Get to Know This Year's Annual Convention Speakers!

Angela Platta, Vice President, Remodel Health
ICHRA 101: Demystifying the Defined Contribution Approach to Employee Benefits

Angela is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in employee benefits advising, consultative goal alignment, and relationship-based solutions. She has worked across both public and private sectors, with a focus on employee population management, alternative funding strategies, and collaborative planning. As VP of Business Development for the West at Remodel Health, Angela builds foundational partnerships with brokers and payors to position the company as the nation’s premier ICHRA administrator. She is passionate about challenging conventional benefit models and driving employee-centric innovation. Angela lives and works in the Pacific Northwest.

Chase Sterling, MA, CWP, Founder & Principal Consultant, Wellbeing Think Tank / HHP Cultures
Supporting Client Wellbeing: Navigating Waves of Change

Chase Sterling is a workplace wellbeing expert and founder of Wellbeing Think Tank, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free, evidence-based education to support individual and organizational wellbeing. She also serves as Principal Consultant at HHP Cultures, helping employers implement strategies that foster health and performance. With over 20 years of experience, Chase has delivered hundreds of presentations to global audiences, including SHRM, IFEBP, and NASA. Her background includes leadership roles at organizations such as Google, Cigna, and Wounded Warrior Project, and her research has been published in The American Journal of Health Promotion. Chase is a contributor to the Harvard Flourishing at Work program and represents the business sector on the U.S. National Physical Activity Plan. A U.S. Army veteran, she holds an MA in Industrial-Organizational Psychology, a BS in Exercise Science, and certifications in wellness, resilience, and mental health.

Deborah Jefferies, PHR, CP, CPC, Vice President, HR Answers, Inc.
Blind Spots: Recognizing Our Bias

Deborah Jeffries harbors a deep passion for people. With a diverse background spanning HR, Education, Service, Retail, Manufacturing, and Food Service, she has dedicated over four decades to training others in Communication, Diversity, Team Building, HR, Supervisory Skills, and beyond. As a consultant, trainer, and coach, she zeroes in on inventive yet practical strategies for the modern workplace, divulging her secrets for aiding and guiding others. She captivates, inspires, and propels participants towards personal growth and skill enhancement, all while fostering introspection. Her workshops are characterized as humorous, slightly eccentric, and immensely educational, offering excellent tools, applicable frameworks, and invaluable insights, coupled with compelling stories and pertinent experience.

Dr. Tyler Amell, PhD, MSc, BSc, Faculty and Chief Health and Strategy Officer, Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences and MediKeeper, Inc.
Mental Health in the Workplace: Practical Solutions That Work and Return on Investment Considerations

Dr. Tyler Amell is an internationally recognized thought leader and keynote speaker on the topic of workplace health and productivity. When he is not speaking at events around the world, he is a trusted advisor to organizations, including insurers, service providers, and employers, on strategic and integrated workplace health and productivity. Dr. Amell is on Faculty and is the Registrar at Pacific Coast University for Workplace Health Sciences and Lead for Work and the Workplace. He has given keynote addresses, seminars, and plenary presentations at over 350 events around the world. He is also Chief Health and Strategy Officer at MediKeeper, a San Diego-based wellness technology company and is a strategic workplace health advisor to select employers, insurers, and investment firms. Dr. Amell serves on the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ Wellness Advisory Council, managed by the Wellness Alliance, as well as on the Executive Board of Directors of the Wellness Work Wellness Institute (WWI). In the past, he has served on the executive boards of the National Wellness Institute (NWI), the Integrated Benefits Institute (IBI) and the Canadian Association for Research on Work and Health (CARWH). He is a past CRO/CHO at a wellness technology company, a Partner/Vice President at a global HR consulting & technology company, CEO of a HR technology company, and Vice President of a large Healthcare and Rehabilitation company. Dr. Amell holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Medicine, a MSc in Rehabilitation Science and a BSc in Health Sciences.

Tom Holt, The Holt Company 
How Did That Become Law? A Review of 2025 Legislation and What’s Percolating for 2026 

Tom Holt, Managing Partner of The Holt Company, is a veteran lobbyist and government affairs strategist who has been around the Oregon State Capitol for nearly 30 years. He is known at the Capitol as a problem-solver and for his deep knowledge of health care issues. His firm represents a variety of business, local government, and association clients in Oregon and Washington, including NABIP Oregon.

Tracy Olsen, CSFS, Director of Sales and Regional Director of Business Development, Oregon and Washington, Regence Health Plans 
Leveraging AI tools to increase efficiency and improve client service