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.
Why work with AIA, Alera Group? Because we provide the best of both worlds – national scope combined with local service. Our mission is to transform the client experience by providing a greater depth and breadth of resources, innovative thinking, and constant collaboration, while maintaining strong local relationships.
Today’s complex and dynamic world requires skilled navigation supported by state-of-the-art technology backed by unparalleled service...and this is what you can expect from us here at AIA, Alera Group.
Work With Us
At AIA, Alera Group, 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
Angel Crum
Appointment and Billing Coordinator
Angel serves as an Appointment and Billing Specialist assisting Mandy Yerkey and Diane Bendyl with appointments and commissions among other duties. She previously spent the last 27 years working as a medical assistant and became a manager in 2012.
Angel has been married to her husband Austin for 12 years and has two adult children Katie and Kamron. She enjoys spending time with my family and friends and loves warm weather.
Ashley Heller
Account Manager, Advanced Strategies
Ashley serves as an Account Coordinator in AIA, Alera Group’s Employee Benefits division working uniquely on advanced healthcare strategies and wellness solutions for clients. She supports a number of advanced health strategies including our suite of GameChanger programs. She is integral to the implementation and ongoing engagement of these unique solutions and strategies. Ashley’s responsibilities include supporting clients through the implementation and launch of vendor solutions, developing engagement strategies, and supporting and managing the ongoing relationships between vendors and clients. Ashley joined the AIA, Alera Group team in 2019.
Ashley holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Point Park University. She is known for her organizational skills as well as her focus and attention to detail and looks forward to working closely with clients on their unique initiatives.
Baron Keefer
Chief Operating Officer, Property & Casualty
Baron is the Chief Operating Officer for the Property and Casualty division at AIA, Alera Group. In addition to managing the operations, he is also a Senior Producer responsible for managing and growing a significant book of commercial clients. Baron specializes in construction, but he also handles clients in numerous other industry segments. He has expertise in traditional insurance products, as well as large deductibles, retros, self-insurance, and captives. Baron utilizes a consultative type of approach to analyzing his clients’ exposures to risk and determines the best solution to address them.
Baron has been with AIA, Alera Group for over 20 years and previously served as a Regional Claims Manager in the insurance industry for several years. This experience has aided his ability to serve clients with a strong claims background and understanding of the coverage afforded under the insurance contract.
Baron is a licensed Property and Casualty agent and he also holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, the Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designation as well as a Master’s In Business Administration (MBA) with a focus in Management from Loyola University.
Ben Lerew
Account Manager, Broker Solutions & Employee Benefits
Ben serves as an Account Manager in AIA, Alera Group’s Broker Solutions division. He is responsible for quoting, enrollment, submissions, and delivering superior service to our broker clients. Ben is known to be a creative, collaborative, and a flexible team-player
Ben’s 16 years of previous military administrative service brings tremendous value to the AIA, Alera Group team and to our broker clients. His organization, focused attention, and resourcefulness assures that our clients’ expectations will be surpassed.
Outside of work, Ben enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters. He also invests in giving back to the community through charitable cycling events such as Ride to Recovery and the Hershey Chocolate Tour for Penn State cancer research. In addition, Ben stills serves our country in the Pennsylvania National Guard.
Ben holds a Resident Producer License in Health, Life, Accident and Fixed Annuities.
Resources
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
Q2 Compliance Update
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
June 4, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Optimize Your Benefits: A Three-Pronged Approach
Want to lower healthcare costs and enrich your benefits program at the same time? If so, this webinar is for you.
June 20, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
[Alera Engage] Benchmarking for the Win: How Does Your Benefits Program Rate?
Ask our clients about the No.1 tool that helps them develop an impactful benefits program, and they'll tell you is benchmarking.
July 18, 2024 at 02:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
Perfect Storm Hitting Personal Lines of Insurance
A convergence of disruptive forces is hitting the market for personal lines of insurance in 2024, making it extremely challenging for insurers to provide coverage personal property and casualty (P&C) coverage, particularly Home and Auto Insurance.
May 14, 2024
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Property and Casualty
Affordable Housing Providers Hardest-Hit in Insurance Market for Nonprofits
Adding to significant challenges including labor shortages and reduced funding, nonprofit organizations are experiencing increasing difficulty in securing adequate property and casualty insurance. Premiums are increasing, deductibles are escalating, and the number of carriers willing to engage with nonprofits continues to shrink. These challenges underscore the importance of partnering with an experienced insurance broker who specializes in serving nonprofit organizations.
May 7, 2024
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The importance of women’s health concerns in employee benefits design
Women’s Health Month 2024 coincides with jarring controversy and growing concern over challenges and inequities regarding women’s health in general and one area in particular: maternal health. Alera Group's May 16 webinar will focus on how employer can offer solutions through their employee benefits program.
May 1, 2024
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Employee Benefits
This Mental Health Awareness Month, ‘Run Your Own Race’
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Here are tips and resources to help you get started on the route to a happier, healthier you.
April 25, 2024
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