pension Services, Inc.

Debbie Zimmer
President

Cerrado Group Executive Committee Member
Founding Member Firm

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Since 1996, Qualified Pension Services has assisted small business owners in creating and maintaining quality retirement plans for their benefit and the benefit of their employees. We work with our clients to truly understand their unique objectives, meet their needs, and produce a retirement Plan to feel good about. QPS achieves organic growth through referrals from key business associates and current clients. We have built an experienced, creative, hard-working team dedicated to designing distinctive plans and providing the highest quality, personalized service; doing so with honesty, integrity and the desire to support everyone we work with.

Visit our website: www.QPSCentral.com

The Benefit Advantage, Inc.

Kim L. Hansz
Principal

Founding Member Firm

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Since 1995, The Benefit Advantage has helped thousands of companies navigate benefit administration with success, diligence and ease. TBA was founded on the principle that ‘If you treat people well and do the right thing, you will be successful’, and through this mantra, we have crafted a business model that embraces the individuality and authenticity of you and your company’s needs. At TBA, we bring clarity, accountability, and a personal touch to what can be a confusing and time-consuming business. We know one size does not fit all in benefit administration, therefore, whether it is building a customized plan design, or reviewing the fine details for accurate IRS reporting – we are there with you to guide the way forward.

Visit our website: www.TBA401k.com

TriStar Pension Consulting

Shannon Edwards
ERPA, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, APA, APR
President

Member Firm

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For over 25 years our professionals have provided companies, just like yours, with plan design consulting, compliance consulting, recordkeeping, and administration services for their retirement plans. We serve clients from all over the United States and we are proud of our reputation for providing exceptional, efficient, and accurate services.

TriStar has chosen to remain one of the few retirement plan consulting and administration firms that does not sell investment products. We feel that this enhances our ability to serve our clients’ needs impartially. TriStar administrators are familiar with a variety of situations and have the skills, technical knowledge, and the experience needed to guide our clients to the perfect solution for them. Our clients have come to appreciate and rely upon our complete independence.

At TriStar, every plan receives the attention required to assure quality plan administration and consulting for the client. To enhance our retirement plan valuation work, TriStar offers clients an account executive that will work with them directly. TriStar’s growth and client retention are proof that this philosophy of personal service and partnership works.

Visit our website: tristarpension.com

The Cerrado Group Member Firms

Scroll To Explore Our Member Partners

The Cerrado Group

Alliance Benefit Group of Houston, Inc.

American Retirement Plan Services, LLC

Benefits Administrators

Benefit Plans Plus, LLC

CrossPlans

Dunbar, Bender & Zapf

The Haslauer Group, Inc.

Pinnacle Plan Design, LLC

QRPS

Qualified Pension Services, Inc.

The Benefit Advantage, Inc.

TriStar Pension Consulting

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