Greater Philadelphia Area
About Us
In the Philadelphia area, we have brought together six outstanding firms as Alera Group Philadelphia. This includes Pentra, HealthFirst, Somerset Capital, Vantage Point, Perspective Financial Group and HR inTune. Recently, Lamb Benefits – Employee Benefits Division joined our team. Every owner of each firm remains an equity partner in Alera Group. Our mission is to enhance our clients’ experience in tangible and measurable ways by building on the foundation of each firm. We strive to deliver the best possible outcomes—positively impacting our employees, clients, communities and the lives of people we serve.
There is a level of excitement at Alera that our clients experience through daily interactions with our team. We care about our people, our clients, our client relationships and making a difference.
Meet Our Team
People you can count on. People you can trust.
Dave Knies
Senior Partner
Dave serves as a Senior Partner. Dave’s role on client teams include initial and ongoing client relations on all matters impacting their Health & Welfare plans.
His responsibilities include strategic planning, benefit analysis, cost reduction review, contract negotiation, impact evaluation, provider network feasibility and enrollment facilitation.
Dave holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Western Maryland College, and he has many years of experience in the industry that provide him the knowledge he needs to excel in every aspect of his career.
Where did you grow up? Rockville, Maryland
What did you want to be when you grew up? Major league baseball player
Most adventurous experience? Hiking Mt. Mansfield in Vermont
If you could have lived through any event in history, what would it have been? Game 3 of the 1932 World Series
Best advice you’ve ever received? Don’t over complicate things.
Patti LeStourgeon
Administrative Assistant
Patti LeStourgeon is a part time Administrative Assistant and has been with the firm since 2014. She handles administrative tasks and special projects as needed. Patti’s previous work experience was in health care recruiting for two large Philadelphia health systems.
Patti has a Bachelor of Arts from Holy Family University and a Master of Science in Business Administration from Temple University. She resides in Media, PA, with her husband and two sons.
Where did you grow up? South Philadelphia
What is your favorite city? Philly
Most adventurous experience? Backpacking through Europe
What is your favorite T.V. show? Modern Family
Favorite Sports Team? Sixers
Connie Maisch
VP of Operations
Connie Maisch is the VP of Operations at Perspective Financial Group, an Alera Group Company; she has been with the firm since 1985, dating back to its days as Lee & Associates. She is responsible for the daily operations and management necessary to ensure the firm has the proper administrative, reporting procedures and systems in place to effectively grow the firm and to ensure financial strength and operating efficiency. Connie enjoys the diversity of her position and the sense of accomplishment that comes from completing the tasks of her numerous responsibilities.
Connie has been commissioned as a Notary Public since 2002 also Medallion Signature Guarantee certified, which has proven to be helpful to our clients.
Favorite place to visit? Jamaica
Favorite Movie? Gone with the Wind
Most interesting place you have been? Pearl Harbor Memorial Hawaii
Favorite song? Bob Marley: Three Little Birds
Favorite sports team? Penn State Football
Chris Marren
Managing Consultant
Chris serves as a Managing Consultant and brings over 25 years of industry experience with perspectives gained from both the carrier environment and national and regional consulting firms. Chris’s background includes extensive work with both insured and self-funded group medical plans, and he enjoys working with colleagues and clients to achieve the goals of their comprehensive health & welfare programs.
Prior to joining Alera, Chris held leadership roles with overall responsibility for Benefits Consulting practices, leading teams and collaborating with consultants, financial analysts and underwriters providing end to end solutions for comprehensive health & welfare programs. Chris resides in Glen Mills, PA and when not working he enjoys spending time in the mountains or at the shore with his family.
Where did you grow up? Media, Pa
Favorite place to visit? Lake Sunapee, NH
Most adventurous experience? Flying in an ultralight on Margarita Island
What is something that’s on your bucket list? The Broad Street Run
Favorite sports team? Philadelphia Flyers
Resources
Success Stories (downloads)
Captive Refesability Study for Fortune 500 Company
THE CHALLENGE Alera Group was requested to undertake a captive refeasibility study for an U.S. based multinational manufacturer of appliances with...
Enhancing a Healthcare Captive
THE CHALLENGE A non-profit multi-state health system with 35,000 employees wanted to conduct a feasibility study to determine if captive funding...
Quarry Faces Environmental Liability Query
THE CHALLENGE A large quarry operation owned a dig site that had been filled with a profusion of waste material following a mineral extraction....
An Alera Group member company based in Southern California was asked by the board of directors of a 400-unit condominium building to provide a bid...
Complicated Commercial Real Estate Portfolio
An Alera Group member company based in Southern California was retained by a commercial real estate property manager to review the insurance policies...
Persistence Secures an Infant’s Life Sustaining Treatment
An Alera Group member company that provides services focused on customized, comprehensive employee benefits, HR technology solutions, and wellness...
