Vanessa Benitez is Executive Vice President of Growth and Business Development at Word & Brown, overseeing Underwriting, Strategic Partnerships, Client Experience, and Sales in the San Diego and Inland Empire regions.

She earned her promotion in 2024, after spearheading our Associated Health Plan Trust transition, generating added production for carrier partners, and helping build and launch our Elite Plus Solutions program. She has been a principal player in multiple corporate initiatives, pilot program development for sales and retention, and expanding key agency partnerships throughout California and Nevada.

Vanessa entered the health insurance industry in 2006, working as an Enroller with Health Net in the large group division. She joined Word & Brown in 2007 as an Enrollment Specialist, earning multiple promotions to Field Sales Representative, Senior Regional Sales Manager, Field Sales Director, and Regional Vice President. In leading the San Diego region, she helped double annual production during her tenure.

Vanessa attended UC Berkeley, where she double majored in Political Science and Latin American Studies.

Jeff Compangano has served as General Counsel for The Word & Brown Companies for more than 20 years. He leads the legal department for the organization, proactively organizing and managing all legal matters, including intellectual property as well as transactional and corporate law.

He has been and continues to be a key part of all major organization dealings, including merger and acquisition transactions in 2014 and 2017. Those involved the sale of CONEXIS, the first national benefits administrator offering web-based benefits administration, to WageWorks and the sale of online insurance quoting platform Quotit® and consumer comparison site HealthCompare to National General.

Under Jeff’s leadership, the Word & Brown General Agency and CHOICE Administrators have earned Certified status from HITRUST three times since 2018. HITRUST Certification is the benchmark for data security in health care and demonstrates a pledge to stay ahead of potential data breaches.

A highly respected, longstanding member and leader of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), Southern California Chapter, Jeff has been involved in the Street Law Program, where ACC attorney members work with law schools and high school students in underserved communities. The program educates students about legal topics as well as the path to becoming an attorney.

Steve Huynh was promoted to his current role in March 2023 after nearly three and a half years as Senior Vice President of Operations & Administration for CHOICE Administrators. He is responsible for the CaliforniaChoice and ChoiceBuilder Customer Service Call Center, Underwriting, Eligibility and Enrollment Processing Centers, Billing Services Center, Commissions Management, Shared Services, Legal Review and Case Management, Compliance Review and Implementation, Carrier Relations, Vendor Engagement and Negotiations, COBRA Administration, Business Intelligence, and Project Management.

He first joined CHOICE Administrators in 1998 after serving as a non-commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps.

Steve is passionate about helping individuals develop into great leaders. He believes their growth and success as leaders is the most fulfilling aspect of his job. With 30 years of experience, he has developed two leadership concepts that he calls the “what” and “how” pillars of leadership.

Teaching individuals the basics of leadership gives them a foundation from which to start – a compass if you will. The “how” is Leading with H.E.A.R.T. – Honesty, Encouragement, Accountability, Respect, and Trust.

Steve’s Business Administration and Management degree is from California State University, Fullerton, and his MBA from the University of Arizona Global Campus.

Curt Kramer is Executive Vice President of Finance and Controller at The Word & Brown Companies. He joined the organization in 2001 after working at Ethan Allen as District Controller. Curt brings a range of experience in the health care, service, and manufacturing industries.

Curt is dedicated to providing a robust and scalable financial infrastructure that supports the company’s growth plans. He leads the Finance Department, which includes Financial Planning & Analysis, General Accounting, Finance Systems, Payroll, and Treasury. Curt focuses on team member development, timely and accurate financial reporting, tax compliance, financial systems support, and internal controls, resulting in a disciplined finance organization. He oversees the annual budget process and capital management, partnering with various company decision-makers to develop short-term and long-term plans for continued growth and profitability in the changing health care industry.

As a member of the Executive Steering Committee, Curt collaborates with senior management to establish company goals, identify synergies across the divisions, and align resources in support of the overall corporate strategy.

Curt is a Certified Public Accountant and earned his degree from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Association of Certified Public Accountants.

Tamra Reise MacPherson is Executive Vice President of Customer Experience and Service at CHOICE Administrators. She oversees all aspects of the customer experience and service for the organization. 

Tamra is responsible for the development and implementation of procedures and processes to ensure a positive customer experience. She oversees the delivery of the highest levels of support to CaliforniaChoice and ChoiceBuilder customers, as well as the carrier partners for the health insurance and ancillary insurance exchanges. 

She leads development of the organization’s customer service strategy and directs employee performance management. Tamra also establishes goals to help staff meet elevated standards of service and achieve ongoing professional growth.

Tamra began her professional career at CHOICE Administrators in 1996 and she has worked in a variety of roles over the past three decades. Those prior roles have included Underwriter, Underwriting Team Lead, Client Administration Supervisor and Manager, Director of Customer Service, and Vice President of Customer Service. She was named Senior Vice President in 2013 and was promoted to her current role in 2023.

