ASPPA Honors Five Top-Performing Exam Candidates with Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award

WASHINGTON, (October 27, 2013) – The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) honored Kristin E. Conkle, QKA of Crowe Horwath LLP, Tricia L. Day, QKA of Great West Life & Annuity, Karen L. Mathis, QKA of Milliman Inc., Eric J. Schlatterer, QKA of Lincoln Financial Group, and Shuang (Sharon) Liu, QKA of Actuaries Unlimited Inc., with the 2013 Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award during the 47^th ASPPA Annual Conference at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

Kristin Conkle received a B.A. in Business from Ohio University, and began her career in 2004 with Target Corporation as a Senior Team Leader. In 2008, she joined the team at Crowe Horwath LLP in their Benefit Plan Services group. Crowe is the ninth largest public accounting firm in the nation and is recognized globally. The group with whom she works conducts third party administration, compliance, and consulting for defined contribution plans, such as Employee Stock Ownership Plans and 401(k) plans. In August 2013, she was promoted to Manager at Crowe after attaining ASPPA’s QKA credential.

Tricia Day is an Assistant Manager in the 401(k) Compliance Department at Great West Financial. She has been in the retirement industry for 17 years and compliance for 12 of those. As part of her duties in managing a team of five compliance analysts, she regularly performs nondiscrimination testing, including 401(a) and cross testing, and Form 5500 preparation. She also consults on plan design and ongoing administration for defined contribution plans. Day feels the knowledge she has gained in the past years has provided her with a solid understanding of ERISA and IRS rules and regulations as they apply to compliance, as well as the overall retirement industry. She has a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and Management from California State University Sacrament and a Master’s of Science in Organizational Management from The University of Colorado at Denver.

Karen Mathis has 15 years of qualified plan experience. She joined Milliman in 2010 and is currently a Senior Client Service Analyst for defined benefit plan administration. Her background includes both defined benefit and defined contribution administration. Mathis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in actuarial science from Middle Tennessee State University. She is currently working toward ASPPA’s QPA credential.

Eric Schlatterer is a Compliance Specialist for the Plan Sponsor Experience team in the Retirement Plan Services business at Lincoln Financial Group. Schlatterer is a seasoned retirement plans professional with more than 15 years of employer-sponsored retirement plan experience. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Loyola University and master of business administration in finance from DePaul University. Schlatterer is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS), Certified Retirement Services Professional (CRSP) and Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA).

Shuang (Sharon) Liu, who was not able to attend the conference in person to accept the award, has worked as a pension plan administrator at Actuaries Unlimited, Inc. in Encino CA, since 2009 after her graduation from University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics, Applied Science. She works with many clients and other professionals on defined benefit pension plans and 401(k) profit sharing plans. Her duties include plan design, ongoing annual administration and client consultation. Liu currently holds ASPPA’s QKA credential and is continuing her education by working to obtain ASPPA’s QPA credential this fall.

The Martin Rosenberg Academic Achievement Award honors its namesake, the late Martin Rosenberg, a fellow of ASPPA and recognizes the top performing candidates each year based on credential education examinations. The ASPPA Pension Education and Research Foundation (PERF) administers the award, which ASPPA established in 1990 to honor Rosenberg.

About ASPPA:

The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) is a national organization of more than 16,000 retirement plan and benefits professionals that serves as the educator, voice, and advocate for the employer-based retirement system. ASPPA members are administrators, actuaries, advisors, attorneys, accountants and other financial services professionals who provide consulting and administrative services for qualified retirement plans. For the latest news, visit www.asppanews.org.

Media Contact:

Ryan Shucard

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(703) 516-9300

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