Brethren Benefit Trust Announces New Client Relations Department and Related Personnel Changes

By Donna March

“Serving the members and organizations of the Church of the Brethren is the directive Brethren Benefit Trust has been given by the Annual Conference,” said BBT president Nevin Dulabaum.  “At the forefront of that service are strong relationships with the denomination’s members and organizations. Thus, the creation of a new department that focuses on service, product development, and resources for the benefit of those we serve will help ensure that BBT fulfills its mandate for years to come. This is an exciting new chapter in the life of BBT!”

Dulabaum has moved forward in this strategic direction and there are four significant developments that will take place with this organizational change.

Scott Douglas has been named director of Client Relations effective Jan. 5. We are pleased that he has enthusiastically accepted the challenge of this new role and we look forward to his leadership. This position will report to BBT’s president and be a voting member on the Management Team. Douglas has served BBT well since Jan. 1, 2009, as director of the Pension Plan and Employee Financial Services and more recently director of Employee Benefits. He has been instrumental in moving the Pension Plan into a more user-friendly mode for its members, contracting with a third-party administrator, Great-West, and facilitating that transition. He also has been key in many other benefits aspects, including keeping members alert to new legislation, working with updates to the guidelines for the Church Workers’ Assistance Plan, and assuming responsibility for BBT’s insurance services. He has made regular in-person visits with employee benefits clients, adding new clients, and maintaining current client relations.

With the direction that BBT is headed based on its board-approved Strategic Plan, it is important to have a staff position that solely focuses on building client relationships–current and potential.  Douglas is a great fit for this position–he has a love of the Church of the Brethren, enjoys being with the church members and clients on their turf, and understands and can provide learning opportunities for the programs that BBT offers.

Loyce Swartz Borgmann, who has served as manager of client relations as part of the Communications Department, is being promoted to assistant director of the new Client Relations Department. She has served BBT well since Jan. 2, 2001, beginning as interim eMountain Communications marketer/sales representative. Since that time, she has served as marketing coordinator, customer representative for the Brethren Foundation, coordinator of Client Relations, and most recently, manager of client relations. In her various roles, she has provided excellent leadership for BBT. She has worked at strengthening and building relationships with current and potential members, and has been instrumental in bringing in new business. Other achievements include serving with staff and board members on the Strategic Planning Committee, working with consultants to gather necessary data to assist in developing the strategic plan, and providing logistical leadership for BBT’s Annual Conference presence. Her love of the denomination and her accomplishments will lend themselves in her promotion to assistant director of Client Relations.

Nevin Dulabaum will continue to provide direction for the Employee Benefits department until the interim director of Employee Benefits begins.

Lynnae Rodeffer has been named interim director of Employee Benefits and will begin on Feb. 5. She will work in this capacity, utilizing her extensive skills and administrative abilities, balancing her time between the BBT office in Elgin, Ill., and her home office in Snohomish, Wash. She will be a voting member on the Management Team and report directly to BBT’s president. She has been a long-time member of the Church of the Brethren and is a seasoned manager with over 30 years in the financial services industry. She spent 17 years at Washington Mutual in Seattle, Wash., where she held the position of first vice president, senior group product manager. During her tenure at Washington Mutual she held a variety of national roles, including FVP of Account Management, national sales support manager, Mortgage Training manager, and Regional Loan Operations Center manager, among others. She also led a number of special projects and initiatives for the company related to mergers and acquisitions, community performance, customer service, and automation.

Prior to joining Washington Mutual, Rodeffer held such positions as Premier Mortgage Access Program manager for PaineWebber Mortgage, and Midwest Area Loan Operations administrator for First Nationwide Bank (owned by Ford Motor Credit). Most recently, she has been with HomeStreet Bank in Seattle. She is very active in her community, serving as president of the Washington State Dairy Women, youth advisor for the Washington Jersey Cattle Club, and has been a Sunday school teacher for 15 years.

Rodeffer also served as interim director of the Church of the Brethren Credit Union from Jan. 25, 2010, through Oct. 11, 2011. Over the last several years, she has conducted workshops at denominational events on behalf of BBT.

— Donna March is director of Office Operations for the Church of the Brethren Benefit Trust. Find out more about the ministries of BBT at www.brethrenbenefittrust.org .

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