History
In the fall of 1986, Michael J. Baker, then Assistant Dean at the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law with responsibility for continuing legal education, was eager to expand the law school’s CLE offerings. Mike shared the idea for establishing an annual employee benefits symposium with John Utz at the Spencer, Fane, Britt & Browne law firm. John, in turn, met with Tom Graves (Morrison, Hecker, Curtis, Kuder & Parrish), Al Martin (Shook, Hardy & Bacon), and Myron Sildon (Sildon and Kroeker), at the Kansas City Club to plot the future of what became The Employee Benefits Institute. Following their initial meeting, they expanded their group to form a steering committee comprising Eric DeFrain (DeFrain Mayer, Inc.), Chuck Johnson (Butler Manufacturing Company), Jerry Kenefake (Hallmark Cards, Inc.), Bob Reiter (United Missouri Bank of Kansas City, n.a.), and Charlie Schutte (PriceWaterhouse). The first program was held on Friday, June 5, 1987, at the Hyatt Regency. Approximately 120 individuals attended. Later EBI added additional workshops and events, expanding geographically as well as expanding in services to the benefits community.
Utz & Lattan
Legal College
PHD. Retirement Consulting
Consultant College
Epiq Systems
Plan Sponsor College
Willis Towers Watson
Consultant College
Saint Luke's
Plan Sponsor College
Kansas City Southern
Plan Sponsor College
Brown & Ruprecht
Legal College
MHM Retirement Solutions
Consultant College
Stinson
Legal College
Spencer Fane
Legal College
Sprint
Plan Sponsor College
Husch Blackwell
Legal College
KU Med
Plan Sponsor College
Spencer Fane
Legal College
CBIZ
Consultant College
Aon
Consultant College
Deloitte
Consultant College
Black & Veatch
Plan Sponsor College
DeFrain Mayer Palmer Cay
Consultant College
Baird Kurtz & Dobson
Consultant College
Shughart Thomson & Kilroy
Legal College
Hallmark
Plan Sponsor College
North & Associates
Consultant College
Arthur Anderson
Consultant College
Sprint
Plan Sponsor College
Blackwell Sanders
Legal College
Towers Perrin
Consultant College
Watson Ess Marshall & Enggas
Legal College
Mercer
Consultant College
Shook Hardy & Bacon
Legal College
Sildon & Kroeker
Legal College
United Missouri Bank
Consultant College
Morrison Hecker
Legal College
Spencer, Fane, Britt & Browne
Legal College