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
Baron Keefer
Chief Operating Officer, Property & Casualty
Baron is the Chief Operating Officer for the Property and Casualty division in the Mechanisburg. 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 the team 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.
Sierra Kepner
Director of Client Delivery, Employee Benefits
Sierra serves as the Director of Client Delivery for the Employee Benefits division, bringing deep expertise in the insurance industry and a strong commitment to operational excellence. In this role, she leads the end-to-end delivery of client services — including onboarding, renewal processing, proposal delivery, and complex issue resolution — ensuring a seamless and high-quality experience for every client.
With a collaborative leadership style and a sharp attention to detail, Sierra partners closely with internal teams to align service delivery with business objectives and evolving client needs. Her approach is grounded in proactive communication, accountability, and a passion for delivering meaningful results in the employee benefits space.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Messiah College and a Resident Producer License in Health, Life, Accident, and Fixed Annuities. Outside of work, Sierra enjoys spending time adventuring with her family — whether exploring the outdoors, discovering new places, or simply enjoying quality time together.
Jess Kier
Account Administration Manager, Small Business Unit
Jessica serves as the Account Administration Manager for the Small Business Unit (SBU), where she is responsible for servicing small group clients and the overall client experience. She is the face and voice to the SBU operation, is quick to troubleshoot any technical issue, and is determined to ensure things are done right. Many of the positive client testimony recorded are received through their direct experience working with Jess. She has held various positions in the insurance and employee benefits field for nearly 20 years, is a licensed Life & Health agent in PA, and holds the aPHR certification in Human Resources.
Jess graduated from Lebanon Valley College in 2003 with a degree in Historical Communications. She currently lives in Wellsville, PA with her husband and two boys, and loves to read, cook and garden in her spare time.
Michele Klump, CIC
Account Manager, Large Commercial Accounts
Michele joined the team in March of 2014 as a Large Commercial Account Executive and brought with her 28 years of insurance agency experience. She has been a licensed insurance agent since 1987 and received her CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) designation in 2002. Her responsibilities include being the main point of contact for clients regarding any questions, processing changes in coverage to their current program, marketing of new and renewal business, processing of insurance proposals, developing exposure basis history and loss history analysis, review of policies and endorsements for accuracy, claims support and establishing relationships with the insurance carriers.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
The Funding Edge: Why Fully Insured Limits Control — and What Modern Funding Unlocks
A funding decision framework leaders can use to evaluate options and align on next steps.
March 17, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Network Performance Strategy: Why Any Provider Costs More — and How to Steer to Value Without Disruption
A steering strategy that improves outcomes and total cost of care.
April 21, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
The Compliance Pathway Q2
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 14, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
Identity hijacking is surging. Here’s what leaders need to know.
Cyber incidents across our client base have been sharper, faster and more costly this year. Even organizations with strong controls are being hit in ways that look very different from past attacks.
March 13, 2026
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Employee Benefits
Legal Alert: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
Reminder: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
February 26, 2026
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Property and Casualty
AI-Powered Cyber Attacks, Why Yesterday’s Defenses Aren’t Enough.
The widespread availability of AI technology, combined with the ease of manipulating video calls, makes phone and Zoom calls susceptible to exploitation by threat actors.
February 2, 2026
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IRS Releases Guidance Related to Recent HSA Changes
The IRS recently released Notice 2026-5, which provides guidance and answers to common questions related to the expanded availability of health savings accounts (“HSA”) under the Reconciliation Act (previously named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) passed into law earlier this year.
December 30, 2025
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