Meet Our Team
Kerry Hartz
Consultant, Employee Benefits
Kerry has professional experience in nearly every facet of the health insurance industry and employer groups of all sizes and types. He began his career more than 35 years ago at the precursor to Regence Blue Shield and worked with various brokerage firms and third-party administrators before moving to Alera Group.
The longtime holder of a Washington insurance license, Kerry has earned three course certifications from the National Association of Health Underwriters as well: Consumer Directed Healthcare, Benefits Account Manager, and Advanced Self-Funded. He enjoys the team-oriented atmosphere in our office and serving as the primary point of contact for the clients he supports.
Kerry is married with a son; he likes working in the yard, maintaining the family cars, riding bicycles, playing with the family pets, occasionally being part of a trivia-contest team, and going to the health club.
Kerry is not registered as an investment advisor representative and cannot offer advisory products or services in that capacity.
Chérie Hendrix
Employee Benefits Lead Consultant, National Accounts
With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Chérie leads our teams for large groups and self-funded plans—providing benefits program strategy, healthcare reform guidance, financial analysis, and account management. Certified as an Advanced Specialist for self-funded plans by the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), she works with clients including native corporations, public employers, nonprofits, professional firms, and many others.
Before joining the team in 2015, Chérie spent 16 years at Mercer as a principal and senior consultant. There, she focused on mid-sized to large employers in a variety of industries, with benefit plans ranging from 200 to over 15,000 employees.
Chérie, who holds life and disability insurance licenses in several states, is a member of the Employee Benefits Planning Association, International Foundation of Employee Benefits, NAHU, Alaska Association of Health Underwriters, Western Pension & Benefits Association, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and other professional organizations. She has presented at the State of Reform Health Policy Conference in Anchorage as well as events for the Alaska Native Village Corporation Association, SHRM, and the Alaska Chamber of Commerce.
A graduate of Seattle University, Chérie has a degree in French with a minor in business. She volunteers at Catholic Social Services and has previously volunteered for the French American School of Puget Sound.
Cherie is not registered as an investment advisor representative and cannot offer advisory products or services in that capacity.
Ismail Kljucanin
Account Manager, Retirement Plan Services
Ismail provides vital support and service to our retirement plan advisors and their clients, helping analyze plan performance, participation, and contributions. His industry background includes three years with KeyBank as a financial consultant; he also earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Oregon.
A resident of Gresham, Oregon (about 30 minutes outside of Portland), Ismail was born in Germany and moved to the U.S. when he was a child. He’s fluent in Bosnian and volunteers in the community with Islamic Bosniaks Educational & Cultural Organization (IBECO). When he’s not serving clients or volunteering, he loves to travel, watch and play sports, and spend time with friends and family.
Abbi Lasich, MBA-HRM, PHR®, SHRM-CP®, MBA-HRM
Senior HR & Workforce Solutions Consultant
Utilizing her problem-solving skills, comprehensive HR expertise, and passion for business, Abbi helps Alera Group deliver the right workplace solutions to clients. Her experience includes employee benefits, financial services, and HR functions in industries such as manufacturing, financial services, and technology.
In addition to her MBA in human resource management from Southern Columbia University, Abbi has earned the SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP®) designation and also has her health and disability insurance license. She has been the director of the Northwest Human Resource Management Association conference since 2023 and served on the board of SHRM Olympia from 2008-2018.
A resident of southwest Washington, Abbi is married with two daughters. She enjoys golf, travel, and wine.
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
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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
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Wealth Services
State of the Markets
Join us as we unveil the factors that drive the nation's financial pulse and how they may impact your personal finances.
July 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Wealth Services
Protecting Your Business from the Loss of a Key Person
The unexpected loss of a key team member can disrupt operations and impact your bottom line. Explore how key person insurance can help your business stay resilient and maintain continuity during a critical transition.
May 20, 2025
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Wealth Services
Weekly Market Update
Stocks roared higher last week, powered by upbeat trade news and tame inflation reports.
May 19, 2025
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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
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Wealth Services
The Practical Value of Insuring Against Life’s Risks
Unexpected events can derail even the best-laid financial plans, yet many people remain underinsured. This article explores how the right coverage can help protect your income and support your long-term goals.
May 16, 2025
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