The Excellence in Benefits Award, presented annually by Employers Health, seeks to recognize an individual who has made meaningful impact in the field and/or delivery of employee benefits. 2019 Excellence in Benefits Recipient, Rachelle Firestone, Director of Benefits, Kenan Advantage Group. Rachelle Firestone joined Kenan Advantage Group (KAG) in June of 2012 as benefits manager. She became the director of benefits in 2014.
Rachelle brings a wealth of employee benefits knowledge to KAG, previously serving as the benefits administrator for FirstMerit Corporation. From 1997 to 2010, she was employee benefits administrator for YRC Worldwide, Inc., a Fortune 500 transportation provider with over 50,000 employees in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Rachelle began her career with Aetna Life Insurance Company in the Akron Group Claims Office, holding varied positions within the company.
She is responsible for the design and ongoing development of benefit programs that meet the needs of KAG’s employees. She is also charged with monitoring the costs of the plans and working closely with finance and payroll and is on the 401k Committee. Rachelle has harmonized benefits for all 18 subsidiaries since coming to KAG. She has also centralized all benefit functions into the Canton Service Center and manages a team of four.
Rachelle’s expertise lies within benefit plan design, review and recommendation to senior management which was a function handled by the broker previously; budgeting and monitoring health care costs; ERISA compliance; Sarbanes Oxley compliance, ACA reporting and compliance and benchmarking with local and national companies.
Her professional affiliations include the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP), Society for Human Resource Management, Employers Health Coalition member
and she obtained her GBA designation from CEBS.
Rachelle attended The University of Akron and has extensive training in human resources and benefits administration.
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