Stephen S. Gedestad, Executive Vice President of the Keenan & Associates Schools Division, is responsible for management of Keenan Financial Services. The Financial Services Division has developed a wide range of products that include meeting the needs of Public Entities as they comply with GASB 43 & 45, individual financial planning programs, and various early retirement incentives. Steve came to Keenan & Associates in 1983, with vast experience in employee benefits. While working at Aetna Life & Casualty for ten years, he acquired experience in the marketing and management of large multi-site national employers. Additionally, he managed employee benefit and pension plans for Taft-Hartley Trusts throughout the Aetna network. Steve graduated from the University of California at Davis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He is a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), receiving his certification from the American College. Steve has served as president of the San Diego Employee Benefits Council and is active in his community. He is a member of CASBO and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Gail Beal in Keenan’s Torrance office is primarily responsible for sales of Keenan Financial Services’ products. Gail works specifically with marketing and sales of Keenan’s SERP and APPLE plans as well as our Futuris program for GASB 43/45 compliance.

Gail joined Keenan & Associates in 1991 as a retirement insurance counselor and worked extensively with early retirement plans offered by school districts and community colleges. She joined the firm permanently in 1994 when she assumed responsibility for the APPLE Plan, the company’s FICA alternative. Gail’s ability to establish relationships with district personnel and assess the needs of their districts has been a valuable asset to the department.

Gail majored in English, attending Gonzaga University and California State University, Long Beach. She is currently pursuing an MBA with an emphasis on marketing and plan administration. She is also in the process of completing her Plan Administration designation.

Gail Beal is not a NPC representative.

Dan Keenan works closely with school districts and Keenan & Associates benefit consultants to design and implement retirement programs. His expertise lies in designing, marketing and implementing retirement plans and pension programs that fit school districts’ unique needs. He has been instrumental in executing qualified early retirement plans, qualified defined benefit plans and specialized individual life insurance programs.

Dan joined Keenan & Associates in 1983, working first in the Personnel Services Department. He moved to Retirement Planning in 1984 when the first early retirement plans were implemented and was instrumental in improving the implementation of early retirement plans by negotiating with carriers to obtain a guaranteed annuity products as well as improving the counseling and enrollment process.*

Dan graduated from California State University, Long Beach receiving a degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources.; He earned his Life Underwriters Training Counsel Fellow (LUTCF) in 1993 and in currently working on his Certificate of Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS) designation. Dan holds Series 6, 63 and 65 licenses through National Planning Corporation who serves as his Broker Dealer.

*Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurance policy.

Shari King is the Operations Manager for Keenan Financial Services. Shari has held key positions in the employee benefits and compensation field for the past 30 years. She began her career with Prudential Insurance Company. In 1987, Shari was named Vice President of Flexible Benefits at Pension Consultants and Administrators, Inc. (PCA), in Austin, Texas. In this position, she developed systems and administration for Section 125 Cafeteria Plans that made her company a recognized leader in innovative plans.

In 1994 Shari accepted the position of Assistant Benefits Manager at Texas County and District Retirement Systems. There, she was responsible for the establishment and administration of the monthly annuity payments of retirees, worked on legislative and procedural changes, and conducted workshops and training for clients and county officials. Shari returned to PCA in 1996 as Consulting Senior Account Manager. She lead a team of personnel who serviced public employer plans, concentrating on 403(b) and 125 plan services, as well as 457 plans and FICA Alternative Plans. She was later given responsibility for developing PCA’s services in California and moved here as Manager, PCA California Operations.

Shari has been with Keenan & Associates since 2000. She currently oversees the administration and daily operations of Keenan Financial Services which offers a variety of retirement and client services including specialization in FICA Alternative Plans, Supplemental Early Retirement Plans, 403(b) and 457(b) Plans and GASB compliant programs in addition to custom retirement plans based on individual client needs.

Shari King is not a NPC representative.