We are pleased and excited to announce several changes to the UBA Partner Relations team that bring even greater value to the Partnership!

Chris Powers, Director of Partner Development

Chris joins the UBA team as our Director of Partner Development and reports to John Behn, Senior VP, Partner Relations. Chris will be consulting benefit advisors who are interested in partnering with our exclusive organization to ensure they meet our stringent requirements and will be a good fit with our culture of sharing and collaboration. Chris previously worked for Envolve Health, Ceridian Lifeworks and ComPsych. He earned a BA in Public Relations from Illinois State University and has a wealth of expertise in the employee benefits space. He is married and has a 12-year-old daughter. A Chicago native and Cubs fan, Chris enjoys gardening, jogging and has a Yorkie.

Matt Meidell, Compliance Manager

Matt joins the UBA team as our Compliance Manager and reports to Karen Hsu, Director of Compliance. Matt will be supporting compliance alerts, advisory services, webinars, newsletters, and other compliance solutions that help Partners better serve their clients. Matt is from Michigan and relocated to Chicago to attend Loyola. He has a background in health law and has worked for NextLevel Health Partners. He interned at Illinois Health Insurance Marketplace and is well prepared for his role at UBA. Matt plays bocce ball in his spare time and holds a second degree black belt in the martial arts (Tae Kwon Do). His stepsister has a farm in Michigan that he helps with on occasion.

Amanda Thorson, Manager of Partner Relations

Amanda joins the UBA team as our Manager of Partner Relations and reports to John Behn, Senior VP, Partner Relations. Amanda is responsible for contributing to and managing the member training program, onboarding new Partners Firms, marketing initiatives, and reporting and analysis of activities. Amanda has worked for Republic Waste, MetLife, the University of Georgia, and a law firm in Des Moines. Amanda has a background in relationship management, training, and instruction. She is originally from Sandwich, Illinois, and received her BA from Drake University in Des Moines. She also has a Master of Arts degree from the University of Georgia and is a huge football fan (Go Dawgs!). Another fitness fanatic and pet owner, she is signed up to run her first half-marathon in November and has a Malti-Poo dog named Teddy.

Tiffani Edwards, Administrative Coordinator

Tiffani joined the UBA team as Administrative Coordinator, and also reports to John Behn, Senior VP, Partner Relations. Tiffani provides organizational assistance, and is a key contributor to creating value by interpreting and designing the reporting and analytical needs of the department. Tiffani previously worked for MDR (a Dun & Bradstreet Company) managing projects and is a skilled Sales and Marketing Specialist/Analyst. She’s a team player and has a strong passion for making a positive contribution to the company. A Chicago native with a teenage son, Tiffani enjoys roller skating, traveling and water sports.

Jim Gavin, Vice President of Finance

Jim Gavin has joined UBA as Vice President of Finance. Jim is replacing Kim Tyler, who has always dreamed of working for the government and has accepted a role with the local government. Jim is a registered Illinois CPA who, after his public account career, has focused on the not-for-profit association management industry where he has performed as the Director of Finance, CFO, and COO at several Chicago-based professional membership organizations. Jim and his wife Denise have three adult children who all live in the Chicagoland area, and are "empty nesters" when not counting their five-year-old Irish Doodle. They recently became grandparents as their oldest daughter Shannon delivered Adeline (Addy) on May 9. Besides being an ardent Chicago sports fan, Jim is passionate about his golf game and can be found most weekends teeing it up on various north suburban courses.

Dan Jordan

Dan has chosen to leave UBA to pursue an alternate career path and will be joining Argus Dental & Vision. While on staff with UBA, Dan developed a new recruiting process, onboarded five new Partners and developed a pipeline of candidates that are in the review and approval process. Dan was a team player, adapted well to the UBA culture, and had strong work ethics that contributed to the growth of the organization. We wish him much success in his new endeavor.

Join us in welcoming our new staff to UBA. We are pleased to have the opportunity to add new professionals with fresh perspectives to your team. For the full staff listing, visit the staff directory on the Wisdom Network under Directories.