Press Release

PSCA Honors Nevin Adams with 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award

Issued by PSCA [Plan Sponsor Council of America]

May 1, 2025

PSCA also recognized individuals for their contributions to the retirement plan industry with the Plan Advisor of the Year and CPSP member of the year awards.

Arlington, VA – PSCA recognized Nevin Adams, former chief content officer for the American Retirement Association, with its annual lifetime achievement award at this year’s national conference in Las Vegas. Nevin Adams is widely known in the industry, from his time as chief content officer at the American Retirement Association, as well as his time as Editor-in-Chief of PLANSPONSOR magazine for his ability to succinctly break down complicated retirement industry information and provide the details and impact to plan sponsors and advisors alike in a highly digestible and witty manner.

In announcing Nevin as this year’s Lifetime Achievement honoree, PSCA’s executive director Will Hansen stated, “What has always set him apart is his ability to cut through the noise, delivering clarity, context, and just the right dose of wit.” One of his nominees stated that “One could not find a more dedicated, selfless, passionate, wise, hard-working, enthusiastic, committed person to the subject of retirement in America,” while another noted “Throughout his career, Nevin has shown enviable skill in communicating and explaining complicated benefits concepts and parsing the impact of legal and regulatory developments.”

At the conference, held April 30-May2, PSCA bestowed two additional awards that were created last year. The 2025 Plan Advisor of the Year award was given to Lisa Buffington, Marsh McLennan Agency’s Vice President of Retirement Services. The Certified Plan Sponsor Professional Member of the Year Award was given to Anthony Dalvin, Controller at Enviromatic Corporation.

PSCA’s Lifetime Achievement Award was created in 2015 and recognizes individuals who have had a positive ,lasting impact on the defined contribution retirement system. Previous winners and nominating criteria can be found here.  Winners of all awards are nominated by PSCA members and voted on by the PSCA leadership committee.

Lifetime Achievement

Nevin Adams served as the chief content officer for the American Retirement Association for nearly a decade, before semi-retiring in 2023. Prior to his time at ARA, he was the Employee Benefits Research Institute’s director of education and external relations, co-director of EBRI’s Center for Research on Retirement Income and director of the American Savings Education Council. Prior to his role at the American Savings Education Council, he spent a dozen years as global editor-in-chief of PLANSPONSOR magazine and PLANSPONSOR.com, as well as PLANADVISER and PLANSPONSOR Europe magazines. He was the originator, creator, writer, and publisher of PLANSPONSOR.com’s NewsDash. He began his retirement services career at Northern Trust in Chicago, where he later served in a variety of management roles, culminating in the development of a proprietary recordkeeping platform, and at Wachovia Bank, leading their defined contribution/recordkeeping businesses.

In his remarks announcing Adams as this year’s award recipient, Hansen noted, “Whether the topic was legislation, litigation, plan design, participant behavior, whether he was writing, speaking, moderating, mentoring, or, yes, even tweeting. I’ll even add to that podcasting, and he did it all with deep respect for the plan sponsor audience and an unwavering belief in the power of education to improve outcomes. His voice has guided this industry; his passion has pushed it forward. He didn’t just leave a mark; he helped define what excellence looks like.”

Even in his “retirement” Nevin Adams continues to the steady voice of the reason in the retirement industry though his ongoing writing, analysis, and podcasting.

CPSP Member of the Year

Anthony Davlin is a dedicated Controller at Enviromatic Corporation with extensive expertise in accounting and financial management. He has successfully spearheaded a significant 401(k) plan change, leveraging his passion for financial literacy to educate employees and enhance their retirement readiness. By actively participating in local Roundtables, Anthony has fostered collaborative discussions that promote best practices and innovation within the industry. His commitment to empowering others through knowledge and strategic financial planning sets him apart as a leader in the field. With a keen eye for detail and a collaborative spirit, Anthony continually strives to drive positive change and support organizational growth.

Advisor of the Year

Lisa Buffington works with retirement plan sponsors to maximize retirement plan efficiencies and outcomes so that their employees can achieve their goals for retirement. In her role as vice president, Lisa works with both for-profit and non-profit organizations. She works directly with finance, human resources, and benefits groups to assist with all aspects of their retirement plan strategy. Lisa is a member of MMA New England’s Investment Committee and MMA’s National Financial Wellbeing Steering Committee. She has been acknowledged as one of PLANADVISER’s Top Financial Advisors for 2023, 2024, and 2025.  Lisa has been named as National Association of Plan Advisors (NAPA’s) Top Women Advisors for 2018 through 2024. She participates on NAPA’s Leadership Council and was the 401(k) Summit Steering Committee Co-Chair for 2022 and 2023.  She is also a member of the industry’s national Retirement Advisor Council (RAC) as a Board Member and co-chairs the RAC’s financial literacy committee.

Lisa has a strong passion for women's professional development, financial literacy education, and urban city K-12 educational reform. She has served as the past president of the Women in Pensions Network’s national group (WIPN) and worked directly with the team responsible for launching WIPN’s non-profit organization. Her dedication to non-profits does not end there as she also serves as board chair for a start-up non-profit charter management organization, Capital Preparatory Schools, and is actively involved in Junior Achievement. 

About the Plan Sponsor Council of America

The Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA), part of the American Retirement Association (ARA), is a diverse, collaborative community of employee benefit plan sponsors, working together on behalf of millions of employees to solve real problems, create positive change, and expand on the success of the employer-sponsored retirement system. With members representing employers of all sizes, we offer a forum for comprehensive dialogue. By sharing our collective knowledge and experience as plan sponsors, PSCA also serves as a resource to policymakers, the media, and other stakeholders as part of our commitment to improving retirement security for millions of Americans. For more information, visit www.psca.org.

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