Board of Pensions partnership lowers costs, elevates service for Zephyr Point

On a trip to Lake Tahoe, the Reverend Dick Young and his wife stumbled upon Zephyr Point, a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) conference and retreat center located in Nevada along the picturesque shores of the lake. “We drove in and spent a couple of hours just walking on the property, and we fell in love with it,” he said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been in my life.”

That impromptu trip came as Rev. Young, after 30 years of full-time parish ministry, sensed that God was calling him to something else. Several months later, he found that new calling with Zephyr Point, first serving as Development Director and now as Executive Director.

When Rev. Young first accepted a position with Zephyr Point, it was important to him that he continue receiving benefits through the Board of Pensions, having been a member of the Benefits Plan of the PC(USA) for decades while serving a congregation. Once he became Executive Director, “I started to explore if there was a way for us to partner with the Board to provide benefits for all of our employees,” he said. “I wanted to make sure we were connected in all the ways that we could be with the PC(USA).”

Money in employees’ pockets

Zephyr Point also had been dissatisfied with its previous medical provider — premiums were increasing significantly while the level of service was decreasing, explained Rev. Young. When Zephyr Point compared its previous plan to medical coverage through the Board, “we realized that not only would it be a great thing for our employees in terms of the benefits that they would receive, but that it was a very competitive price in our market,” said Rev. Young.

Rev. Dick Young

The switch to medical coverage through the Board saved money for both Zephyr Point and its employees. “We were able to lower deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for all of our employees,” explained Rev. Young. “Once we discovered that, it was a no-brainer. It was going to put money into our employees’ pockets, essentially.”

Zephyr Point’s employees also have benefited from the features of the Medical Plan, included with all three options (PPO, EPO, and HDHP), that deliver outstanding value in promoting wholeness and well-being, such as Call to Health. According to Rev. Young, employees have shared their positive experiences with the well-being program and how it is helping them to reach their goals. “[It] is such an important component of the Medical Plan in encouraging healthy living and the individual’s responsibility for their own health,” he commented.

An affordable option for clergy

In addition to medical coverage, Zephyr Point also partnered with the Board of Pensions to offer the Dental Plan, Vision Eyewear Plan, Retirement Savings Plan of the PC(USA), and Minister’s Choice. For a cost of only 10 percent of effective salary, Minister’s Choice is a benefits package that provides important financial protection for ministers and supports wholeness through access to assistance and education programs. Included in the package are pension, death, and disability benefits as well as the Employee Assistance Plan.

“We looked at Minister’s Choice as an affordable option to provide coverage for clergy,” said Rev. Young, who, along with one other minister on staff, is enrolled in Minister’s Choice and the Medical Plan.

Supporting financial well-being

In setting up the Retirement Savings Plan, Zephyr Point appreciated the partnership with Fidelity, administrator of the plan and a nationally recognized industry leader, and the flexibility to tailor the plan to meet the needs of the conference center as well as its staff, according to Rev. Young. For example, to help support the financial well-being of its employees, Zephyr Point decided to make an employer contribution to all employees’ RSP accounts and offer a matching contribution up to a certain percentage.

“We knew that, for some of our employees, if we only did a match, they either wouldn’t choose to or be able to afford to participate in that. Many of our hourly employees have two jobs, and South Lake Tahoe is a very expensive place to live,” explained Rev. Young. “Recognizing that, we decided that we would provide that base amount for every employee so that they would start that savings plan, and then hopefully encourage them to also make a contribution by offering a matching amount.”

A smooth transition

Shifting benefits providers can be challenging, but the Board of Pensions provided resources and support to help ensure a smooth transition for Zephyr Point. Among the services the Board provided, materials in both English and Spanish were particularly helpful for Zephyr Point’s many Spanish-speaking staff members.

“It was much less disruptive than I would have imagined,” Rev. Young said of the transition. “The Board of Pensions could not have been more helpful.”

He emphasized that the support has been ongoing. “The Board of Pensions provides so many great resources and interpretive tools that we’re just learning how to use … such as all the toolkits that are available. There are ready-made emails [in the toolkits] that we can cut and paste and blast out to our employees,” Rev. Young said. “They are just wonderful tools for us to help interpret some of the benefits that are available to them and make sure that they’re taking advantage of them.”

He added, “We will be much more proactive because the Board has made it so easy to make sure our employees are taking advantage of all the benefits available.”