About Us

    CA Insurance Lic# 0B89320

    Founded in 1983, PWA Insurance Services has been providing quality services to the region’s businesses by focusing on finding the right solutions that meet our clients’ needs. PWA’s team of professional advisors has more than 139 years of combined knowledge, expertise, and innovation working with business owners in designing and managing employee benefits programs, payroll services, and human resources information systems. We provide fully integrated, high-level, personalized services to help your business grow and thrive.

    Our Team: Trusted. Smart. Passionate

    PWA and its employees are dedicated to giving outstanding service and advice to our clients. We firmly believe:

    “Quality is what we deliver, our services deliver value and our people add value. We want to be your collaborator as our loyalty is to you and our mission is your success.”

    Our Mission is to always focus on doing the ‘right thing’ for our clients while striving hard to accomplish the role of a responsible citizen in the community we serve. With an emphasis on collaboration and teamwork, we create unique solutions that are the right fit for the distinctive needs of our clients. We believe in open communication between clients and staff members, where being readily available and honest is key to producing long-term success.

    Our Presence

    As a founding firm of Alera Group, a national entity with over 1,800 employees serving thousands of clients with industry-leading solutions from experts across the country. Our clients benefit from the expertise and resources of a large national firm, while still maintaining the advantages of local service and relationships.

     

    Become Stronger with Alera Group from Alera Group on Vimeo.

     

     

    Meet Our Team

    Jeff Turner

    Managing Partner, Employee Benefits Consultant
    Jeff Turner Headshot

    Jeff is the Managing Partner and co-founder at Alera Group (Formerly PWA Insurance Services). As a business owner, Jeff understands the entrepreneurial spirit. He knows what it takes to run a successful business with its challenges and rewards. 

    His knowledge and experience brings a much-needed leader to solve the complexities and challenges in providing health care in today's employer health market. Working closely with Owners, C-suite Executives, HR Managers, Executive Director and Board Members in creating affordable and cost-effective benefit and wellness programs.

     His mission is to educate and empower employers with the right tools and resources to minimize and mitigate the risk associated with healthcare. A strong advocate for changing the delivery of healthcare in America through next-generation solutions, technology, transparency, and education to improve the lives and health of employees. Listen to Jeff's Benefits in Brief Podcast.

    Book a Meeting with Jeff

    Katelyn (Katie) Magana

    Marketing Coordinator and Communications, West Region Marketing Liaison
    Katelyn (Katie) Magana

    Katelyn (Katie) Magana joined Alera Group in 2018 as a part-time marketing student and quickly demonstrated her capabilities and dedication. After graduating from Sacramento State University with a bachelor’s in business, with a concentration in Marketing, she became a permanent member of the team.

     

    As a Marketing Coordinator, Katie's day-to-day responsibilities include email marketing, social media management, event planning, video production, and content creation. Her expertise and creativity in these areas have significantly contributed to the company's marketing efforts.

     

    In 2024, Katie advanced to the role of Alera Group's West Region Marketing Liaison, where she assists over 650 employees with their marketing needs. Her role is pivotal in ensuring cohesive and effective marketing strategies across the region, reflecting her commitment to excellence and her passion for marketing.

    Merrisa Walker

    Account Manager
    Merrisa Walker

    Merrisa Walker is an experienced Account Manager at Alera Group, having joined the company in 2017. With over a decade of experience in the insurance and financial services industry, Merrisa has established herself as a knowledgeable and reliable professional in her field.

    Merrisa is a licensed insurance agent in the State of California, bringing a high level of expertise and regulatory understanding to her role. Her extensive experience equips her with the skills necessary to provide exceptional service and tailored solutions to meet her clients' diverse needs.

    At Alera Group, Merrisa's role involves managing client accounts with a focus on delivering strategic and effective solutions. Her background and proficiency in the industry ensure that she remains a valuable asset to both her clients and the organization.

    EXPERT EDUCATION

    Events and Webinars

    Employee Benefits

    2025 Healthcare and Employee Benefits Benchmarking Report: How Does Your Benefits Program Stack Up?

    In this session, our experts will dive into the results of our annual, market-leading benchmarking survey.

