About Us
Since 1987 you may have known us as AIA, or American Insurance Administrators, or as one of our three core divisions: AIA Property & Casualty (P&C), Benefits Resource Group (BRG), or as Benefits Broker Solutions (BBS). You may have heard something about us becoming part of Alera Group in 2017. But we are all one company, and now we are aligning our name, our brand, our new look, and our new website to reflect that strong one-company story.
Work With Us
We are passionate about collaboration and growth. Enjoy working in a highly collaborative culture? Looking for an exciting environment that is constantly growing and improving? If you care about providing outstanding client service while serving local communities, then we may be looking for you.
Meet Our Team
Julie Cave
SVP and Regional Employee Benefits Practice Leader, Mid-Atlantic
As Regional Practice Leader, Julie provides oversight for Employee Benefits (EB) across all Mid-Atlantic regional offices. With 15+ years of industry experience, Julie brings unique expertise in HR technology, compliance, PPACA consulting, and small and large group benefits. She excels in fostering strong relationships with regional carriers and vendor partners, ensuring optimal outcomes for Alera Group clients.
As a strategic leader, Julie guides the direction and support of EB services, guaranteeing exceptional solutions for Alera Group Mid-Atlantic clients. Her extensive knowledge and understanding of industry intricacies enable her to navigate compliance requirements and tailor offerings to meet diverse needs. Julie’s ability to foster partnerships enhances the value delivered to clients, ensuring top-notch service in all aspects of Employee Benefits.
Chris Wert
Managing Partner
Chris is Managing Partner of the Alera Group, Harrisburg office and is a specialist in Risk Management and Property & Casualty insurance. In this role, he works closely with business owners and non-profit leaders to create and operate sustainable risk management and insurance programs. Working with clients of all sizes and classes, Chris is able to incorporate best practices from multiple industry segments for the benefit of his customers.
Chris joined the team as a Producer in 2011. Prior to coming to the agency he worked for Penn National Insurance as a Commercial Underwriter. This experience allows Chris to provide unique insight to his customers as to how insurance carriers process, analyze, evaluate, and compete for an organization’s insurance work. By anticipating carrier concerns and working with both carrier and customer to partner with one another for a common goal, he has come up with creative solutions for difficult and complex placements.
Chris earned his B.S. in Marketing from Penn State’s Smeal College of Business and holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation as well as an Associate in Risk Management with a Focus on Enterprise Risk Management (ARM-E).
In his free time Chris enjoys spending time with his fiancé Laura, is an avid skier, a devoted Penn State Football and Wrestling Fan, as well as a (very) novice but enthusiastic fly-fisherman.
Brenda Acker
Accounting Manager
Brenda is the Accounting Manager for the Mechanicsburg office and the HR Manager for our Property & Casualty division. Prior to her joining our team in 2013, she was the VP of Operations and HR Manager in the insurance division of a well-known bank. Her knowledge, professionalism, and keen attention to detail lends to a positive client and employee experience.
Brenda received her Management certification from Messiah College. When she is not working, Brenda enjoys spending time with her family and friends and is an avid golfer.
Taylor Baldwin
Marketing Manager, Small Business Unit
Taylor Baldwin is a Marketing Manager who collaborates with the Harrisburg team, and agency partners to present products and offerings to potential clients – specifically small businesses. Taylor knows how difficult owning a small business can be and works hard to share and create the best educational resources. Through webinars and educational series, he strives to make it easy for busy small business owners to learn what insurance and human resources challenges they need to troubleshoot – and directs them to the right Small Business Unit team member to solve those problems.
Taylor holds a Bachelor of the Arts degree in Music Business from Lebanon Valley College. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his family and friends and being outside with his dog Finn. His passion for music has always been with him, and he enjoys teaching local high school marching bands as well as performing with the Philadelphia Eagles drumline.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
When Captive Insurance Makes Sense
In this session, our experts will talk about how captives work, the advantages and disadvantages and what you need to know to determine whether they make sense for your organization.
November 21, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q4 Compliance Update
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
December 3, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Setting Your Strategy for the New Year: Alera Group's 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook
Our experts will highlight key results from Alera Group’s 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook Report and explain how these trends can impact your benefits program this year.
January 16, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
Avoiding an Employee Lawsuit Over a Tobacco Surcharge Claim
Tobacco surcharges on health insurance premiums for employees who use tobacco products are attractive options for employers looking to keep their workforce healthy while lowering their organization’s healthcare costs. But surcharges can go too far, and many employers may be unaware of the limitations. Alera Group's new whitepaper on tobacco surcharges is designed to assist employers in complying with federal regulations.
November 19, 2024
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Employee Benefits
Q4 Considerations: New HIPAA Privacy Considerations
Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a Final Rule titled HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy.
November 15, 2024
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Spotlight on 2025 Benefit Limits
The IRS has released the 2025 benefit plan limits. The following chart shows some of the key limits for the 2023, 2024 and 2025 tax years.
November 15, 2024
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Courts Ablaze with Tobacco Surcharge Class Action Lawsuits
Tobacco surcharges, or an increase in premiums for employees who use tobacco products, are attractive to employers looking to keep their employee population healthy and lower their healthcare costs. But they can go too far, and many employers might not be aware of the limitations.
November 15, 2024
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