Helping small businesses compete–and win–through better employee benefits.
What We Do
Your benefits strategy shouldn’t hold your business back. We design high-impact employee benefit plans that attract top talent, control costs, and support long-term growth. Every solution is built around your business goals—not off-the-shelf products.
We eliminate the confusion and frustration that come with managing benefits. Our team takes ownership of the details, delivers proactive guidance, and provides ongoing support so you can focus on running your business, not chasing answers.
With a team of experienced specialists, we bring big-company benefit expertise, buying power, and service levels to small businesses—without the bureaucracy. You get smarter strategies, faster response times, and real accountability.
We earn trust through results. Our commitment to honesty, integrity, and relentless service means you gain more than a broker—you gain a partner dedicated to helping your business grow stronger, more competitive, and more profitable.
Our Services
The Ease Platform
We are partners with Ease, a comprehensive Benefits Administration platform that streamlines the enrollment process and centralizes benefits recordkeeping in a fully paperless environment. When you partner with our firm, access to Ease is provided at no additional cost as part of our service offering. For more information, head to www.ease.com.
We are partners with Ease, a comprehensive Benefits Administration platform that streamlines the enrollment process and centralizes benefits recordkeeping in a fully paperless environment. When you partner with our firm, access to Ease is provided at no additional cost as part of our service offering. For more information, head to www.ease.com.
Core Health & Welfare Benefits
- Group medical insurance (PPO, HMO, HDHP)
- Dental and vision insurance
- HSA, FSA (health & dependent care)
- ICHRA or QSEHRA
- Telemedicine
- Pharmacy benefit access
- PEO-Professional Employer Organization
Basic Insurance & Protection
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Basic life insurance
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Voluntary life insurance
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Short-term disability (where state-required)
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Accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity
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Long-Term Disability
Retirement & Financial Basics
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401(k) or SIMPLE IRA
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Payroll-integrated retirement plans
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Financial wellness education
Benefits Administration
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New hire enrollment
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Life event changes
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Open enrollment management
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Carrier setup and renewals
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Payroll and HRIS integration
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COBRA administration (outsourced)
Compliance Essentials
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ACA compliance (for 50-minus rules)
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ERISA plan documents
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Section 125 compliance
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State-mandated benefits compliance
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Notices and disclosures
Employee Communication
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Simple benefits guides
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Open enrollment support
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Employee Q&A support
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Total compensation summaries (basic)
Who We Are
We are a team of experienced employee benefits professionals dedicated to serving small employers. Our focus is on helping businesses build benefit strategies that support productive, engaged employees—so the organization can grow and thrive.
We partner with Warner Pacific, a national insurance general agency that supports both clients and brokers in the employee benefits marketplace. The organization delivers modern technology solutions, broad carrier access, comprehensive plan design, and ongoing administrative support. These services are extended to all clients nationwide, with a local office serving the region from Brewster, New York.
Please click on the bios below to learn more about us.
Michael Coogan
Michael is a trusted advisor to small business owners, specializing in the design, implementation, and ongoing service of employee benefits and group insurance plans. With more than 45 years of experience in the insurance and benefits industry, he brings deep expertise and practical insight to every client relationship.
Throughout his career, Michael has helped hundreds of small businesses across the Tri-State Area develop effective, compliant benefits strategies, while also guiding thousands of individuals through the transition to Medicare and the selection of Medicare plans. His approach is centered on understanding each client’s unique goals—whether business or personal—and delivering best-in-class advice, responsive service, and long-term support.
Michael resides in Rye, New York, and remains actively engaged in serving businesses and individuals throughout the region.
Contact Michael:
914-220-8333
michael.coogan@cooganbenefits.com
Lisa J. Stamatelos, MBA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Lisa J. Stamatelos is the President and Owner of LJS HR Services, LLC, a firm she founded in 2009. The company provides human resources consulting and administrative support to small and mid-sized organizations across a wide range of industries, including hospitality, manufacturing, events, and advertising. Her work focuses on designing and implementing programs that support employee development and enhance organizational productivity. Her areas of expertise include employment law, employee and labor relations, recruiting, performance management, and benefits and compensation.
In addition to her consulting work, Ms. Stamatelos has been teaching at Southern New Hampshire University since 2021. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Pace University since 2008, where she teaches courses in human resources, training and development, organizational behavior, and other management-related subjects.
Academically, she holds a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources from Pace University, as well as a Master’s Certificate in TESOL from Lincoln Christian University.
Contact Lisa:
LJS HR Services
PO Box 572
Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
(914) 844-1984
www.ljshrservices.com
Richard Edwards
Rich brings more than 40 years of experience in designing, implementing, and managing both group and individual benefit plans for business owners and their employees. Throughout his career, he has worked closely with small to mid-sized organizations to develop benefit strategies that are practical, compliant, and aligned with each client’s goals.
Rich serves a diverse client base that includes engineers, manufacturers, dentists, physicians, attorneys, accountants, educators, nonprofit organizations, and service-sector businesses. Based in the NY Metro area, he partners with clients across the region and surrounding counties, providing personalized guidance and long-term support to help businesses attract, retain, and protect their most valuable asset—their people.
