Kent Keoppel

Executive Vice President and COO

 

 

As Executive Vice President at Beacon, Kent is an active Benefits Consultant, implementing best solutions and plans for employers.  Providing top expertise to clients as well as exceptional customer service are the key parts of Kent’s work objectives. 

Kent has been working in the benefits industry since 1990.  He has experience in several industries including hospitality, education, health care, high technology and manufacturing. 

Over that past 10 years, Kent has held executive leadership roles within College of America and Wyndham.  In addition to working in the United States, Kent has lead the HR efforts internationally in Mexico, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific. 

Kent’s HR Expertise include HR Strategic Planning, Organizational Development, Performance Management and Succession Planning, Change Management, Diversity Initiatives , Executive Coaching and Mentorship, Restructurings and right-sizing, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Planning , Talent Management and Development, Employee Engagement, Employee Relations & Investigations and Mergers and Acquisitions

Kent has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Weber State University and a Master's degree in Human Resource Management from Utah State University.  Kent is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) through the Society of Human Resource Management.

 

 

Terry Singleton

  

 

 

Terry has more than 20 years experience in employee benefits and has an extensive background in fully insured and self funded group health products, voluntary benefits, and retirement planning. He founded Beacon Benefit Consulting in 1990 and has seen the organization grow from a small business start up to one of the fastest growing employee benefit agencies in the state. Terry holds active health, life, annuities and securities licenses in Florida and many other states.

 

Additionally, Terry has a Bachelors Degree in Business and successfully completed the requirements to earn the following advanced designations: Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC), Certified Life Underwriter (CLU), Certified Fund Specialist (CFS), and Registered Health Underwriter (RHU). 

 

Terry is an equity partner in United Benefit Advisors, a member of the Certified Financial Planners Board of Standards, the Society of Financial Service Professionals, the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, the National Association of Health Underwriters. He is also an Alumnus of the Greater Orlando Leadership Foundation, and is Past President and Treasurer of the Seminole County Prayer Breakfast. 

 

 

Mike Abate

Vice President, Sales and Business Development

 

 

Mike comes to Beacon with over 20 years in the group health insurance industry.  Skilled in all aspects of employee benefits, Mike also has expertise with self-funding, ERISA and ancillary group products.

 

In 1993, Mike moved to the Daytona Beach area and transitioned into the agency side of the employee benefits industry.  After spending 5 years on the agency side, he established his own independent agency.  

 

Mike maintains commitment to his on-going mission: enabling the implementation of a benefits package that encourages employee loyalty - while developing and maintaining the highest level of client trust.

 

In addition to marketing and service, Mike’s areas of focus include compliance with federal regulatory and state statutory requirements; policy and contractual language review; and employee claims appeals.

 

Mike has developed and instructed Continuing Education courses in Section 125, COBRA and State Continuation, Health Savings Accounts and Unauthorized Entities.  He has been a guest speaker for the central Florida PRIMA chapter and for Florida Health Care Plans.  He has also participated in Taft-Hartley labor negotiations on behalf of his governmental clients.

 

Mike is a graduate of Florida State University with a Bachelors of Science Degree in Marketing. Additionally, Mike has earned his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation.  

 

  

Carol Taylor 

Director of Compliance

 

 

Carol Taylor is a licensed health and life agent and has a Bachelors Degree in Accounting from the University of Central Florida.  Having worked in the insurance industry for over 20 years in various capacities, her expertise ranges from individual policies to large self-funded groups.  Her duties have included insurance accounting, claims auditing, and account management. 
 
Carol is a member of the Jacksonville Association of Health Underwriters, and assumed the role of Legislative Chair this past February.  She has been elected to their Board of Directors for the 2010-2011 term.  She was chosen to serve as United Benefit Advisors liaison to the National Association of Health Underwriters working with legislative issues.  She was selected Staff Person of the Year award by the United Benefit Advisors leadership for her work with legislative issues.
 
Having read the entire Patient Protection & Affordable Care Act, she has participated in countless seminars, town hall meetings and other educational event meetings both locally and nationally.  Carol has met with Congressmen, Senators and their staff and with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.  She is regarded as an industry expert and has been interviewed for multiple newspapers, journals and radio stations including WOKV (690 am/106.5 fm) in Jacksonville, WDBO (580 am) in Orlando and is a regular on the Ray Junior Show heard on WEUS (810 am), in Orlando.
 
Carol has served on the Clay County Chamber of Commerce Business Development Advisory Board, served as Chair for the three most successful Health Screening Program years and the Chair for the North Area Business Council.  She was selected for the Clay County Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year award in October 2010.  In her spare time, she enjoys quilting, playing the fiddle, reading and cooking.

 

Carole Singleton

Director of Client Services

 

Carol is also a Florida licensed health and life agent with an extensive background in managed care.  After obtaining her nursing license, she accepted a clinical nursing position in a large teaching hospital in Illinois.  Carole moved to Florida in 1981 and worked as the Nursing Supervisor for a large multi-specialty physician office in the Miami area.  During her tenure she became interested in the financing and delivery of medical care.  Carole was later recruited for a position with a major insurer in Central Florida.

 

Carole obtained her health and life license in 1999 and has worked with Beacon since that time.  The diversity of her professional experiences enable her to understand the delivery of care, funding, day to day issues, and the contracts between the provider of care and the insurance carrier.  Carole understands the "big picture" while retaining an attention to detail.  Carole and her support team are available to the business owner, decision maker, and to HR not only at renewal, but throughout the benefit year.  Carole also has an interest in compliance and has developed communications and tools to help HR team members do what they do best.

 

Carole believes all clients deserve personalized attention, service, respect, and an account team that is responsive to the client, team member, and insurance carrier.  She is passionate in her desire to identify solutions that save time, money and still comply with the regulatory requirements.

 

Kat Soto

Account Executive

 

Kat is a licensed health and life agent in Florida.  Kat earned a Bachelors degree in Human Resource Management from the University of Central Florida.  With a diverse managed care and employee benefit experience, Kat has served as Beacon's COBRA Specialist, worked in provider relations/contracting for some of the nation's largest health insurance companies, and now provides account management and engagement for numerous employers.  Kat provides her clients with the highest level of professionalism and service, while providing 'Best in Class' tools and capabilities.  

 

Tonya Brown

Account Executive

 

Tonya has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and is a licensed health and life agent in Florida. Tonya has 16 years experience in group and voluntary employee benefit administration and currently serves as an Account Manager.

 

Nicole Prince

Account Executive

 

Nicole is a licensed health and life agent in Florida.  She attended Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois and worked in the insurance industry in Sales and Marketing.  She has extensive experience in Hospitality Management and Guest/Customer Relations and has been employed by some of Central Florida's largest Hospitality companies.  She is now a Client Support Specialist for Beacon and handles Client Development, Communications and Individual Insurance Sales.