It's a New Plan Year - The Process of Aligning your Service Professionals

Barbara Clough is a Vice President at Blue Ridge Associates. Barbara has a deep understanding of the complexities involved in ESOP administration, her technical expertise includes navigating tricky administration and compliance issues. As an ERISA expert, she ensures adherence to Code Section compliance and provides strategic guidance to clients on plan design, legal matters, and IRS & DOL inquiries.

Accolades include: past Chairwoman of the Administration Advisory Committee, frequent speaker, author, Executive Committee member of the ESOP Association’s Public Policy Council and Vice President of Advocacy for the ESOP Association’s New England Chapter.

John Lynch, QKA, is an experienced ESOP Manager and Administrator at Blue Ridge ESOP Associates since August 2022. Previously, John served as a Benefit Plan Senior Consultant and Benefit Plan Consultant at Crowe from July 2020 to August 2022. Prior to that, John worked at Chick-fil-A-Franchise from December 2015 to June 2020, contributing to guest experience and team efficiency. Academic involvement included roles as a teaching assistant and student staff at Augustana College, where John supported business courses and participated in hiring processes. John also held a position as a College Financial Representative at Northwestern Mutual, focusing on customized financial plans, and worked as a Management Consultant with the Upper Mississippi Center, assessing employee engagement for the city of Geneseo. John earned a Bachelor of Arts in Management and Finance from Augustana College in 2020.