Contact Richard:
InsurStructure
Phone: 917-612-2858
Email: richardedwards@fairpoint.net
Martin Sather
Martin Sather is an Employee Benefits Specialist at Warner Pacific with 10 years of experience helping businesses confidently navigate the complex insurance landscape. He works with employers of all types and industries across all 50 states, partnering with brokers, carriers, and benefits solution providers to design smart, tailored benefits strategies for groups of all sizes. Martin brings deep expertise across fully insured, self-funded, and ancillary markets, ensuring each client has access to the right models, partners, and solutions to fit their goals. His focus is simple: make insurance easier to understand and deliver options that truly work for the companies he serves.
Contact Martin:
311 Clock Tower Commons Drive,
Suite 311, Brewster, NY 10509
914-801-3438
Martin.Sather@warnerpacific.com
Ron Senatore
Certified Business Performance Advisor
Throughout his 27-year tenure serving as a Business Performance Advisor with Insperity, Ron Senatore has partnered with business leaders across the nation to identify areas where their businesses can maximize their organizational success through time-tested employment strategies and business services – all of which are designed to shift management focus away from administrative headaches and toward exceeding company goals.
Additionally, Ron has helped numerous private equity firms establish a human resource infrastructure that is both required and essential to support a new platform, a carve-out transaction, or an established portfolio company that has a desire to have the human capital aspect of their business in the most optimal manner.
With Insperity, Ron has a multi-disciplinary team of experts at his disposal to enable business leaders to be more systematic and strategic regarding the role people play in the success of their companies. Insperity, a trusted advisor to America’s best businesses for 40 years, serves as the potential end to end solution for the procurement, administration and compliance of the various transactional aspects of human resources with the clear purpose of creating a greater cost efficiency in employer paid overhead expenses, which positively impacts an organization’s bottom line to help achieve top line growth and further define their personal human capital strategy.
Contact Ron:
50 Main St.| Suite 1630 | White Plains, NY 10606
Mobile: 914-954-0741| Office: 917-342-6552
insperity.com/ron.senatore
Casey Friedricks
Casey Friedricks brings more than fifteen years of dedicated experience in the payroll industry. He specializes in supporting small to mid-sized businesses nationwide, helping them grow, remain compliant, and deepen their understanding of the human capital management (HCM) landscape to drive sustainable growth and improve employee retention. His approach combines state-of-the-art technology with hands-on, human-centered service.
Casey has particular expertise working with key verticals including hospitality, B2B, retail, and construction—industries that are often underserved and face heightened challenges related to compliance, employee retention and turnover, and system integration.
In an industry that is frequently transactional in nature, Casey takes a consultative approach, intentionally slowing down the process to understand each organization’s core values, goals, and operational needs. He recognizes that there is no one-size-fits-all solution in the HCM space and differentiates himself through tailored strategies and a commitment to white-glove client service.
Contact Casey:
Casey Friedricks
HCM AE, Nexroll Payroll
Email: Casey.Friedricks@nexroll.io
Cell: (914) 500-9036
Website: https://nexroll.io/
Geoff Garfield
Geoff Garfield has 30 years experience in financial services. He recently made final career move and is specializing exclusively in long-term care planning with nationally recognized Acsia Partners. Geoff helps individuals and couples prepare for extended care costs through spousal/significant-other discounts, executive carve-out programs, and employee/worksite solutions with underwriting concessions and group rates. His expertise includes tax-qualified LTC strategies and state partnership plans where available, focused on asset protection and practical, easy-to-understand planning.
Contact Geoff:
Licensed Insurance Agent, CA Lic. 4371979
Licensed Insurance Agent
Licensed in Multiple States
Specializing in Long-Term Care Solutions
914-329-8555
Ching Leung
At Pension Associates, we believe retirement plans should be powerful tools—not burdens. Our mission is to simplify the complex, deliver exceptional service, and help every client get the most value from their plan
Ching joined Pension Associates as a recent UCONN graduate in 1999. She worked her way up from her role as an entry-level consultant to taking the reins as President of Pension Associates in 2024.
Ching is passionate about making a difference in the lives of her clients. She is committed to fostering seamless communication between her staff and the people Pension Associates serves, ensuring compliance with pension regulations, while recognizing the unique needs of every client. Her emphasis on creativity in implementing flexible plan designs is best captured by her favorite phrase — “It depends!”
A resident of Darien, Connecticut, Ching loves exploring the world with her family, and occasionally convincing people her real passion isn’t her work!
Pension Associates acts as a partner in all aspects of your qualified plan development and implementation.
Pension Associates is a Third-Party Administrator (TPA) – A dedicated team of retirement plan specialists focused on delivering accurate, compliant, and strategic plan administration services. We partner with financial advisors, CPAs, and business owners to design and maintain retirement plans that maximize tax efficiency, support long term financial goals, and stay fully aligned with regulatory requirements.
Contact Ching:
Direct: (203) 356-1045
Main: (203) 356-0306
Fax: (203) 356-1045
Cell: (203) 904-4516
ching.leung@pensionassociates.com