Lisa M. Gomez

Assistant Secretary

Lisa M. Gomez was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security on October 11, 2022. Previously, Gomez was a partner with the law firm Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP and the Chair of the firm’s Management Committee. She has deep technical and practical experience in the multifaceted field of employee benefits law and has spent almost three decades representing various Taft-Hartley and multiemployer pension and welfare plans, single employer plans, jointly administered training program trust funds, a federal employees health benefit (FEHB) plan, supplemental health plans, and VEBAs covering employees in a wide array of industries.

Lisa served as a Co-Chair of the Board of Senior Editors of the Bloomberg BNA treatise Employee Benefits Law. She also served in various leadership positions with the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Labor and Employment Law, including as the Union Co-Chair of its Employee Benefits Committee. She is a graduate of the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law’s Leadership Development Program and served as the Union Co-Chair for that Program. She was a member of the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the AFL-CIO Union Lawyers Alliance. Lisa was inducted as a Fellow of The American College of Employee Benefits Counsel, Inc. in recognition of her over twenty years of practice in employee benefits law and her contributions to the field, including as a frequent speaker on numerous employee benefits issues. Lisa was also a member of the Advisory Board of The Peggy Browning Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to advancing law students who wish to pursue careers protecting workers’ rights. She previously served as an arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association as well as a volunteer mediator for the New Jersey state courts. She was also a guest lecturer for the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations on employee benefits. Lisa was named as a Super Lawyer for Employee Benefits on the Super Lawyers New York Metro Annual Lists for 2021 and 2022.

Lisa earned her law degree from the Fordham University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Hofstra University.

Assistant Secretary
Lisa M. Gomez
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite S-2524
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8300
Fax: 202-219-5526

Chief of Staff
Mary Beech
202-693-8300
Special Assistant
John F. Warner
202-693-8300
Special Assistant
Gwendolyn M. McCullough
202-693-8300

Staff Assistant
Glenda Manning
202-693-8300

Ali Khawar

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary

Mr. Khawar was sworn in on January 20, 2021 as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Employee Benefits Security Administration. In March 2021, President Biden named him Acting Assistant Secretary, a title he held until September 2022. As Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, he directly supervises the agency's three primary regulatory offices, and serves as the Assistant Secretary's alter ego. He has extensive government experience, and has previously served in a variety of roles at the Department, including as an EBSA investigator, in EBSA's Office of Enforcement, as EBSA's Chief of Staff in two Administrations, and as a Counselor to the 26th Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez. Mr. Khawar has a bachelor's degree from the Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from Emory University School of Law. A first-generation Muslim American, Mr. Khawar lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and two children.

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary
Ali Khawar
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite S-2524
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8300
Fax: 202-219-5526

Special Assistant
John F. Warner
202-693-8300

Staff Assistant
Glenda Manning
202-693-8300

Timothy D. Hauser

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations

Timothy D. Hauser is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) and as such is the chief operating officer of the Agency.

Mr. Hauser joined the Department of Labor in 1991 as a trial attorney for the Plan Benefits Security Division (PBSD), where he represented the Department in federal district court and appellate litigation. From November 2000 until November 2013, Mr. Hauser was the Associate Solicitor of the Division. As the head of PBSD, he was responsible for all of the Department's legal work under ERISA.

Before joining the Department of Labor, Mr. Hauser worked as a trial attorney for six years at Legal Aid of Western Missouri. As a Legal Aid attorney, he represented indigent clients in civil litigation in ten rural counties in Missouri.

Mr. Hauser graduated from Harvard Law School in 1985. He is also a graduate of the University of Illinois.

