Press Release

The ERISA Industry Committee President and CEO James Gelfand Named a Top Lobbyist of 2023

Issued by ERIC [ERISA Industry Committee]

Nov. 14, 2023

WASHINGTON – The ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC) today announced that its president and CEO James Gelfand has been named one of the top 100 lobbyists in the U.S. by the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE), an organization representing lobbying, public policy, and government affairs professionals. Gelfand and other 2023 recipients will be honored on November 16 in the Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill.   Gelfand is a well-respected health care and benefits lobbyist and policy advocate in Washington. He leads a team of federal and state lobbyists working on behalf of ERIC member companies, composed of the largest employers in the U.S., advocating for their interests as sponsors of employee health care and retirement benefit plans for tens of millions of employees, families, and retirees. Gelfand became ERIC’s president and CEO in April 2023, having previously served as its senior and then executive vice president for eight years, and serving as president since 2022.   “It is an honor to be recognized by fellow government affairs professionals through the National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics (NILE). And it's an honor is to have the opportunity I am afforded each day to help ensure our nation’s largest employers can provide the highest-quality health care and retirement benefits for their workers and families. This acknowledgment is not mine alone, but a testament to the dedicated staff at ERIC and our committed members,” Gelfand said.   Gelfand added: “I and the ERIC team believe that the best way to conduct government affairs is to be open and honest with lawmakers, provide them with the best information, and tell the unvarnished truth – even when it might be uncomfortable or inconvenient. And what we see in return is that policymakers and staff want to work with us and advance our shared priorities.”

This year Gelfand’s accomplishments included working on a range of critical health benefits issues including legislative and regulatory modifications to laws such as the Affordable Care Act, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, and the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.

Gelfand has also focused on key retirement benefits issues this year -- including the SECURE 2.0 Act -- and has successfully supported legislation in several states on issues as wide-ranging as retirement programs, state regulation of pharmacy benefit managers, mandates related to paid leave.

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