About Us

By focusing on creating value for plan sponsors and participants, Hunter Benefits Consulting Group, Inc. (HBCG), formed in October 1999, has grown quickly to a firm that administers over 850 employee benefits plans out of our offices in the Chicago, Denver, Spokane, and Seattle-Tacoma Suburbs. HBCG offers technical guidance to plan sponsors related to qualified plan design and administration while offering plan sponsors accurate and timely reporting for reasonable and transparent fees.

Christopher Tipper

Founder and CEO

Christopher began his career in retirement benefits in 1990, founding Hunter Benefits in 1999 and quickly rising to prominence as an expert who challenges fellow plan consultants to continuously improve business practices, adapt to rapidly changing trends and provide cost-effective, meaningful services for their clients. He oversees new client development and marketing and serves as an expert speaker at major industry events. A graduate of Knox College, he enjoys cars and travel.

Katherine Tipper

President and CFO

Katherine joined Hunter Benefits in 2004 after more than a decade of helping Starbucks Coffee make its successful start in Seattle. She oversees the financial activities of the firm’s operations in Illinois, Washington and Colorado, applying her keen sense of strategy and business development to establish high standards for client service across the enterprise. Katherine is an alumna of Knox College and an active leader in the National Organization of Women Business Owners (NAWBO).

Hunter Benefits Senior Management Team

Carol Colby

Compliance Coordinator

Carol has been in the qualified plan compliance field since 1986. She has done administration and compliance in many of the different service settings, including Putnam Investments, New England Life and Laventhol & Horwath as well as Third Party Administrators in Boston and in Illinois. She has experience in teaching staff to conduct compliance and administration processes for both small employer and large regional, national and multinational corporate clients.

Kimberly Jones

Production Coordinator

Kimberly has worked in the retirement planning field since 1993. She began her career on the plan-sponsor side, helping participants plan for a secure future. Kim transferred her extensive talents to the Third-Party Administration field in 1995. She has worked serving clients at Coopers & Lybrand, Buck Consultants and Merrill Lynch. Kim is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach. Away from work Kim enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Executive Personal Assistant

Works with the CEO and CFO. Can help set up and schedule meeting and events.

Dusty Rhodes

Dusty Rhodes is the anchor of Hunter Benefits administrative team, able to put clients in touch with Christopher and Katherine Tipper at any moment of the day or night and serving as a trusted resource for all. He attended the University of Minnesota, moving his talents to the retirement benefits field in 2014. When out of the office he can be found spending time with his family.

Implementation & Marketing Support

Implementation of all new clients as well as creating plan documents and amendments

Janice Davis

Janice Davis joined the retirement field in 1998. Using her extensive knowledge and experience in retirement, she has worked closely with plan sponsors, financial advisors, and participants to help them meet their business and personal goals. Janice has obtained her Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) and Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA) credentials. She enjoys painting, hiking, and cooking.

Kim Schaeffer

Kim Schaeffer entered the retirement planning field in 2015, shortly after graduating from Northern Illinois University. She is a valued member of the Hunter Benefits team in Palatine, where she manages plan administration, loans and distributions with care and expertise. Kim is a native of New York state, and when she is not in the office, she is enjoys working on crafts , spending time with her family and going to concerts.

Filippo Balistreri

Filippo Balistreri entered the retirement benefits industry in 2021, Filippo brings with him many years of retail banking experience. He has his associates degree in IT/Computer Management from Rasmussen College. As part of our Palatine team, he handles internal IT for all of Hunter Benefits offices, and also assist sales in designing fee proposals and service agreements. His off time is spent with his husband and their 5 cats. His passions are in music and cooking. He is also a video game enthusiast (For the Alliance!).

Document Coordinator

Raymond Hughes

Raymond Hughes joined the qualified retirement field in 2011 after graduating with a degree in Economics from the University at Albany. He began his career in upstate New York but he now calls Colorado home. He has his Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) as well as his Tax-Exempt and Governmental Plan Consultant (TGPC) credentials. When he is not helping clients with plan document questions, amendments and restatements, he likes to explore the outdoors with his fiancé and Labradoodle, travel and try new things.

Hunter Benefits Associate Administrators

Complete Distributions, Loans, Customer support, and can answer most client questions.

Austin Tipper - Chicago

Austin Tipper entered the retirement benefits industry in 2018, following his graduation from the University of Minnesota with duel degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies. Working as part of our team in Palatine, Illinois, he manages plan proposals, loans and distributions and contributes to the defined benefit team review process. In his spare time Austin enjoys doing conservation work and playing tabletop games.