Deputy Assistant Secretary
Timothy D. Hauser
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5677
Washington DC 20210
202-693-8641
Fax: 202-219-6531

Executive Assistant
Christine Donahue
202-693-8641


Michael Auerbach

Office of the Chief Accountant

The Office of the Chief Accountant is concerned with annual reporting and audit requirements by employee benefit plans, and enforcement of those provisions through the imposition of civil penalties against a plan administrator whose annual report is rejected, as provided in Part 1, Sections 103 and 104, and Part 5, Section 502, of Title I of ERISA. The Office of the Chief Accountant also operates under the broad authority to conduct investigations and to inspect records, under Part 5, Section 504 of Title I of ERISA. The Office of the Chief Accountant is comprised of two divisions: the Division of Accounting Services and the Division of Reporting and Compliance.

The Division of Accounting Services actively performs numerous liaison and outreach activities with professional groups that service employee benefit plans and ensures that plan audits are done in accordance with industry standards. The Division also conducts fiduciary compliance audits of the Thrift Savings Plan.

The Division of Reporting and Compliance ensures that the ERISA database contains timely, complete and accurate information about the regulated plan community. This division is also responsible for the administration of the Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program.

Chief Accountant
Michael Auerbach
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5706
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8360
Fax: 202-693-8697

Division of Accounting
Services
Marcus Aron
202-693-8371

Division of Reporting Compliance
Scott Albert
202-693-8364


Colleen McKee

Office of Enforcement

The Office of Enforcement promotes the protection of pension and welfare benefits under ERISA by ensuring a strong and effective national and field office enforcement program through: (1) Policy formulation; (2) Project identification and program planning; (3) Guidance development and implementation; (4) Field liaison; (5) Field and project evaluation; (6) Coordination of investigations to detect and correct violations of Title I of ERISA and related criminal laws conducted by the investigative staff in EBSA's field offices.

The Office of Enforcement is composed of five divisions. The Division of Financial Investigations and the Division of Health Investigations formulate national enforcement policy, oversee major investigations, and provide technical assistance to EBSA field offices. The Division of Criminal Investigations coordinates national criminal enforcement policy with EBSA field offices and other government agencies, such as the Department of Justice. The Division of Field Operations and Support coordinates national compliance projects and targeting efforts, conducts program and project evaluation, and provides administrative assistance to EBSA field offices. The Division of Investigative Strategies conducts and pursues complex health and financial investigations to develop new investigative approaches while identifying trends, emerging issues, and areas for enforcement to be disseminated to EBSA field offices.

Office Director
Colleen McKee
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5671
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8475 
Deputy Director
Siamack Gharanfoli - Acting
202-693-8719

Division of Financial Investigations
Rod Dunlap
202-693-8423
Division of Health Investigations
Maria Gonzalez - Acting
202-693-8436
Division of Investigative Strategies
Melanie Muñoz
240-867-2041

Division of Criminal Investigations
Elham Fayyazi
202-693-8715
Division of Field Operations and Support
Jennifer Henderson
202-693-8453


Becki Marchand

Office of Outreach, Education, and Assistance

The Office of Outreach, Education, and Assistance (OEA) administers EBSA's Participant and Compliance Outreach, Education and Assistance Program. This program provides participant and compliance assistance directly to the public through a staff of Benefits Advisors, located in EBSA's field offices, who answer inquiries and complaints received by phone, mail, electronically or in person. OEA coordinates the development of the Agency's Strategic Plan for Outreach, Education and Assistance, establishes policies and operating procedures for the program, provides oversight and support to the Regional Offices in carrying out these activities, and oversees quality reviews and customer satisfaction surveys related to the program.

The Legislative division tracks legislative activity and policy trends related to retirement and health plan issues, provides analyses of legislative proposals of interest to EBSA, and screens and distributes clearance requests from the Office of the Solicitor (SOL) and Exec Sec for comment within EBSA. It also supports the Secretary and Assistant Secretary with their Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) Board responsibilities and international activities. It often serves as project coordinator within EBSA.

