Management Team

• John K. Harman | Principal | President

  Mr. Harman is responsible for firm operations, national accounts management and consulting, including PEO’s and Associations. He also heads the Advance Planning team which includes estate and business planning.

  Mr. Harman has over 18 years of industry experience.  Prior to joining the firm in 2007,   he was Senior Vice President for Bank of America heading their Florida Insurance Division. From 1991 to 2001, he was a Vice President with Prudential Insurance where he served as a national lending and insurance consultant.

  Mr. Harman has a B.S. degree from Virginia Tech University.  He has earned the Certified Financial Planner and Charter Life Underwriter designations. He also holds FINRA-NASD securities licenses 7, 63, 66, and 24.

• Scott C. Snyder | Principal | Senior Vice President

  Mr.  Snyder is responsible for Compass’ traditional major medical group  business, development projects, brokerage operations and heads the  insurance, estate/business and financial planning team.  Utilizing his  expertise in strategic direction and planning, he focuses much of his  time on growth initiatives and implementing Compass’ distribution model.

  Mr.  Snyder has over 15 years of industry experience and has spent the  majority of his career in leadership roles delivering market-facing  solutions.  Scott spent 2008-2010 as Divisional Director for Protective  Life Insurance Company heading the Florida region where his division was  responsible for record growth.  From 1999-2008, Scott served as  Regional Director for Lincoln Financial Distributors where he was  recognized with several achievement awards and often spoke in national  forums on successfully navigating through industry changes.  He was  responsible for the design, pilot and implementation of multiple  distribution channels among national Broker/Dealer accounts and was  appointed by the Executive Management Team and his peers to the  prestigious Board of Director’s Advisory Committee in 2006 – 2008.  A trustee of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce and a Board Member for the Chamber’s Health Council, Scott also consults to Avio, an innovative Northeast Florida healthcare plan that has re-engineered the manner in which employers deliver healthcare benefits to their employees.

• T. Eric Foster | Principal | Senior Vice President

  T. Eric Foster, Senior Vice President, is responsible for strategic guidance and oversight of benefits design and risk management for PEO’s.  As former head of Aetna’s PEO division, Eric has partnered with industry leaders to shape the offerings of today’s marketplace.  As a speaker at NAPEO conferences and contributing writer to PEO Insider, Eric continues to actively engage in the healthcare debate.

  Eric has 20 years of in-depth industry experience in senior sales and underwriting roles, is a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist, licensed life and health agent, and an economics graduate of The College of William and Mary.

• Toni L. O'Brien | Senior Vice President Operations

  Toni O’Brien heads our operational and administrative management  divisions. Her more than 20 years of experience in the medical insurance  industry cover both indemnity and managed-care plans. Before joining  Compass Consulting in January of 2001, she negotiated HMO and PPO  contracts with physicians, hospitals, and ancillary providers on behalf  of Blue Cross/Blue Shield. She developed competitive fee analyses for  assigned territories and served as a representative for the National  Committee for Quality Assurance. Her background includes on-site  credential reviews, policy and procedural training sessions, and  competitive fee analyses.

  Toni holds a Life Health and Annuity license, and is a member of the Jacksonville Association of Health Underwriters.

Additional Compass Consulting Team Members

• W.H. Chip Dempsey | Vice President, Senior Consultant

  Chip Dempsey is responsible for sales and account management for clients with more than 300 employees. A veteran of more than 30 years in the insurance and employee benefits consulting industry, he began his career with The Travelers, and prior to joining the firm was with AON Consulting.

  Chip has a degree in economics from the College of William & Mary. He holds the CLU and ChFC professional designations. In addition to his work with Compass Consulting, he is an adjunct professor at Florida State College in Jacksonville.

• W. Chuck Cross | Vice President, Senior Consultant

  Chuck Cross develops and manages national accounts. As a national healthcare consultant, he also works with innovative healthcare providers and vendors to develop client products and services. He has extensive experience in developing national health plans, consolidating benefit programs from mergers and acquisitions, and working with Professional Employer Organizations (PEOs).

  In 2000, Chuck was appointed to the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs (SCDCA) to help regulate the PEO industry. With his guidance, SCDCA established the first PEO Advisory Board, comprised of state regulators and PEO owners. He has also designed health programs for community health alliances and Chambers of Commerce.

  A business graduate of Furman University, Chuck has earned the CLU and ChFC professional designations.

• Pattie Laverty | Vice President, Senior Consultant

  Pattie Laverty is responsible for developing, implementing and managing programs for smaller employer groups (fewer than 300 employees) in Florida and Georgia. She has over 20 years of experience in the group insurance industry, including a position with Advanced Group Plans, Inc., an MGA for Trustmark Insurance Company. She joined Compass Consulting in November of 2004.

