SMS RETIREMENT
Retirement Plan Solutions for all size employers,
professional service firms and small business owners.
SMS RETIREMENT
Retirement Plan Solutions for all size employers, professional service firms and small business owners.
Meet the Staff that make SMS Retirement great
Mark A. Strakowski, EA, MAAA
President - Retirement Consultant, Actuary
Mark joined SMS in 2011. Mark’s experience began in 1989. During his tenure he has consulted with all-sizes of employers on all aspects of retirement plans. Mark’s expertise covers a wide range of issues affecting qualified and non-qualified defined benefit, cash balance, 401(k) and retiree medical plans, including design, funding, termination, financial reporting and management, communication, and administration.
Mark has a Bachelor of Science with majors in Mathematics and Actuarial Science from Purdue University. Mark is an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Mark is married and has three children. Mark enjoys spending time with his family.
Jeremy J. Schira, QPA, QKA
Vice President - Retirement Plan Consultant
Jeremy joined SMS in 2011. Jeremy has worked in the retirement plan industry since 2001 specifically in the area of defined contribution plans. Jeremy is a credentialed Member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), holding Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designations. His experience includes plan design and consulting, compliance and administration of both small and large filer plans. Jeremy specializes in cross-tested (age-weighted) plan designs that allow for larger benefits to be contributed to owners based on the plan’s demographics.
Jeremy is a graduate of Cincinnati State Technical & Community College with a double Associates Degree in Business Management and Financial Management. Jeremy also attended Wilmington College.
Jeremy is an active Board Member of the Brian W. Schira “102” Scholarship Fund (http://www.bws102scholarship.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to local firefighters obtaining their Paramedic certification. Jeremy also enjoys weight training, playing soccer and coaching his kids’ soccer, baseball and lacrosse teams.
PJ Beeks
Retirement Plan Specialist
PJ joined SMS in 2022. She is new to retirement planning and is excited to work in a new field after finishing a career in education. She earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Education from Northern Kentucky University.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and hiking in state and national parks, biking and gardening. She is a member of the Cincinnati Nature Center and enjoys related events and activities as well as walking trails. Weekends and holidays are spent with family-boating and camping and spending time outside. PJ is an active Compassion International child sponsor which betters the lives of impoverished children.
Todd Carson
Retirement Plan Consultant
Todd joined SMS in 2019. Todd has 26 years of experience in business administration in finance and accounting, and has served as a Business Director for Cincinnati Children’s Hospital for nearly 20 years. Todd is new to the industry, and is excited to be working with retirement plans while providing excellent customer service – preparing annual plan valuations, government filings and benefit statements in order to maximize the best possible value for our clients.
Todd earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1990, as well as an M.S. degree in Health Sciences Administration in 1992.
Todd is married with three children and loves spending time with his family;. Todd also volunteers for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and is a big fan of all teams Cincinnati.
Chris Gillespie
Retirement Plan Consultant
Chris joined the SMS team in 2022. He has worked in the retirement plan industry since 2002 with a concentration in defined contribution plans. Chris has experience working with small and large plan filers and specializes in employer calculations. His knowledge of plan administration, documents, plan design, and IRS compliance testing helps to provide the best possible service for plan sponsors.
Chris graduated from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio with a Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance.
In his free time Chris enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He’s an avid Cincinnati Bengals and Reds fan and also enjoys investing in real estate.
Jason Howard
Retirement Plan Consultant
Jason joined SMS in 2023 and has been in the retirement plan industry since 2007. He graduated from Miami University (OH) and is a credentialed member of American Society of Pension Professionals Actuaries (ASPPA) holding a Qualified 401(k) Administrator designation (QKA). Jason has experience working with both large and small plan filers as a plan consultant. His experience also includes plan administration, documents, plan design, and IRS compliance testing which helps him to provide the best possible service for his customers.