The Employee Ownership Division implements the requirements of section 346 of the SECURE 2.0 Act by establishing an Employee Ownership Initiative Program and assisting with establishment of new programs and supporting existing programs within States to promote employee ownership. The division will act as a clearinghouse on techniques employed by State programs and disseminating information relating to those techniques to the programs. The division also provides education and outreach to inform employees and employers about the possibilities and benefits of employee ownership and business ownership succession planning, including providing information about financial education, employee teams, open-book management, and other tools that enable employees to share ideas. The division provides information about how employee-owned businesses can succeed and provides technical assistance to help employees to become business owners, enable employers and employees to explore and assess the feasibility of transferring full or partial ownership to employees, and encourage employees and employers to start new employee-owned businesses. You can contact the division at ownership@dol.gov with any questions or comments.

Office Director
Becki Marchand
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5623
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8321
Fax: 202-219-8141

Division of Field Operations and Technical Assistance
William Barron
202-693-8680
Public Disclosure Room
Suite N-1515
202-693-8673
Division of Legislative Policy Analysis
Nicole Swift
202-693-8421
Division of Employee Ownership
Yasmin Wardlaw – Acting
202-693-8602

Division of Consumer and Compliance Outreach and Education
Debra Golding
202-693-8665
ERISA Advisory Council Executive Secretary
George Pantazopoulos
202-693-8654
Website Manager
Allison Padams-Lavigne
202-693-8564
Lead Website Specialist
Tamara Mulhall
202-693-8635


Chris Cosby

Office of Exemption Determinations

The Office of Exemption Determinations is responsible for processing requests for individual and class exemptions from ERISA's prohibited transaction provisions.

The Office of Exemption Determinations is comprised of two divisions, the Division of Individual Exemptions and the Division of Class Exemptions. The Division of Individual Exemptions is staffed by a division chief and three teams of analysts each of which is headed by a supervisor or team leader. The primary responsibilities of the Division of Individual Exemptions include analyzing individual exemption applications which involve a wide array of financial transactions, preparing interpretive letters and Federal Register notices, and reviewing petitions for good faith waivers of section 502(l) penalties.

The primary responsibilities of the Division of Class Exemptions include analyzing applications for class exemptions, and major individual exemptions related thereto, preparing Federal Register notices, reviewing petitions for good faith waivers of section 502(l) penalties, drafting advisory opinions and information letters regarding class exemptions, and handling special projects.

Office Director
Chris Cosby
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5461
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8540
Fax: 202-693-8474

Deputy Director
Christopher Motta
202-693-8544
Division of Class Exemptions
Susan Wilker
202-693-8540

Division of Individual Exemptions
Warren Blinder
202-693-8544


Office of Field Administration

The Office of Field Administration (OFA) is responsible for the oversight of EBSA's ten Regional Offices (and three District Offices). The Office oversees regional operations and ensures the execution of Regional Office enforcement, outreach, education and assistance programs with respect to the requirements of ERISA relating to fiduciary standards, prohibited transactions, reporting and disclosure, bonding, requirements for group health plans, and prohibitions against office holdings, as well as the undertaking of criminal investigations.

OFA ensures coordination across EBSA's regions and other EBSA and DOL program offices, to ensure integrated program, regulatory, and policy implementation. The Office provides support and technical guidance to EBSA's field offices and assures regional input into Agency and DOL programs.

Office Director
Marc Sarata - Acting
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5677
Washington DC 20210
202-693-8315
Fax: 202-219-6531

Deputy Office Director
Marc Sarata
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5677
Washington DC 20210
202-693-8315
Fax: 202-219-6531


Amber Rivers

Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance

The Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance (OHPSCA) is the primary source of regulations and interpretive guidance related to group health plans under ERISA and provides education, compliance assistance, and other technical support to group health plans, their service providers, participants and beneficiaries, other EBSA offices, and other government agencies on health coverage-related matters.

OHPSCA is responsible for implementing various provisions of law affecting group health plans, including the Affordable Care Act market reforms, the HIPAA portability and nondiscrimination provisions, the mental health parity provisions, the group health plan provisions of the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), the Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, and the COBRA continuation health coverage provisions included in ERISA, among other laws.

