Across more than 40 years of progressive leadership and operational excellence, Kathy Cannon, QKA, QPA, ERPA, has established a distinguished career in retirement plan administration. Joining Benefit Resources Inc. in 2006 as an administration manager, she was promoted to vice president in 2014 and chief operations officer in 2017. Now holding all three of those roles concurrently, Ms. Cannon oversees workflows, manages caseloads, conducts staff training and mentoring, develops and implements policies and procedures, supervises the organization’s internal tracking system, and performs quality reviews on plan documents. Her commitment to ensuring compliance and operational efficiency has been instrumental in maintaining the firm’s esteemed reputation.
Before joining Benefit Resources Inc., Ms. Cannon relocated to San Diego in 2002 for a position at a local firm, where she was on track for partnership. This move followed more than a decade as a pension consultant at Polycomp Administrative Services Inc. (now doing business as FuturePlan by Ascensus), where she improved billing processes and ensured that every new client setup was completed accurately and on schedule. Ms. Cannon started her professional journey in 1984 with back-to-back tenures at two firms based in Sacramento, California. Early in her career, she balanced full-time employment with night school studies, which prepared her to take on increasing responsibility in subsequent positions.
Beyond her core vocational roles, Ms. Cannon contributed for five years as a lecturer in employee benefits for the certified financial planning course at the University of California, Davis — part of what was known as the Extension School and is now the institution’s Continuing and Professional Education program. Her expertise in problem-solving has made her a sought-after resource for clients facing complex issues with retirement accounts.
Ms. Cannon’s performance in the field was born from her academic preparation. After completing coursework in mathematics at a local junior college, she earned dual associate degrees in liberal arts and science in 1988. She has completed a course on employee stock ownership plans and additional coursework at the University of California, Davis. She also is certified as a qualified 401(k) administrator, a qualified pension administrator and an enrolled retirement plan administrator.
Dedicated to professional development, Ms. Cannon is active with multiple industry organizations, maintaining membership in The American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries and the Western Pension & Benefits Council, as examples. During the 1990s, Ms. Cannon served on the board of the National Institute of Pension Administrators and founded its San Diego chapter, demonstrating leadership within the field. Upon returning to Sacramento, she devoted significant time to the Sacramento branch of the Western Pension & Benefits Council, serving as its president for more than a decade and developing the group’s webinar program to expand educational opportunities for industry professionals.
Ms. Cannon believes her achievements through the years stem from determination, a strong work ethic, and motivation sustained by supportive colleagues and collaborative environments. Her dedication to helping clients — combined with their appreciation — fuels her and keeps her driven. Civic engagement is also an integral part of Ms. Cannon’s identity. She is a team leader for Walk MS, an annual fundraising event for The National Multiple Sclerosis Society. In 2011, Ms. Cannon co-founded the Capital Forum on Pensions through the Sacramento Western Pension & Benefits Council. She continues to serve as chair for this recurring event and organizes it annually.
Throughout her career, Ms. Cannon has been recognized for operational achievements, including improving departmental efficiency and streamlining billing processes without errors or penalties. Committed to developing future leaders within her organization, she prioritizes mentoring staff and building robust support teams capable of sustaining operations independently. Her focus in the years ahead is on developing the next generation of administrators to take on new responsibilities and ensure that Benefit Resources operates smoothly for years to come. These goals carry forward her reputation for expert problem-solving, which has set industry standards and inspired colleagues across generations of retirement plan administrators.