New Director Promoted from Within
For nearly 18 years, Carolyn Van Dyke expertly administered our Employee Benefits program. In early December 2021, she retired. Carolyn had been preparing us for her eventual retirement for a while. Still, it’s difficult to say goodbye to someone who’s made such an incredible impact on our organization. Thankfully, Carolyn spent the past two years training and preparing her successor, Deputy Benefits Director Mike Beyrouty.
To stabilize health insurance costs, Carolyn helped lead the CIS Benefits program to become self-insured in 2009 and 2010. The move took advantage of CIS’ large size and healthy reserves. This strategic change greatly benefited members through more rate stability in the overall program because we could base our rates on our experience rather than industry trends from a for-profit commercial insurer. The new program set rates with no profit margin and saved all earnings for the benefit of cities, counties, and their member employees. Rate increases were reduced for employers, and premium cost-share savings resulted for many CIS member employees.
“The success of the self-funded benefits programs Carolyn championed have created strong reserves,” said CIS Executive Director Patrick Priest. “She leaves the benefits programs in their strongest financial position ever. Her accomplishments will benefit Oregon’s cities and counties long after her retirement.”
Carolyn also led the effort to move to a “calendar year plan year.” This was good for member employees because it put deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums in sync with the January 1 reset each year. It also simplified enrollment in the Healthcare and Dependent Care FSAs, which already required contributions based on a calendar year.
“It was a difficult change initially because we had to run our regular plan year through July 31,” said Carolyn. “And then we added a second, short-plan year for August 1 through December 31, which meant two, open-enrollment periods. While the change was complicated and time-consuming, it was a win for employees, employers, and CIS,” she added.
The success of being self-insured allowed for CIS to pay fees related to the Affordable Care Act (so those weren’t passed on to employers/employees). It also allowed for CIS to
minimize the impact of large claims on the loss experience that determined the rates.
Being self-insured and having robust reserves allowed for us to build a new enrollment system called CIS-Connect — a system that far surpassed anything offered in the software market. After two failed partnerships with enrollment system vendors, Carolyn led the effort to build our own. She included member-employers in work sessions — to get their ideas and feedback — as the development team moved through the build process. The end-product was a system that provided employers with what they needed as well as user-friendly access for employers and employees.
Of Carolyn’s many accomplishments, the two things she is most proud of are her outstanding team and the strong employer relationships that have been fostered.
“The various project focus groups, BAC discussions, and the ongoing day-to-day discussions we’ve had with employers has been so valuable,” she said. “I’m very proud to have been part of a team that works as hard as this one.”
CIS Deputy Benefits Director Mike Beyrouty has been promoted to CIS Benefits Director. Mike will oversee a successful employee benefits program that provides coverage to 22,000 individuals. For the past two years, CIS’ retired benefits director, Carolyn Van Dyke has mentored Mike so he could seamlessly step into her role and lead the CIS Benefits team.
Mike has been impressed by the success and strength of the employee benefits program.
“Late last year, our reserves were evaluated by an independent actuarial firm and subject to stress testing under hundreds of possible scenarios — including pandemics,” said Mike. “They found that CIS Benefits can withstand not one but TWO, 1-in-200-year level events.” Mike plans to build on Carolyn’s outstanding work by focusing on retaining and recruiting CIS Benefits members, enhancing member services, developing close contacts with CIS’ dedicated agents and members, and exploring ways to improve our existing benefit plans.
“It’s important to continue to be a valuable resource to our members,” said Mike. “As the market and legislative landscape change, we want to be a resource.”
Mike also wants to continue to ensure that CIS provides a cost-effective employee benefits program by continually reaching out to members about what’s working — and what’s not. He plans to conduct outreach through in-person visits around the state with agents and members, as well as meeting with them during conferences, Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC) meetings, and focus groups.
“It’s important to continue to look to innovate to improve the overall program,” he said.
Mike also plans to fine-tune our new open enrollment system.
“CIS-Connect has been in the development phase since it launched in April of 2020 — and it’s proved to be a good system,” he said. “Now it’s time to move towards the enhancement stage, by tweaking around the edges. Our goal is to make it even more employer and employee friendly.”
Mike brings more than a decade of strategic, business development, and operational experience to his new role as CIS Benefits Director. Before joining CIS, he served as the chief operating officer at Oregon Business & Industry (OBI). He was also a partner at Aldrich Benefits and director of its employee benefits division. In addition, he is a veteran, serving in the Oregon Army National Guard for nine years. He was deployed to the Middle East during Operation Iraqi Freedom — and in New Orleans to aid in the relief effort of Hurricane Katrina.
Mike earned his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Western Oregon University, in Monmouth. As he looks forward to this new chapter in the CIS Benefits program, he appreciates the many successful strategic initiatives led by retired CIS Benefits Director Carolyn Van Dyke.
“I’m extremely grateful to have been mentored by Carolyn,” he said. “Her leadership has created the strongest reserves and most stable rates that we’ve ever had — and she’s created a very seasoned and dedicated team. She’s positioned us well for the future.”
Mike Beyrouty and Carolyn Van Dyke at Carolyn's retirement party.