Section 104 of HIPAA requires the Secretaries of Labor, the Treasury, and Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure that shared health coverage provisions be administered so as to have the same effect at all times. As a result of this shared jurisdiction, OHPSCA works closely with the Departments of the Treasury and HHS to promulgate joint regulations and other subregulatory interpretive guidance, such as frequently asked questions and technical releases.

Through these efforts, OHPSCA works to ensure that the group health plan requirements of ERISA and other related laws are implemented so that ERISA plan participants and beneficiaries receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Office Director
Amber Rivers
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5653
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8335
Fax: 202-219-1942

Division of Regulations and Standards
Elizabeth Schumacher
202-693-8335

Division of Compliance Assistance and Guidance
Matthew Meidell – Acting
202-693-8335
Senior Advisors
Beth Baum
David Sydlik
202-693-8335


Leyla Mansur

Office of Program Planning, Evaluation and Management

The Office of Program Planning, Evaluation and Management provides advice and leadership in the development and implementation of Agency policy, strategic planning and evaluation, financial management, budgeting, human resources and administrative programs designed to assure effective management of Agency operations and resources. The Office provides guidance and support to Agency managers in accomplishment of these responsibilities. The Office also plans and coordinates IT with the OCIO.

Office Director
Leyla Mansur
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5668
Washington DC 20210
202-693-8618
Fax: 202-501-6942

Division of Financial Management
Mai Loi
202-693-8543
Division of Strategic Planning
Jesus Salinas
202-693-8484

Division of Human Capital Management
Caitlin Wyant
202-693-8490
Division of IT Operations Support
Doug Batchelet
202-693-8601


Elaine Zimmerman

Office of Research and Analysis

EBSA’s Office of Research and Analysis (ORA) reports directly to EBSA’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations and performs four core functions: (1) economic analysis in support of regulatory policy development; (2) economic research into employee benefits policy issues; (3) statistical and analytical support to EBSA’s enforcement and other programs; and (4) actuarial support to EBSA’s offices and programs. The office also supports the Secretary in their duties as Chair of the Board of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation and Trustee for the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds and provides economic support for EBSA’s participation in relevant international forums. ORA is headed by EBSA's Director of Research and Analysis, who also serves as EBSA's Chief Economist. Its staff consists of professional economists and EBSA's Chief Actuary.

ORA is organized into two divisions: the Division of Regulatory Policy Analysis participates in the development and promulgation of all EBSA rules, assessing rules' economic impacts pursuant to applicable OMB and Congressional mandates; and the Division of Economic Research and Analysis conducts and disseminates economic research calibrated to advance EBSA's mission and expand economic knowledge related to employee benefits.

Office Director
Elaine Zimmerman
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5718
Washington DC 20210
202-693-8420
Fax: 202-219-6531

Deputy Office Director
Mark deWolf
202-693-6636
Chief Actuary
Chet Andrzejewski
202-693-8502
Senior Economic Advisor
Lynn Johnson
202-693-8331

Division of Economic Research and Analysis
Kate Hartwig
202-693-8545
Division of Regulatory Policy Analysis
James Butikofer
202-693-8434


Office of Regulations and Interpretations

The Office of Regulations and Interpretations is primarily responsible for carrying out EBSA's regulatory agenda and interpretive activities under Title I of ERISA, except for Part 7 and related group health plan issues handled by the Office of Health Plan Standards and Compliance Assistance (OHPSCA).

