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Consultants
Arthur J. Assantes
President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Society of Actuaries
  • Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Art works closely with each client to identify and set goals and objectives, develop custom strategies, and implement specific plans. As part of the process, he monitors and reviews investment results and recommends strategic and tactical adjustments as needed. More than twenty-five years of providing investment and financial advice has allowed him to develop and refine his systematic consulting approach to fulfill the needs of each specific client.

Art joined Hooker & Holcombe after 20 years at CIGNA Corporation as a consulting actuary, a practice manager and a senior advisor in the Advisory Services Unit. He spent 10 years at The Travelers where he managed the Actuarial Pension Service Unit.
Education
Art earned a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Seton Hall University. Art is also a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, an academic honors society for business students.
Professional Affiliations
Art is the past Editor for both the Society of Actuaries Pension Section News and Pension Forum. He has served on the Actuarial Standards Board Pension Committee.

Shirley F. Assantes
Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Defined benefit plan consulting and administration are Shirley's specialties. She is responsible for reviewing and analyzing client retirement programs, conducting valuations and communicating their results. She has assisted plan sponsors with plan design and cost estimates, early retirement windows, benefit certifications and compliance consulting. Her clients include mid-sized employers and municipal plans. Shirley has 25 years of experience with pension issues. She came to Hooker & Holcombe in 2000 after seven years as a pension consultant with Milliman, Inc. She also served as Assistant Director of the Group Pension Department while at the Travelers.
Education
Shirley received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics from the University of Hartford.

Elizabeth J. Churney
Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Society of Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Since joining the pension consulting field in 1995, Liz has developed many strong relationships with her various corporate, not-for-profit, utility, and municipal clients through the wide range of services that she has provided. These services include communication of actuarial valuation results, consultation regarding both FASB and GASB financial statement accounting issues, and assistance with plan redesign and retirement income studies. In addition, Liz has helped clients deal with a variety of plan administration issues, enhancing her ability to provide a well-rounded approach to client service.

Liz has an in-depth understanding of the technical aspects of her work, including topics such as the complex nondiscrimination testing requirements for pension plans. Strong communication skills complement Liz's technical capabilities, enhancing her ability to provide effective, pro-active consulting.

In addition to her experience with defined benefit pension plans, Liz also has worked extensively with non-qualified executive retirement plans, postretirement welfare plans (including funded VEBA arrangements), and target benefit plans.

Prior to joining Hooker & Holcombe, Inc. in 1997, Liz worked for two years at Hewitt Associates.
Education
Liz graduated from Brown University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics.

Stuart H. Herskowitz
Senior Vice President,Client Relations
Benefit Consultant
Professional Qualifications
  • Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC)
Experience
Stuart Herskowitz is Senior Vice President Hooker & Holcombe Retirement Services, Inc. Stuart is instrumental in coordinating and transitioning new client engagements to H&H. Stu actively consults with both public and private sector employers on a range of institutional retirement plan related issues. As a principal in the firm, he plays a leading role in the strategic planning of the H&H Companies.

Stuart has more than 25 years of experience in the retirement plan business. He began his career in employee benefits as a consultant focusing on institutional retirement plans and related issues. He was also a national practice leader for a NJ/CT employee benefit consulting firm.
Education
Stuart has a BS in Chemistry from William Paterson College.

Timothy A. Ryor
Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries
  • Fellow of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Tim has 20 years of experience in the pension consulting area. Tim's consulting experience includes qualified & nonqualified defined benefit and defined contribution plans for both corporate and public sector clients. He is responsible for pension valuation work, discrimination testing, FASB and GASB reporting, as well as plan design work.

Prior to H&H Tim was associated with The Heintzberger Company in Portland, Oregon where his management functions included supervising and reviewing the work performed by the actuarial unit. He was also involved in development of continuing education programs. Prior to this time Tim was employed by Independent Actuaries, Inc. and William M. Mercer, Inc.
Education
Tim earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with honors from the University of New Mexico.
Professional Affiliations
Tim currently is a member of the Pension Committee of the Actuarial Standards Board which is responsible for drafting the professional standards of practice applicable to pension actuaries.

Ronald O. Schlee
Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Society of Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Ron provides a broad range of consulting services to our clients. These include the review and communication of actuarial valuation results, analysis of plans’ funding position, consultation and costing for labor negotiations, and problem-solving for retirement plan issues. He has over 25 years of actuarial experience. Both corporate and public sector plans in the State of Connecticut have benefited from his pension expertise.

Ron assists clients with early retirement windows, cost estimates, and retirement adequacy studies. His responsibilities also include management of the firm’s professional and technical staff, who provide consulting, actuarial, and administrative services to clients.

Prior to joining H&H in 1982, Ron was associated with State Mutual Life Assurance Company in their Individual Policy Pension Trust area for four years. He also spent two years with the actuarial firm Charles G. Bentzin Associates, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Education
Ron is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College with a B.S. in Actuarial Science.

Richard S. Sych
Senior Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Society of Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Rich has an extensive background and experience with defined benefit plans, including cash balance plans. His defined benefit plan expertise includes benefit certification software design, retirement income studies, plan design work, and plan terminations. He performs defined benefit plan valuations, both qualified and non-qualified; monitors nondiscrimination requirements; performs benefit calculations; and consults with clients on spinoffs and mergers. Rich joined Hooker & Holcombe in 1995 after eight years of pension consulting experience with Kwasha Lipton. At Kwasha, he provided consulting services to several Fortune 500 companies.
Education
Rich received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1985 and his Masters in Applied Mathematics from Rensselaer in 1986.

Evan W. "Bill" Woollacott, Jr.
Vice President and Consulting Actuary
Professional Qualifications
  • Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries
  • Member of the American Academy of Actuaries
  • Enrolled Actuary
Experience
Evan (“Bill”) consults with both public sector and corporate clients. He has over 25 years of actuarial experience and joined H&H after serving as a consulting pension actuary with a national actuarial firm.His areas of expertise include nondiscrimination testing, union negotiations, DROP plans, pension plan design, annuity purchases, GASB and FASB reporting.

Bill published solutions to the enrolled actuary exams for six years and has been a past pension chairman of the Hartford Actuaries Club. He has also been a speaker at the Enrolled Actuaries Meeting and has taught a class in pension fundamentals for ASPA.
Education
Bill graduated from Butler University in 1978 with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics. In 1985, he graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Master’s degree in Actuarial Science.
Professional Affiliations
Bill is a member of the US Government Finance Officers Association and the CT Government Finance Officers Association.