Jason is married with 3 children. He enjoys spending time with his family and friends and walking his 2 dogs. He also enjoys watching sports and is an avid fan of the Bengals, Reds, and the Kentucky Wildcats.
Jackson Jalovec
Retirement Plan Specialist
Jackson joined SMS in 2022. He graduated from Lincoln Memorial University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Business Administration – Finance. While at Lincoln Memorial he played for their Division II Men’s Soccer Team. He was a four year Student Athlete Awareness Committee member and captained the team his senior year.
Jackson has experience in the mortgage industry and is ecstatic to learn about & work on retirement plans.
Jackson enjoys spending his free time playing soccer and weight lifting, as well as watching any sport he can get his eyes on.
Jessica Klemm, QKA
Retirement Plan Administrator
Jessica joined SMS in 2018. Jessica graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor of Science in Business – Finance. After exploring the banking and mortgage industries, Jessica started working in the retirement industry in 2007. Since then, she has worked with small and large plan filers, with an emphasis on compliance, non-discrimination testing, and government filings. Jessica is a credentialed member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), holding a Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation.
Jessica is married, and the proud mother of three children. She loves coffee, reading, and can usually be found cheering her children on at their various sports.
Brett Koenig
Retirement Plan Specialist
Brett joined SMS in 2020. She graduated from Miami University in Oxford, OH in 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. She has worked in the retirement plan industry since 2014 and has experience with plan installation, trust accounting, and distributions.
Brett is married with two children. She spends most of her free time with family and friends, and also enjoys reading, traveling, and running.
Aaron Leitzy, QKA
Retirement Plan Consultant
Aaron joined SMS in 2022 and has been in the retirement industry since 2005. He attained his Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation with the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) in 2007. Aaron has experience working with a broad range of plan types including 401(k)’s and 403(b)’s with both large and small employers. In addition to non-discrimination testing, employer allocation designs and plan documents, Aaron understands and has a deep desire to dig into ERISA regulations and find creative solutions for plan sponsors that make sense. He came to SMS with an extensive background in record keeping and understands the intricacies record keepers face.
He leverages that experience to effectively communicate with many of our record keeping partners.
Aaron graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Economics. In his free time, he enjoys working on a family farm with his father as well as hiking, backpacking, and taking canoe trips with his dog, Red.
Chris Metzler
Retirement Plan Specialist
Chris joined SMS in 2017. He has worked in the retirement plan industry since 2006, specifically in the area of Daily Valuation, Distribution/Loans and Compliance. He is a graduate of Mount St. Joseph University and is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Chris is married with three children and spends much of his time involved in family activities. He enjoys watching football and basketball.
Michelle Murphy
Retirement Plan Specialist
Michelle joined SMS in 2016. She has worked in the retirement plan industry since 1998, specializing in Plan Installation, Plan Termination, Documents and Distributions. She attended the University of Cincinnati and is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Michelle is married with two children and spends much of her time involved in family activities. She enjoys volunteering at her church, coaching her children and participating in various charity event
Patrick O'Donnell
Retirement Plan Consultant
Patrick joined SMS in 2023. He has worked in the retirement plan industry since
2015 and has experience working with both large and small employers. Patrick is a
member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Patrick graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.
Patrick is a Cincinnati Bearcats fan who also enjoys supporting all other Cincinnati teams.
Brian Roller, QKA
Retirement Plan Consultant
Brian joined SMS in 2020 and has been in the retirement plan industry since 2004. He is a credentialed member of American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) holding a Qualified 401(k) Administrator designation (QKA). He also holds the FSRI (Fellow, Secure Retirement Institute) designation from LOMA. Brian has experience working with both large and small employers. His experience in plan administration, documents, plan design, and IRS compliance testing helps to provide the best possible service for his customers.
Brian graduated from Thomas More College with a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Finance. He also has an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati.
Brian is married with two children. His family spends most of their free time at their lake property boating, riding atvs, and enjoying the outdoors. In addition he enjoys watching basketball, football, and spending time with friends.