ORI's core function is to plan, direct, and carry out a program for the provision of regulatory, interpretive, and technical guidance concerning the application of the provisions of Title I of ERISA, certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (Code), the FERSA, as well as certain other laws affecting employee benefit plans. ORI develops and issues regulations, opinions, rulings, forms, outreach materials, technical assistance, and other guidance to facilitate compliance with and enforcement of the coverage, fiduciary, reporting, disclosure, claims procedure, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), qualified domestic relations order, qualified medical child support order, and other provisions of Title I of ERISA, the Code, and FERSA administered by the Department of Labor. ORI also plays a major role in EBSA's development, analysis and implementation of pension and other employee benefit plan policy issues by providing technical assistance and policy support to the Assistant Secretary, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary, and other offices within EBSA (e.g., national and regional offices of enforcement, OCA, OED, OEA), on regulatory, legislative, enforcement, litigation, and other matters. In addition, the Office coordinates regulatory and interpretive activities with other Federal agencies such as the Department of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

The Office is comprised of three divisions, the Division of Regulations, the Division of Fiduciary Interpretations and the Division of Coverage, Reporting and Disclosure. The Division of Regulations is primarily engaged in implementing the agency's regulatory agenda under Title I of ERISA and coordinating regulatory activities with other Federal agencies. The general interpretive responsibilities of the Office are allocated on a subject matter basis between the Division of Fiduciary Interpretations and the Division of Coverage, Reporting and Disclosure. These divisions are primarily engaged in carrying out the interpretive activities assigned to ORI, including compliance assistance and enforcement support functions.

Office Director
Jeffrey Turner - Acting
200 Constitution Ave NW
Suite N-5655
Washington, DC 20210
202-693-8500
Deputy Director
Jeffrey Turner
202-693-8500

Senior Advisor
Kristen Zarenko
202-693-8500
Division of Fiduciary
Interpretations
Karen Lloyd
202-693-8510

Division of Coverage, Reporting & Disclosure
Eric Berger
202-693-8523
Division of Regulations
Fred Wong - Acting
202-693-8513


Regional Office Directors

 

Atlanta Regional Office
Crystal Coleman
61 Forsyth St SW
Suite 7B54
Atlanta, GA 30303
404-302-3900
Fax: 404-302-3975

Carol Hamilton

Boston Regional Office
Carol Hamilton
15 New Sudbury St
Suite 575
Boston, MA 02203
617-565-9600
Fax: 617-565-9666

Ruben Chapa

Chicago Regional Office
Ruben Chapa
230 S Dearborn St
Suite 2160
Chicago, IL 60604
312-353-0900
Fax: 312-353-1023

Joe Rivers

Cincinnati Regional Office
Joe Rivers
1885 Dixie Hwy
Suite 210
Ft Wright, KY 41011-2664
859-578-4680
Fax: 859-578-4688

Deborah Perry

Dallas Regional Office
Deborah Perry
525 S Griffin St
Suite 900
Dallas, TX 75202-5025
972-850-4500
Fax: 214-767-1055

Mark Underwood

Kansas City Regional Office
Mark Underwood
2300 Main St
Suite 11093
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-285-1800
Fax: 816-285-1888

Crisanta Johnson

Los Angeles Regional Office
Crisanta Johnson
35 N Lake Ave
Suite 300
Pasadena, CA 91101
626-229-1000
Fax: 626-229-1098

 

New York Regional Office
Mark Seidel - Acting
201 Varick Street
Room 746
New York, NY 10014
212-607-8600
Fax: 212-607-8611

Cristina O'Brien

Philadelphia Regional Office
Cristina O’Brien
1835 Market Street, 21st Floor
Mailstop EBSA/21
Philadelphia, PA 19103-2968
215-861-5300
Fax: 215-861-5347

 

Klaus Placke

San Francisco Regional Office
Klaus Placke
90 7th St
Suite 11-300
San Francisco, CA 94103
415-625-2481
Fax: 415-625-2450

 

District Office Supervisors

Miami
Kim Langer - Supervisor
1000 S Pine Island Rd
Suite 100
Plantation, FL 33324
954-424-4022
Fax: 954-424-0548

Seattle
Liam Roberts - Supervisor
909 1ST Ave
Suite 255
Seattle, WA 98104
206-757-6781
Fax: 206-757-6662

Washington DC
Susanne Kimberland - Supervisor
1335 East-West Hwy
Suite 200
Silver Spring, MD 20910
202-693-8700
Fax: 202-693-8736