  A Registered Health Underwriter, Pattie has earned HIA (Health Insurance Associate) and MHP (Managed Healthcare Professional) designations through the Health Insurance Association of America, as well as AIAA (Associate, Insurance Agency Administration) and ACS (Associate, Customer Service) designations through the Life Office Management Association. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Jacksonville Association of Health Underwriters.

• Leigh A. Mills | Vice President, Senior Consultant

  Leigh Mills is responsible for new business development, plan strategy design and implementation, and client servicing of employee benefits accounts for markets throughout the United States.

  With 29 years industry experience, Ms. Mills was vice president at a large independent insurance agency prior to joining Compass Consulting. She has served as vice president for an agency specializing in non-qualified deferred compensation for home healthcare agencies. Her vast experience also includes risk management and consulting, account executive, and office manager of a property and casualty insurance agency.

  An involved member of the community, she has served as the American Diabetes’ Corporate Sponsorship chair for America’s Walk for Diabetes, Sulzbacher Center’s  Transformations committee, Bishop Kenny Auction Committee, mentor for Take Stock in Children and  member of the Executive Council for the American Diabetes Association.  Currently, Ms. Mills serves on the American Diabetes’ Tour de Cure committee, Development Committee for MOCA and is President-Elect and Conference Chair for the Jacksonville Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management.

  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management from Southern Illinois University in 1999.  Ms. Mills has earned the Accredited Adviser in Insurance (AAI), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Group Benefits Associate (GBA) and Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (CEBS) designations.  Additionally, she holds both Life and Health and Property and Casualty licenses through the Florida Department of Insurance.

• Greg Waterstradt | Vice President, Senior Consultant

  Greg Waterstradt manages all consulting operations throughout the Carolinas and serves as the primary point of contact for clients in mid-sized and large companies. With more than 22 years in the employee benefits industry, he is an expert in handling large multi-site clients and self-funded benefit programs. Greg also specializes in alternate funding arrangements, integrated medical management, stop-loss insurance, and financial accounting. Recognized as an expert on consumer-driven health issues, he is a regular speaker at industry events and has been interviewed for many articles on the subject of consumerism.

  Before joining Compass Consulting in 2007, Greg was with Wachovia Insurance Services. He is a member of several associations, including the National Association of Health Underwriters, the South Carolina Association of Health Underwriters, the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce, the Charleston Regional Health Council, the National Employee Benefit Advisory Forum, and the Society of Industry Professionals. He also sits on the board of Junior Achievement of Coastal Carolina.

  A graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in education, Greg holds a South Carolina Health & Accident Insurance license. He is also certified as a Well Workplace University Trainer through WELCOA.

• J. Greg Poole | Vice President, Consultant

  Greg Poole is one of the founding principals of the firm. He is responsible for client development and consulting to our large group mid-market clients. Mr. Poole has qualified for many industry and professional designations and holds a Series 7, 24 and 65 Securities license. With over 27 years of consulting experience, he works closely with business owners and human resource professionals to develop detailed multi-faceted programs to properly manage client risk and resources. This includes all aspects of ERISA qualified health and welfare benefits including the development, design, and management of employer sponsored retirement plans. Mr. Poole is a registered investment advisor through our affiliate company, Standfast Asset Management, LLC.

• Trace Milam | Senior Consultant

  Trace Milam has more than 20 years of experience in the Group Insurance Industry. He began his career on the Commercial Agency side with the Florida Farm Bureau and Allstate Insurance Company.  He joined the Paul Revere Insurance company in 1992 as a Group Insurance Sales Specialist before branching out into a partnership in 1997 specializing in Employee Benefits Consulting. 

  Trace currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Jacksonville Humane Society and formerly served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Florida. He is a graduate of the University of Florida.

• William Catlin IV | Consultant

  William “Billy” Catlin IV, previously served as President of Catlin Ramsey Communications which published Jacksonville Lawyer Magazine and Orlando Lawyer Magazine. Active on several boards, Catlin currently serves on The Gator Bowl Committee, Sea Mark Ranch Board, The Tony Boselli Foundation and THE PLAYERS Council.  Previous community service includes The Charter Revision Commission, The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Jacksonville Quarterback Club and President of the Sigma Chi Alumni Association. Catlin was named as a Business Journal “Up and Comer” and was awarded the President’s Award from Jacksonville Area Legal Aid.  

  Catlin has a B.S. degree from the University of Mississippi.  Catlin and his wife Diane are both natives of Jacksonville, FL.

• Pamela C. Schoeppel | Consultant

  Pam Schoeppel is responsible for coordinating, developing, and servicing employee benefit plans for groups of up to 300 employees. She has 25 years of experience in group insurance and employee benefit design. Before joining us in 1998, she was employed by Old Northwest Agents, a principal wholesaler. She has also managed marketing services for Member Service Life Insurance Company and Member Service Administrators, a wholly owned subsidiary of BCBS of Oklahoma.

  Pam graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in communications and earned an MBA from Oklahoma City University. She is also a Registered Health Underwriter and a Registered Employee Benefits Consultant.