Start Up Benefits for a Start Up Company
Alera Group was contracted by a start-up national credit counseling company to assist with maintaining employee health benefits offerings while...
An Alera Group company that serves as a multidisciplinary employee benefits and risk management consultancy was approached by a company in the...
THE CHALLENGE Alera Group was the benefits broker for an employer that was working with two affiliated health insurance companies, “Company A”...
Our Community
Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region
For over 100 years, Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region has been positively impacting children and communities in Philadelphia, Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester counties in PA and NJ. They don’t create potential in a child, they just foster and protect it.
Buck County Children’s Advocacy Center
The Bucks County Children’s Advocacy Center (CAC) provides a safe and child-friendly environment in which CAC staff, law enforcement, child welfare, prosecution, victim advocacy, medical and mental health professionals collaborate to implement effective, coordinated investigations of suspected child abuse.
With more than 2,500 reports of child abuse in Bucks County each year, the Bucks County Children’s Advocacy Center provides a setting in which children can receive timely, collaborative services from agencies mandated by law to investigate reports of child abuse. The predominant approach to child abuse investigations at the Children’s Advocacy Center is the multidisciplinary team model. This approach supports enhanced communications between the various agencies that respond to allegations of child abuse.
The Bucks County Children’s Advocacy Center strives to transform the system by providing a child-friendly setting where a skilled team of professionals come together under one roof to investigate serious child abuse allegations, conduct forensic interviews to aid in the prosecution of offenders and connect children and families with therapy and victim assistance services — always keeping the best interest of the child in mind.
Eluna Network
The mission of Eluna is to support children and families impacted by grief or addiction. Their innovative resources and programs address the critical needs of children experiencing powerful, overwhelming and often confusing emotions associated with the death of someone close to them or substance abuse in their family. No child should have to face these struggles alone, and our unique programs bring kids together to ease their pain and provide the tools to help restore hope.
Children affected by grief or addiction can feel isolated and alone. Circumstance puts them at increased risk for depression, suicide, poverty, anxiety and behavior problems. Children living in a home with addiction are also at four times the risk of developing an addiction of their own. Eluna’s programs come alongside children and their families to provide vital support helping to prevent complications that arise from unaddressed childhood bereavement and to help break the cycle of addiction in the next generation.
Eluna is dedicated to energizing new research and inspiring political advocacy that will lead to higher standards of care and positive outcomes for children in the fields of bereavement and addiction prevention. By raising awareness for these issues, Eluna reduces stigmas, improves understanding, and makes healing possible for children in need.
Alfred I. du Pont Hospital / Nemours Foundation
A gift of toys, games, books, or crafts can do wonders to brighten a child’s life while they are in the hospital or clinic waiting room. The Child Life programs at Nemours offer activities designed to help children cope with their hospital stay.
Child Life specialists in the hospitals are trained to work with children who have serious illness or are recovering from surgery — often using toys, games, and crafts to allow them to express their fears and hopes and regain a sense of mastery and control.
New, cuddly stuffed animals, hand-held video games, books, and music CDs can help to pass the time and provide a distraction from the hospital routine or clinic visit.
Manna
Manna uses nutrition to improve health for people with serious illnesses who need nourishment to heal. By providing medically tailored meals and nutrition education, we empower people to improve their health and quality of life.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
GLP-1s at Scale: Why Weight-Loss Drug Decisions Are Now a Financial Strategy
A GLP-1 decision framework plus scenarios.
July 21, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Register Here
Employee Benefits
Open Enrollment That Works: Why Employees Do Not Engage — and How Modern Communications Drive Better Choices
Practical communication strategies to strengthen open enrollment effectiveness and employee decision-making.
August 18, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Register Here
Employee Benefits
The Compliance Pathway Q3
Don't miss this ongoing opportunity to ensure you comply with current regulations and are prepared for what's ahead.
September 2, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
Register Here
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
What the 2026 Benchmarking Data Reveals — and Why It Matters Now
On Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 2:00 PM ET, Alera Group will host Benchmarking That Drives Decisions: Why Averages Mislead — and What Best-in-Class Data Reveals, a live webinar designed for HR, finance and executive leaders involved in benefits planning, budgeting and long-term strategy.
June 11, 2026
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Employee Benefits
Legal Alert: IRS Releases 2027 HSA Contribution Limits and Other Limits
In Rev. Proc. 2026-24, the IRS released the inflation adjusted amounts for 2027 relevant to Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and high deductible health plans (HDHPs). The table below summarizes those adjustments and other applicable limits.
June 3, 2026
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Legal Alert: PBM Transparency Coming Soon
Two recent movements on the federal level have paved the way for greater pharmacy benefit manager (“PBM”) transparency for group health plans.
May 22, 2026
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Legal Alert: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
Reminder: RxDC Reporting Due June 1st
February 26, 2026
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