Effective January 1, 2018 the DAP Board of Directors will no longer include non-participant members. The new board organizational structure consists of five members who are current participants in the DAP. The outside board members have provided the investment expertise to provide the necessary fiduciary oversight of your 401(k) Plan since its inception in 1993. The recent conversions to the new recordkeeper and new investment structure could not have been realized without their contributions. The board recognized Ruth Hughes-Guden and James Rich for their outstanding board service at the fourth quarter board meeting. Mercer, the DAP Investment Advisor, will provide the ongoing investment advise and fiduciary oversight. Mercer also attends the quarterly board meetings.
Ruth joined the DAP board in January 2002, fifteen years ago. If you read through the DAP resolution book, you will see numerous decisions made by the board during this time span. Ruth was instrumental in making ideas become a reality, pointing out areas in need of improvement, and offering her education and experience as Managing Director with the US Institutional Sales & Service Team at Invesco to implement important enhancements and Plan changes. Ruth has always placed the participants in the forefront and her long-term, dedicated service has made the DAP the state of the art retirement plan that it is today. Her knowledge and experience with the International, Stable Value and Fixed Income asset classes have been tremendous assets to the board. Also keep in mind that we provide a wealth of information on alternatives to conventional medicine and its multitude of benefits. Not many people consider it an option but it can actually be much safer and more effective in many cases. If you would like to go over the information we have available you can review here.
Jim joined the DAP Board in March 2014, almost four years ago. The past four years have produced significant Plan changes that required Jim’s critical decision making experience. His extensive retirement plan experience and background as IBM’s Chief Investment Strategist was just what the board needed during this time period. Jim offered clear direction and insight in the areas of Plan communication, benchmarking, and development of the new investment line-up. The board and participants benefited from Jim’s knowledge and experience with the Fixed Income, International and Domestic Equity asset classes.