About Us
TRUEbenefits is embracing our Alera Group brand to reflect our national capabilities, industry expertise and expanded resources in all areas of our business.
In 2017, TRUEbenefits and 23 firms across the nation joined to form Alera Group. Six years later, we are 180 firms strong, working together to leverage powerful relationships, industry experience and resources with the goal of supporting our clients’ business strategies and elevating the experience of working with us. By embracing our new branding of Alera Group, we will continue to bring our clients a personalized set of solutions while reflecting our expanded capabilities. What remains consistent is holding our clients at the core of our business.
We are excited about this next step in our evolution as we continue to build a great company with clients at our center. Through collaboration and teamwork, we will continue to offer you the resources of a national firm along with the personalized experience of a local partner.
As Alera Group, we are stronger together!
Beyond Benefits as Usual
We ask questions you haven’t heard before. Digging deeper gives us the understanding to customize cost-effective solutions that advance our clients’ business goals, see them through times of rapid change, and help recruit and retain the best people in their industries. Our clients know they can count on us for total transparency and an independent point of view. Our firm attracts passionate, industry-experienced people who value the time we give them to go above and beyond for our clients. It’s not enough to be reactive around renewal time. Together, we bring the strategic thinking, attention to detail and proactive perspective that employee benefits need all year round.
By delivering measurable results and client satisfaction, we have earned a Net Promoter Score of 88 —much higher than those of leading Fortune 500 companies. Most important, it earns our clients’ confidence that they’re getting higher value from every benefit dollar.
Meet Our Team
Meet our Team
Cherise Reese
Managing PartnerCherise Reese, Managing Partner, has over twenty years of experience in the benefits consulting industry after first developing her business skills in retail management and human resources. As Managing Partner, Cherise focuses on developing and growing the Alera Group team, creating new avenues for success as they serve clients with excellence. With patience, integrity, and optimism, she works tirelessly to implement strategies that further the goals of the Alera Group team and their clients. Cherise is a member of the Alera Group Inclusions & Diversity Steering committee as well as an active member in our Women’s Mentorship program. Cherise has been with Alera Group Seattle for 14 years and plans to continue to serve her team with dedication for many years to come. She is a graduate of the University of Washington, and enjoys boating around the San Juans, collecting sea glass, watching football, and reading.
Brent Schlosstein
Founder & Senior PartnerBrent Schlosstein, Founder & Senior Partner, is an entrepreneur and recognized employee benefits expert focused on building high performance health plans for progressive and employee-focused organizations. Passionate about transforming healthcare in an environment of transparency, collaboration, and professionalism, Brent’s responsible for driving growth and building a world-class consulting organization. Brent holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Washington and is one of just 250 healthcare consultants in the U.S. to be accredited by Health Rosetta. He’s Past President of the Lake Washington Human Resources Association and a member of numerous insurance Advisory Councils in Washington state. In his spare time, Brent continues to work on his golf game where, one day, he plans to shoot his age.
Astrea Arguello
Senior Employee Benefits ExecutiveAstrea Arguello, Senior Employee Benefit Executive, has worked as a mid-market employee benefits Producer and Consultant for fifteen years. She loves helping employers attract and retain a quality workforce through offering creative, well-balanced, cost effective employee benefit solutions. Driven by a desire to exceed her client’s expectations, her honesty, integrity, knowledge, and energy truly differentiate her within the industry. Astrea joined Alera Group in January 2018. Outside the office, Astrea enjoys spending time with her family, reading, camping, watching football, and travelling.
Amber Oldham
Director of Client ServicesAmber Oldham, Director of Client Services, has eighteen years of experience with employee benefits, working with clients of all sizes. Amber is passionate about ensuring our Client Service Team is well-equipped to provide an excellent service experience for our clients and their employees. She has oversight for team training, new client assignments, team workflow, and development. She currently serves as the compliance liaison between the Seattle office and the regional & national Alera Group compliance division. Amber enjoys doing home improvement projects with her husband, camping with their two dogs, and cheering for the Seahawks in her spare time.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
HIPAA Privacy and Security Overview
Join our compliance experts for an overview of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules.
April 2, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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2024 Employee Benefits Symposium
Join us (in person) as we bring together top experts covering key healthcare trends, population health management, pharmacy and more. Enjoy a great breakfast while you gain valuable takeaways for your organization.
April 16, 2024 at 08:30 am CT | Glenview IL
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Finding, Using and Transitioning Out of a PEO
Your company is small, and limited resources make it difficult to manage a robust benefits program. Time to explore outside support from a professional employer organization (PEO). But where to begin?
April 18, 2024 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Insights
Employee Benefits
Show Why Your Voluntary Benefit Offerings Make You an Employer of Choice
If you’re a business owner or benefits manager seeking to optimize your employee benefits offerings, you won’t want to miss Alera Group’s March 21 Engage webinar, "How Voluntary Benefits Inspire Employee Loyalty." During the one-hour session, our panel of Alera Group experts will discuss how voluntary benefits serve employers as well as employees, enabling employers to show they recognize the varied needs of their workforce by providing supplementary offerings in a cost-effective manner.
March 5, 2024
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Webinar: Weight-Loss Drugs and Group Health Plans | Alera Group
Rising pharmacy costs are among the chief drivers of healthcare expenses for employers and employees, thanks largely to a surge in use of drugs you’ve seen advertised in those ubiquitous commercials. Given the cost of such drugs and their mixed record of success, employers and employees should exercise caution.
February 6, 2024
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Employers, Employees and Job-Flexibility Tradeoffs
Faced with one of contemporary business’s most prominent dilemmas – allow work from home or insist on return to work? – employers and employees alike must come to terms with an axiom: Life is a series of tradeoffs. Join us on Thursday, January 18, for "The Value of Flexible Work: Alera Group’s Tradeoff Study."
January 11, 2024
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A Cautionary Tale: Self-Funded Plan Administrators Must Meaningfully and Effectively Communicate With Plan Participants and Their Providers on Appeal
This alert is of interest to employers who sponsor self-funded health plans.
January 9, 2024
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