About Us
Since 1977, we have been helping businesses maximize their investment in human capital by partnering with client companies to deliver Benefits Consulting and Brokerage Services that not only enhance employees’ lives, but also improve efficiencies and client company profits.
As a trusted consultant, CPI-HR partners with your Human Resource Department to support the management of your most valuable asset…your people. CPI-HR provides strategic and tactical solutions that help you attract, retain and empower your workforce. Whether it’s on a stand-alone basis or a more integrated employee benefit, payroll/HR, and benefits administration solution, we ensure that our services meet your goals and objectives.
Meet Our Team
People you can count on. People you can trust.
Jim Hopkins
President
Jim Hopkins founded Corporate Plans, Inc. (CPI-HR) in 1998 and has built it into one of the larger employee benefits firms in Ohio. Jim is the President of CPI-HR and under his direction CPI-HR has expanded to offer Payroll/HR, Benefit Administration and HR services to clients not only in Ohio but throughout the U.S. CPI-HR has grown significantly under his leadership and has been awarded the prestigious Best Places to Work by for the past several years.
Jim is also a founding member and President of Benefit Advisors Network (BAN), the premier national, credentialed network of independent benefit advisory and consulting companies.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Jim graduated from University School and earned a BSBA in Finance from John Carroll University in 1985. Immediately after college he entered the insurance business with Guardian Life, and then grew a benefits practice within a small property and casualty company. He founded Corporate Plans Inc. in 1998, Benefit Advisors Network in 2002, Corporate Payroll, Inc. in 2004, the National Benefit Center in 2011 and was instrumental in the formation of Alera in 2016.
Meredith Korner, CEBS, PHR
Vice President of Operations
Meredith Korner has over 15 years of industry experience in the group benefits and consulting space. As Vice President of Operations for CPI-HR, Meredith provides leadership for the overall operating performance of the company. Meredith is responsible for managing people and resources to deliver solutions tailored to individual client needs.
Meredith has a concentration on health and welfare compliance and has continued to sharpen her focus by actively serving on the national compliance committee for Benefit Advisors Network, speaking about ERISA and ACA compliance throughout NE Ohio and participating in conferences across the country.
Meredith was selected by Employee Benefit Adviser as one of the most Influential Women in Benefit Advising in 2014 and 2015 and holds her CEBS, PHR and PPACA certifications as well as her Ohio Life, Accident & Health license.
Meredith has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Marketing from Miami University and is a current member of the Society for Human Resource Management and National Association of Health Underwriters.
Joe Daugherty
Vice President
Joe was one of the founding members of CPI-HR in 1998. As a Principal, Joe helped CPI-HR grow into one of the larger employee benefits firms in Ohio. Joe’s main concentration has been on the growth of the benefits practice. Through his leadership and innovative strategies CPI-HR has experienced significant growth over the past 20 years.
Born and raised in Lakewood Ohio, Joe earned a BSBA in Finance from The Ohio State University in 1993. Immediately after college he entered the employee benefits world with Prudential Securities specializing in the sales, administration and service of Prudential’s 401(k) plans. After five years with Prudential, Joe joined Aetna Health Plans specializing in group sales and the underwriting of their health and life benefit packages.
At CPI-HR, Joe specializes in designing cost effective benefit designs and carrier negotiations on behalf of his clients.
Tom Wirbel
Vice President
A native of Cleveland, Tom graduated from John Carroll University with a BSBA in 1991 and received an MBA from Cleveland State in 1996. Tom has worked in the discipline of Human Resources since 1997. Before joining CPI-HR in 2003, Tom acted as an HR Consultant to small and medium-sized businesses.
Tom's responsibilities with CPI-HR have been focused on helping clients manage their employee benefits plans. He has achieved notable success in helping client companies address the escalating costs of health insurance through a series of proactive and innovative strategies.
In 2008 Crain's Cleveland Business recognized Tom as one of Cleveland's business leaders by awarding him a 40 Under 40 award. Tom has shared his expertise with thousands of local HR, Finance, and Management professionals through speaking engagements with the HR Star Conference, College and University Professional Association for Human Resources, the Benefit Advisors Network, Institute of Management Accounts, EDGE, Maingate Business Development, and others. Tom has also embraced opportunities to help the local community through volunteer engagements with the American Heart Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Junior Achievement and the Chagrin Athletic Association.
Tom lives in Chagrin Falls with his wife and three children.
Resources
Our Community
CPI-HR believes in being contributing members of the communities we serve. We are proud to support our clients and our community.
Youth Opportunities Unlimited
Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) is a nonprofit workforce development organization based in Cleveland, Ohio that serves teens and young adults ages 14-24 living in economically distressed areas in Cuyahoga, Lorain, and Lake Counties. Y.O.U.’s programs and services are focused on ensuring these individuals are ready to pursue a path to economic self-sufficiency through mentoring, employability skills training, industry-based credential training, career exploration, jobs, and internships.