Rosie Schira
Administrative Assistant
Rosie joined SMS in February, 2015, working as an Administrative Assistant, processing Annual Reports and generating Plan Documents for DC. She also downloads monthly statements for client files.
Rosie is married with two children and five grandchildren. One son lives in Cincinnati with his three kids and the other in North Carolina with his two kids. Rosie enjoys spending as much time with family as she can, and enjoys attending their multiple sporting events and activities. She also enjoys traveling, working out at the gym and swimming.
Michael R. Schwing
Retirement Plan Consultant
After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with an accounting degree in 1988, Mike began working in the retirement plan industry in 1990.
Mike joined SMS in 2016 as a Plan Consultant. Mike specializes in working with defined contribution plans with a primary focus on non-discrimination testing and allocation designs. During his career, Mike has worked with a wide variety of employers from large plan filers to single employee plans and is familiar with multiple document designs. Mike appreciates the opportunity to assist employers create and operate a retirement plan that serves as a true benefit to both the company and its employees within the bounds of the regulatory requirements which govern these plans.
In his free time he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren and walking his two dogs.
Jim Schlotman
Retirement Plan Consultant
Jim joined SMS in 2022, bringing his AEBS clients to into the SMS family.
Jim brings more than four decades of industry experience to retirement planning.
After attending St. Xavier High School, he attended the University of Cincinnati business college, where he earned his BBA in Finance and Insurance.
Afterwards, he attended University of Cincinnati College of Law where he received his Juris Doctor degree.
Jim has applied his legal training to the financial industry specializing in the qualified retirement plan market.
Jim and his wife Chris are the proud parents of four children and grandparents of nine, all living in the Cincinnati area.
Bicycling, golf and tennis are among the many activities Jim enjoys.
Andrew Strakowski
Retirement Plan Specialist
Andrew joined SMS in 2019. Andrew graduated in 2019 from University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He is new to retirement plans, but is enthusiastic to learn how retirement plans work and the actuarial side of business, as Andrew intends to become an actuary.
Andrew is married. For hobbies he enjoys playing sports, scuba diving, watching football, making a March Madness bracket to lose, playing drums/guitar and spending time with friends and family in his spare time. He is a fan of Notre Dame and Ohio State football and also roots for all Cincinnati sports teams.
Bailey Strakowski
Retirement Plan Specialist
Bailey joined SMS in 2021. She graduated from Northern Kentucky University in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership.
While at Northern Kentucky she played on their Division I Women’s Volleyball Team. In 2019 they made school history with their first ever appearance to the NCAA tournament.
Bailey is married and has one child. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, cheering on the Cincinnati Bengals, and traveling with her husband to various off-road parks.
Scott Weinewuth
Retirement Plan Consultant
Scott joined SMS in 2018. Scott has worked and consulted in the retirement plan industry since 2004. He has experience with pension plan funding, forecasting, accounting for defined benefit and postretirement medical plans, plan design and benefit calculations. Scott specializes in plan administration and de-risking techniques such as lump sum windows, annuity buyouts, data remediation, audits and plan terminations.
Scott has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Miami University in Oxford, OH.
Scott is married with three children and likes to spend his free time with family and friends. He also enjoys playing and watching football, basketball and golf.
Panrong Xiao, EA, MAAA
Retirement Plan Consultant - Enrolled Actuary
Panrong Joined SMS in 2020. After graduating from the East Tennessee State University with two Master’s degrees of Computer Science and Math, he started working in the pension plan industry in 2001.
Panrong is an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He has experience with pension plan funding, accounting, combo DB/DC plan design and cross testing.
Panrong is married with twin boys. He is an active member of the local Chinese Christian Church. In his free time he enjoys playing table tennis and spending time with his family and friends.
Our Home Office SMS Retirement
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 128 Miamitown, OH 45041
LinkedIn
Mail