Tamra attended La Sierra University in Riverside, California.

Marc McGinnis is President of Word & Brown. Prior to his promotion in December 2021, he was Senior Vice President of Sales, where he managed all sales across the general agency’s six regions in California and Nevada, while providing strategic oversight of key agency and high-profile partnerships. 

Previously, Marc also supervised leadership for the Underwriting, Plan Maintenance, Broker Services, and Account Management departments. These teams work collaboratively to provide sales, enrollment, case review, and other assistance to brokers in their delivery of employee benefits products and services to employers, employees, and dependents.

Marc returned to Word & Brown in 2015 to serve as Director of Compliance and Partnership Relations. Before that, he was Regional Vice President at CONEXIS, the benefits administrator formerly a part of The Word & Brown Companies. He first joined Word & Brown in 1996 as a benefits consultant and sales representative.

Marc earned his Bachelor of Science degree from California State University, Fullerton, and has a Certified Financial Consultant® designation from the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation.

Polly Neves is the Executive Vice President of Marketing at The Word & Brown Companies. With 20 years of experience in the health and wellness vertical, she has collaborated with thought leaders across the country to introduce, grow, and nurture some of the most well-established health care brands in the country.

Polly is responsible for overseeing the planning, development, and execution of the branding, marketing, advertising, and public relations for The Word & Brown Companies and its business units: the Word & Brown General Agency, CHOICE Administrators (CaliforniaChoice, ChoiceBuilder), and two prescription drug discount programs (California Rx Card, Nevada Drug Card).

Prior to her 2020 promotion to Executive Vice President, Polly was Vice President and Director of Accounts for The Word & Brown Companies, where she defined and executed the strategic vision and marketing plans for each of her clients. She has worked in Individual & Family Plan, Small Group, Large Group, and Medicare markets for Word & Brown, CaliforniaChoice, ChoiceBuilder, HealthCompare, Quotit, and CONEXIS.

Polly earned her Master’s degree from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor’s degree from Chapman University. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals (NABIP), and Data & Marketing Association. She serves as an executive steering committee member for The Word & Brown Companies.

As Executive Vice President of Sales and Account Management at CHOICE Administrators, Michael is responsible for all market facing engagement, strategic partnerships, and product development. His teams are accountable for Sales and distribution, Retention and Renewals, and Sales Operations for the CaliforniaChoice multi-carrier, small business health exchange and the ChoiceBuilder ancillary benefits exchange.

An Arizona State University graduate, Michael is a seasoned employee benefits and business development executive with 30 years of experience working with business owners, executives, brokers, general agents, carriers, and consultants. Throughout his career he has held a variety of senior leadership positions with health plans and third-party benefits administrators.

Michael joined CHOICE Administrators in 2012 in a sales leadership capacity and has worked to shape the infrastructure and strategic direction of the sales division over his tenure at the company. His knowledge of market trends and dynamics are at the core of his passion for developing business plans to increase revenue and persistency and enhance partner and customer relationships. Today, as an EVP, he works with the executive team at CHOICE to build the immediate and long-term strategies for the organization, and ensure a healthy culture in which employees can thrive.

Flor Real is Executive Vice President of Human Resources at The Word & Brown Companies. She was promoted to the role in 2024. Flor joined the organization in 2019 with more than 25 years of experience in all aspects of human resources management, including a strong emphasis on employee relations, recruitment, and benefits administration. 

She is a credentialed expert in human resources with a Senior Certified Professional certification from the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM). SHRM-SCP assesses the competency of those engaged in human resources at the strategic level. Work at this level includes developing HR policies and/or procedures, overseeing execution of integrated HR operations, directing an HR enterprise, or leading the alignment of HR strategies to organizational goals. 

Flor’s background includes previous experience with non-profits and manufacturers. She was HR Director at Providence Speech and Hearing Center, HR Manager at Bay Cities and Sugar Foods Corporation, and Director of Human Resources at the Foundation for Early Childhood Education (which administers a Head Start program). 

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Business from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Adam Roye is Executive Vice President and Strategy Officer at CHOICE Administrators. He leads enterprise strategy and program operations and management for the parent organization of the CaliforniaChoice private health insurance exchange and ChoiceBuilder ancillary benefits exchange. Adam is also responsible for regulatory compliance and contracts, business intelligence, project management and business analysis, and other strategic functions.

Prior to CHOICE Administrators, Adam served in a corporate role across  The Word & Brown Companies, designing and implementing the organization’s corporate-wide Enterprise Project Management Office for multiple insurance-related businesses. His role included strategic planning, process improvement, and enterprise project portfolio oversight.

Adam’s experience includes nearly a decade in management consulting (at KPMG and Booz Allen Hamilton), and five years with the United States Government Accountability Office. In these positions, he worked with an extensive array of government agencies and companies in the health care industry.

Adam earned his Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree from Georgetown University and his Bachelor of Arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He holds Project Management Professional (PMP) and Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certifications.