Shauna Hegwer - Spokane

Shauna Hegwer joined the retirement benefits industry in 2010, serving clients at Randall & Hurley and AmeriBen before becoming a key member of our Spokane team. As a seasoned pension associate, she manages distributions, loans and reconciliations, constantly expanding her knowledge base. Shauna earned her degree in business finance and economics from Eastern Washington University. She enjoys walking, movies, comedy and attending her daughter’s sporting events.

Hunter Benefits Administrators

Completes testing, Safe Harbor calculations, compliance, compliance issues, completes the Form 5500, and creates final Valuation Packet as well as handles Customer Support.

Amanda Leon

Amanda Leon began her career in retirement benefits in 2011, working at John Hancock before joining the Hunter Benefits team. She is a member of our Colorado office, overseeing plan distributions and loans and training her colleagues in the smooth handling of QDROs and hardship cases, preparing all related IRS documents as well as annual valuation reports for plans. She has received her ASPPA Retirement Plan Fundamentals Certificate and she is working hard at completing her NIPA course on being an APA. Amanda is a graduate of Illinois State University who enjoys hiking, CrossFit, slack-lining and live concerts.

Angela Handzic

Angela Handzic is an Illinois native who has worked in the retirement benefits field since 2001. Throughout her career she has developed extensive knowledge of plan design, documentation and the intricate details of ERISA compliance. As a skilled plan administrator, she creates and services defined-contribution plans and provides outstanding service for Hunter Benefits clients. Angela earned her APA and NIPA accreditations in 2008 and is a graduate from the College of DuPage. When she is not in the office you can find planning her next trip to a theme park with her kids so they can check off another one of the craziest roller-coaster ever made.

Bethany Colwell

Bethany Colwell joined the qualified retirement field in 2004 after graduating with degrees in Marketing and Management. She began her career in Washington State and moved to Colorado the following year. With extensive experience in retirement and wealth management, she has worked closely with plan sponsors and participants to help them meet their business and personal objectives. Bethany is a Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) who enjoys snowboarding, world travel and origami.

Dottie Tzumas

Dottie Tzumas has served clients in the retirement benefits industry since 1978, gathering a wealth of experience in plan conversions, installation, compliance, contribution calculations, asset reconciliation, audit assistance and much more. She has earned the Qualified 401(k) Administrator designation as well as completing ASSPA courses, thus making her greatly valued by Hunter clients for her knowledge and expertise. In her down time, you can find Dottie hiking and traveling with her family.

Elsa Silva

Elsa Silva has worked in the retirement benefits field since 2008. Her strong background in contract administration makes her a valued resource for our clients, who trust her ability to manage plan administration and compliance tasks with precision. Elsa earned her business degree from the University of Maryland and enjoys working as a member of our Spokane team. Away from work, she loves cooking, reading and watching scary movies.

Gayle Goodwin

Gayle Goodwin specializes in defined benefit and cash balance plans. She has worked in the qualified plan compliance field since 2006, helping companies of all sizes to establish and maintain well-designed plans. Gayle enjoys the challenge of keeping abreast of ever-changing IRS and Department of Labor regulations, sharing continuous updates with Hunter clients. A California native, she is a graduate of San Diego State University. In her spare time, you can find her reading a book and planning her next travel adventure.

Scott Sevigny

Scott Sevigny graduated from Gonzaga University in 1994 with a BA in Business Administration with emphasis in Finance. He entered the retirement benefits field in 1997, earning his Accredited Pension Administrator designation soon afterward. In 2004 he co-founded Carlson & Sevigny TPA Services, which became part of Hunter Benefits in 2018. Scott is an expert pension consultant in our Spokane, Washington office, offering special expertise in new comparability (cross-tested) contribution allocation for defined contribution plans. He enjoys fishing, golfing and Gonzaga University basketball.

Sheran Icard

Sheran Icard Joined the retirement planning field in 2012, after graduating from Washington State University. She began her career as a retirement plan consultant, then moving into plan administration in 2019. With a strong background in accounting and office management, she enjoys the compliance and financial aspects of her role. She specializes in administering cross-tested (new comparability) plans and Safe Harbor 401(k) plans. Sheran is a native of Washington State and a valued member of our Spokane team who loves spending time with her four daughters.

Sue Dudzik

Sue Dudzik joined Hunter Benefits in 2020. She has over 22 years’ experience working with defined contribution plans, including profit sharing, and 401(k) plans. She is well versed in complex annual testing for new comparability plans as well as ADP/ACP testing for 401(k) plans. Her experience and diligence in staying up to date on new regulations helps Sue best serve her clients retirement plan needs. Sue holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, working out, volunteering, and watching sports.