Veronica P.

Tuitt-Abraham
902 Washington Avenue
Roselle, NJ 07203
Home: (908)-298-0837 Cell: (908)377-0196 vt503090@westpost.net
Professional Experience
Human Resources Employee Benefits professional with 20 plus years of Benefits ex
perience.
The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. (04/2008 - Present)
Director of Benefits
Manage, train and develop a department of nine Benefit professionals. Design, ma
nage and implement Benefits plans/programs for 3,200 non-union and 20,000 union
employees in multiple states. Manage the day-to-day operations of the Benefits
Department (Health & Welfare, Disability and Retirement). Strategic focus on He
alth & Welfare, Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plan design and managem
ent. Introduce wellness programs and manage all leave programs in multiple state
s. Implement dependent eligibility audit for non-union employees savings $600,0
00 per annum. Strong multiple vendor management and negotiation skills with a fo
cus on process improvement and performance guarantees. Strong financial analysis
and evaluation skills. Manages the RFP selection process for consultants, vendo
rs and other business partners. Design, evaluate and develop new benefit plans a
nd programs. Ensure compliance with government regulations including ERISA repor
ting, FMLA, HIPAA, PPA, RDS and DOL filings and disclosure requirements (Form 55
00, Annual Funding Notices and Benefit Statements). Develop long term and short
term strategic goals. Develop and implement new Training and Development Progr
ams emphasizing performance improvement. Manage the HRIS system including update
of new software, testing and implementation. Perform benefits analysis. Investi
gate and resolve benefits related inquiries, both internal and external.
Avaya, Inc. (03/2006 - 11/2007)
Manager, Health & Welfare Benefits Policy
Manages the design of U.S. health & welfare benefit plans for approximately 10,0
00 employees (which include union members of the CWA and the IBEW) in multiple s
tates. Responsibilities include: Analysis of health care claims data for medica
l, dental, vision, life, disability and FSA. Annually update Summary Plan Descri
ptions and Plan Documents for all benefit plans. Review 5500s prepared by consul
tant. Prepare Summary Annual Reports. Ensures that the firm retains a competiti
ve benefits posture in the market place. Builds an environment that supports coo
peration and cohesiveness among the work team and with other areas of the organi
zation. Provides solutions to a diverse range of complex problems. Manage vend
or relationships for all health and welfare plans. Project manage RFP process,
oversee all plan compliance issues, and resolve all plan administrator issues fo
r active, retired, salaried and represented employees. Develop benefit strategy
guidance for senior management. Conduct annual underwriting for all self-insur
ed medical, dental and vision plans. Project manage annual enrollment process f
or all US locations.
Valley National Bancorp (04/2003 - 03/2006)
Vice President - Director of Benefits (11/2004 - Present)
Assistant Vice President - Benefits Operations Manager (04/2003 - 11/2004)
Responsible for planning, strategy development and overall management of the Hea
lth & Welfare, Define Benefit and Define Contribution Plans for 2,900 employees
in 160 locations in NY and NJ. Provide strategic consultation and guidance to se
nior management on all benefits related initiatives. Establish relationships wit
h benefit brokers and vendors to obtain new contracts and negotiate renewals. De
velop a communication strategy for creating benefits awareness, settlements, cla
ims and utilization data and enrollment information. Manages the annual open enr
ollment period. Develop and document procedures to streamline processes and ensu
re benefit plans are consistently administered in compliance with the company's
policies and government regulations such as ERISA, IRS, and DOL. Filing annual
compliance paperwork such as 5500's, SAR's and SPD's. Act as a sponsor and agent
for change, while promoting / encouraging innovation and continuous improvement
in the benefit programs. Manages the processing of monthly insurance/vendor bil
ls for accuracy and resolving any discrepancies. Act as a business partner and
subject matter expert for other lines of business within the company. Conduct b
enefits analysis of target companies during merger and acquisition due diligence
. Develop and manage all auditing and compliance procedures in respect to Sarban
es Oxley. Ultimately responsible for the management and overall quality and cons
istency of customer service provided by the Benefits Department.

Strauss Discount Auto, Inc

Human Resources/Benefits Manager (10/1999 to 04/2003)
Responsible for managing and developing all aspects of corporate pension, health
& welfare, benefits and compensation plans for 2,800 employees in NY,NJ,PA & DE
. Supervised entire Human Resources staff. Managed the company's defined contrib
ution 401(k) savings plan, defined benefit retirement plan, supplemental life in
surance and long term & short term disability programs, included filing of 5500'
s. Negotiated new benefits contracts with insurance vendor and brokers. Develop
ed and manage all compensation issues including salary surveys, updating job des
criptions, monitoring salaries in the market to be sure all employees were compe
nsated properly. Implemented new Training and Development Program emphasizing p
erformance improvement. Responsible for developing and implementing company wide
recruitment programs, developing and maintaining recruitment relationships with
staffing agencies, local colleges and universities. Initiating innovative recr
uitment programs. Responsible for implementing a training program that met both
the managers' and employees' expectations related to job and performance. Wrote
and maintained all employment policies and procedures including Company Handbook
and Summary Plan Descriptions which aligned with the company's human resources
strategy. Worked with employees and managers to resolve all employee relation is
sues. Negotiated collective bargaining agreement with five unions across four st
ates. Resolved labor disputes with both management and labor.
Group Health Incorporated, New York, NY (12/1990 - 10/1999)
Benefits Analyst (12/1990-10/1999)
Responsible for managing all aspects of corporate welfare plans for 3,200 employ
ees in six domestic locations. Analyzed and reviewed current costs and coverage
which included health, disability, life, worker's compensation, and unemployment
and pension benefits. Maintained equity with current benefit trends and legisla
tive requirements. Managed the company's Defined Contribution 401(k) Savings Pla
n, Defined Benefit Retirement Plan, Supplemental Life Insurance and Long Term &
Short Term Disability programs. Identified data requirements and developed forma
t of benefits portion of HRIS for implementation of new CSS Hrizon HRIS System.
Advised employees and retirees on various benefits entitlement. Acted as liaiso
n between the company's employees and insurance carriers. Responsible for compan
y's compliance with all aspects of ERISA, COBRA and HIPAA. Developed Summary Pla
n Descriptions for Welfare Plans.

EDUCATION:
Masters of Education : Human Resources Education (M.Ed.)
University of Louisville, College of Education & Human Development
Masters of Arts Degree: Labor and Employment Relations (MLER)
Rutgers, The State University of NJ, School of Management and Employment Relati
ons
Bachelor of Arts Degree: Labor Studies and Employment Relations (BA)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
MEMBERSHIP: SHRM Member - Central NJ Chapter, New Jersey Notary Public
SKILLS:
Proficient in DataEase, CSS Hrizon, MicroSoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access,
Outlook, ADP Enterprise V3 and ReportSmith, SAP, ORACLE.