By Gayle Denny, ELEA National Director for Resources

The Evangelical Lutheran Education Association is excited to announce the formation of an ELEA Employee Benefits Program, which will offer Group Medical, Dental, Disability and Life insurance packages, along with Retirement plans, for ELEA member schools and early childhood centers. We have been working diligently since November of 2001 with Nancy Bond Insurance Services in Monrovia, California, to develop a plan which will give flexibility and the lowest possible rates to our members.

You will see an ELEA Employee Benefits “Pre-Registration Form” enclosed, which we encourage you to fill out and return, either by fax or mail, to Nancy Bond, following instructions on the form. This “Pre-Registration” will allow us to determine the interest of schools and centers in these types of coverage and programs, particularly in various states. You are under no obligation to participate just by filling in the “Pre-Registration Form”. You will be contacted by Nancy Bond Insurance Services with quote information and will have an opportunity to ask questions and design a plan which best fits your needs.

I felt that it was important for you to get to know a bit about Nancy Bond and her company, so I asked her to prepare the short biography which follows. Over the months I have worked with Nancy and her staff, I have felt more and more confident that the right choice was made in finding a brokerage service which is so dedicated to ELCA churches and ministries, and that the caliber of products and services is exceptional. Nancy and her staff have helped us to achieve group buying power. Let me introduce Nancy.

An Introduction
Nancy Bond, ARM is a licensed insurance broker with a love and dedication to and for the ELCA. She earned her ARM designation (Associate in Risk Management) in order to serve congregations and schools. Knowing our ministries do not have budgets to employ risk managers, she wanted to have something “extra” to offer.

Nancy grew up in the insurance business with her father having an agency in Glendale, California. She began her insurance career when her youngest child was in first grade. She spent two years in school obtaining her Associate in Risk Management degree (ARM) while working full time. She began with servicing the ELCA churches solely, and then by referral and word of mouth, she added personal lines of insurance (homeowners and auto), Life Insurance and Employee Benefits for small business and churches/schools. Sossy Manoushagian, her good friend with over 25 years of experience in Employee Benefits, joined her to head up that department. Today, NBIS works with many non-profit organizations, small and medium sized businesses and individuals. There is a staff of 6, all licensed agents, and service representatives.

Nancy has provided risk management techniques to over 300 ELCA congregations in the past 8 years. She is the Risk Manager for two Synods. Her current passion is to assist congregations and schools become more aware of just how to “Reduce the Risk of Sexual Misconduct” in the Church and School.

Another “passion” is to help school boards find the resources to adequately reward and meet the needs of their teaching staff. All too often this need for good employee benefits goes unmet due to budget constraints. She has been working with Gayle and the ELEA to develop a comprehensive employee benefit program that includes Group Medical, Dental, Disability, Vision, Life, and Retirement benefits just for the ELEA. This is an “unbundled” program, where each school can pick and choose the parts to offer their staff. Watch for further announcements about how your school (ELEA members only) can obtain information for this program, coming soon!

Nancy grew up in Southern California. She is the Granddaughter of a former Principal of First Lutheran School in Northridge, California. (Nellie Skarnes) Her Norwegian Lutheran heritage finds her still not eating lutefisk, but greatly enjoying the other treats and blessings of her heritage! She is married to Ken and has two children, Andrew (17) and Jennifer (22). Jennifer works for her part time while in school (to become a teacher!) and is the customer service representative for the ELCA church insurance program. Nancy’s agency has a special department dedicated to serving the ELEA for this new Benefits Program.

In addition to the new ELEA Member Benefits Program, another new program which ELEA has added to benefit its members is a Video Resource Library, filled with videos and accompanying guides for use in our elementary schools and early childhood centers in the areas of:

Early Childhood Curriculum
Elementary Curriculum
Environments
Child Development
Health and Safety
Fundraising/Administration/
Board Training
Parent Education
Multicultural/Antibias/Diversity
Administrator Resources
Before/After School Care
Faith Development/Nurturing

These materials may be checked out for a lower rental fee (available to non-ELEA members as well at a slightly higher fee). Catalogs and rental agreements will be distributed in the Fall ELEA Membership Packet and may be obtained by non-ELEA members from the ELEA National Office—800-500-7644 or at www.eleanational.org.

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