    June 26, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Engage Webinar Graphic

    Employee Benefits

    Dynamic Data: Strategies for Success

    Join us for this session, as our experts will share how to utilize your organization’s data to create advanced and innovative strategies for success.

    July 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Webinar Graphic

    Employee Benefits

    Preparing for Open Enrollment: How to Engage and Educate Your Employees on Their Total Benefits Package

    In this session, our experts will share guidance on setting yourself up for success during Open Enrollment.

    August 21, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

    Sign Up
    Webinar Graphic

    Quote from Kelly Woo, Director of Finance

    Taking Care of Business!
    Merrisa is amazing! Seriously-she deserves a giant raise 😊 She always handles any request we ask of her immediately and takes care of business! So thankful for you guys!
    Kelly Woo, Director of Finance Truckee-Tahoe Airport District
    Very Responsive
    Donald Whiting has been very responsive to my requests. AleraHR is a great tool
    My Right-Hand People
    I would die without Merrisa Walker and Gene Furr. They are my right-hand people and I love working with them. They are always there for me and have become as important to me as any extraordinary employee.
    Our Saving Grace!
    Merrisa Walker has been a saving grace for us on numerous occasions. Her responsiveness and thoroughness has been impeccable. Thank You.
    We Are So Thankful to Have You!
    Michael & Merrisa are the most knowledgeable, helpful, responsive and wonderful folks to work with! We are so thankful to have you!
    A Very Helpful Staff
    Everyone that we’ve dealt with at PWA for many years has been helpful and truly concerned about our insurance needs!
    Knowledgeable in Benefits and HR
    Michael and Merrisa have provided prompt responses to my questions. They have a strong understanding of legal matters as well as best practices in terms of benefits and HR.

    Quote from Brad Mattson

    Jeff and his team have helped us work through the hurdles of Employer provided health insurance. They not only provided solutions to our insurance issues but provided HUGE savings to our bottom line.
    Brad Mattson Sutter Mutual Water Co./ RD1500

    Quote from Tom Crawford

    PWA Insurance Services has been exemplary in their service and support of our Company’s Healthcare coverage. Through PWA, we were offered many choices that would fit our organizations specific needs. We just renewed with them for a second year and will continue to work together with them to provide our valued employees the best coverages available. In addition to their great service, they also provide value-added information on Healthy Workplaces and Employee Healthy Lifestyle choices.
    Tom Crawford Empire Safety & Supply

    THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

    Insights

    Employee Benefits

    Agencies Push Pause Button on Enforcement of MHPAEA 2024 Final Rule

    On May 15, 2025, the Department of Labor, Department of Health and Human Services, and the Treasury Department (collectively, the “Agencies”) released a statement regarding the Agencies’ recent request for abeyance of a lawsuit filed by the ERISA Industry Committee (“ERIC”) in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that challenged certain aspects of Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) Final Rule (“2024 Final Rule”) relating to nonquantitative treatment limitation comparative analyses (“NQTL analyses”).

    May 16, 2025

    Find out more

    Employee Benefits

    IRS Releases 2026 HSA Contribution Limits and HDHP Deductible and Out-of-Pocket Limits

    In Rev. Proc. 2025-19, the IRS released the inflation adjusted amounts for 2026 relevant to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and high-deductible health plans (HDHPs). The table below summarizes those adjustments and other applicable limits.

    May 5, 2025

    Find out more

    Property and Casualty

    Severe Weather Is Getting Worse. Is Your Business Interruption Insurance Keeping Up?

    The increasing frequency and severity of weather- and climate-related events such as catastrophic storms, floods and wildfires make business continuity planning more important than ever. Part of your plan should include reviewing your organization's Business Interruption Insurance coverage.

    May 5, 2025

    Find out more

    Employee Benefits

    A Challenge for Mental Health Awareness Month: Make It Enjoyable

    Achieving and maintaining wellbeing takes work, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyable and even fun. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and with that comes Alera Group’s annual Mental Health Awareness Toolkit, this year featuring something we believe employers and their entire organizations will really enjoy: the 31-Day Challenge for Positive Wellbeing.

    April 29, 2025

    Find out more