As one of the leading associations for employee benefits in the Greater Seattle Area, the EBPA can be your source for the practical solutions and innovation insights you need to achieve success in an increasingly complex and global workplace. With the rapid pace of change in the field of employee benefits, doesn't it make sense to give yourself every competitive edge possible?

Learn more About Us.

President’s Message

If you’ve made it this far into our website, congratulations!  There unfortunately is not a pot of gold to be had, but I’m glad you’re here!  When I think about the most recent history in our industry, I get sucked into a rollercoaster of emotions.  Any attempts to describe our collective experiences of 2020 and 2021 would underrepresent the challenges we have all faced.  We have all risen to meet the unknown; guiding the plan sponsors we work with into virtual care solutions and advising on return-to-work criteria while we as professionals balance the realities of working and schooling remotely.  While none of us could have imagined the scenario that played out, we as an industry found our path a day at a time and led our respective teams and clients through the unknown.

The past two years have put many slowly moving currents into warp speed and as a result, our industry has become bigger by some measures and smaller by others.  We are constantly inundated by email and other distractions and when we return to our offices in person that will certainly be waiting for us.  Rather than being just another sharp tone in the cacophony, our board of directors are working hard to make sure our content and setting matches to the needs of our members.  We’ve partnered with other associations (Western Pension & Benefit Council and Washington Association of Health Underwriters) to ensure our content is compelling and we grow our value to the industry on whole.  We’ll continue to work together this year and future years to ensure we are firmly on the pulse of our industry and providing content worthy of an hour or two away from our email inboxes and cell phones. 

For the past 30+ years, Employee Benefits Planning Association has provided a place to learn about new trends and developments in our industry and provide a place for community to be built.  Having served on the board for many years, enjoyably watching new people enter our industry and veterans move into retirement, the constant through it all has been a guard of these themes.  As the pace of change in the employee benefits arena quickens, the rationale to lean into community intensifies.  Watching competitors come together for our events to connect, learn, and socialize, putting aside the quest to win for an hour or two confirms we are accomplishing these goals in our moment of stewardship. 

We look forward to the coming months and years ahead and will be hard at work making sure our content resonates and responds to the ever-changing dynamics of our industry.

Ben Helsel

EBPA Immediate Past President