Catholic Charities
Catholic Charities – http://ccdocle.org/
As one of the largest comprehensive health and human services organizations in the region, Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland carries out Christ’s healing mission here in Northeast Ohio. Catholic Charities delivers more than 150 services at 60 locations to over 400,000 individuals each year – providing help and creating hope for people of every race and religion throughout the eight counties in the Diocese of Cleveland (Ashland, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Summit and Wayne).
LifeAct
LifeAct – http://lifeact.org/
LifeAct’s mission is to prevent suicide by teaching young people to recognize the warning signs of suicide in themselves and their peers, and to seek professional help. Our trained, credentialed instructors deliver LifeAct’s in-school educational program, Recognizing Teen Depression and Preventing Suicide, to more than 20,000 Ohio youth every year.
University School
University School – https://www.us.edu/page
University School inspires boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve. Our dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum, and experiential programs foster intellectual, physical, creative, and moral excellence. University School is a diverse and inclusive community where each boy is known and loved.
City Mission
City Mission – https://www.thecitymission.org/
The City Mission is a holistic ministry that exists to serve men, women and children at their point of crisis by progressing them towards stability, employment and independent housing. Our programs function to enable those at-risk, in crisis or incarcerated to live self-sufficient lives of faith, productivity, and excellence. This dynamic ministry provides essential community services such as adult education, vocational training, job readiness training, mental health counseling, youth programming, re-entry, Spiritual direction and much more.
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society – https://www.lls.org/northern-ohio
LLS is at the forefront of the fight to cure cancer. Compared to other blood cancer nonprofits, LLS is the largest funder of cutting-edge research to advance cures. We have invested more than $1.2 billion in research. We are leaders in advancing breakthroughs in immunotherapy, genomics and personalized medicine.
North Coast Community Homes
North Coast Community Homes – https://ncch.org/
North Coast Community Homes provides high quality, community-based homes throughout Cuyahoga, Summit, Lake, Stark, Erie, and Ottawa Counties for people with developmental disabilities, severe mental illness, and other disabilities. With the support of many donors, volunteers, and professionals, we have developed and manage more than 230 community-based homes serving more than 1,000 men and women since 1984.
Boys and Girls Club
Boys and Girls Club – http://www.clevekids.org/
Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland is a nonprofit organization providing safe, fun places for the kids who need us most. Our Clubs are open at the times when kids are most vulnerable to getting into trouble — after school, on Saturdays and during the summer. We champion academic success and healthy lifestyles as well as character and citizenship.
St. Joseph Academy
St. Joseph Academy – https://www.sja1890.org/page
Saint Joseph Academy, rooted in the spirituality of the Congregation of St. Joseph, fosters unifying relationships with God and all creation, empowers each young woman to achieve academic excellence, and inspires a life of compassionate leadership and service in a global society.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Driving Communications and Engagement: Open Enrollment
Our experts will walk you through a strategic planning process to make sure you’re sharing in a way that not only drives employee awareness and engagement but also reaches your workforce across platforms with what they need to know about choosing the right benefits for them and their families.
August 15, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q3 Compliance Update
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
September 3, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Collaborative Conversations: 2025 - What to Expect and What You Need to Know
Save the date for a conversation in September where we will discuss the impending PLO changes by BOLI and the Employment Department, their impacts, and other critical considerations.
September 12, 2024 at 08:30 am PT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Sector Vulnerable to Cyber Threats and Staffing Mandates
After a challenging 2023, Property Insurance rates are more stable midway through 2024. However, environmental exposures, new staffing mandates and cyber threats persist. And with over 16,900 skilled nursing facilities and 30,600 assisted living communities in the U.S. accommodating millions of residents, the sector faces unique challenges.
July 23, 2024
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Property and Casualty
Why a Crop Insurance Broker Is an Essential Partner for Agricultural Producers
In a volatile environment for agriculture business, a thorough, customized program of risk management and property and casualty insurance ― including Crop Insurance ― is essential. And for that, farmers, ranchers and other growers need to work with a certified Crop Insurance broker.
July 16, 2024
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Today’s Special: Resilience as Restaurants Navigate Tough Insurance Market
At a time when the National Restaurant Association projects sales topping $1 trillion for the first time ever this year, the future for businesses in this notoriously risky industry nevertheless seems more precarious than ever. In this business climate, robust risk management and an expertly designed insurance program couldn't be more important.
July 9, 2024
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Benefits Benchmarking Webinar: What To Do With the Data
If you’re designing your company’s employee benefits program, you want to know what your peers and competitors are offering. Employee retention and talent acquisition are largely dependent on whether you offer a benefits package that meets or exceeds the standards of your industry, location and company size while managing costs in an increasingly expensive market for healthcare and pharmaceuticals. That’s why Alera Group places a high priority on using benchmarking data and analysis to inform and otherwise serve our clients.
July 1, 2024
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