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
Maximizing Impact: The Value of Voluntary Benefits for Today’s Workforce
In this session, our experts will showcase the value of voluntary benefits, from financial savings to improved retention to addressing the specific needs of their employees.
March 20, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?
In this session, our experts will discuss how captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.
April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q2 2025 Quarterly Compliance Webinar
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 6, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
The Market for Employee Benefits in 2025
Join Alera Group on January 16 from 1-2 p.m. CT as we highlight the key findings in our "2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook" and discuss how trends in employee benefits may affect your business' offerings. The insights we’ll share and the questions we’ll answer will help you determine your benefits strategy for the months ahead.
January 6, 2025
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Employee Benefits
New ACA-Related Laws Provide More Flexibility to Employers
On Monday, December 23, 2024, President Biden signed into law two bills, H.R. 3797 (the Paperwork Reduction Act) and H.R. 3801 (the Employer Reporting Improvement Act), which will positively impact applicable large employers (ALEs) and other entities required to furnish Forms 1095-B or 1095-C to individuals.
January 2, 2025
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State of the Market for Employee Benefits in 2025
What are the needs and priorities of those in the workforce and the employment market? What are rival businesses offering to attract and retain the best the market has to offer? And what shifts are taking place in the market that employers should anticipate and prepare for? Alera Group’s 2025 Employee Benefits Market Outlook, scheduled for release on January 16, provides answers to those essential questions.
December 19, 2024
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IRS Releases PCORI Fee For Plan Years Ending Before October 1, 2025
The IRS has released Notice 2024-83, which sets the applicable PCORI fee for plan years ending between October 1, 2024, and September 30, 2025, at $3.47 per covered life.
December 12, 2024
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