Mitzi Romano Email & Phone Number

Windsor, Ct

Responsible for providing and documenting customer related tax reporting guidance on various financial products (e.g., retirement plans, annuities and life insurance). Responsibilities include the technical writing of policy documents, acting as the subject matter expert on projects, responding internally to customer inquiries and reviewing business documentation. Monitor and communicate technical tax guidance changes. Draft and maintain tax policy documentation. Review business procedures and forms. Develop training opportunities for internal business partners. Provide technical guidance on business cases.

Hartford, Connecticut

Drafted internal and external (Pension Analyst) communications regarding legislative and regulatory developments. Provided editorial oversight for Pension Analysts. Managed external communication process and publication on Prudential's internet site. Provided internal training related to client communications and provided CE credit for various professional designations. Provided training for clients and intermediaries via webinars. Responded to ad hoc compliance inquiries regarding DB, DC, 403(b), 457(b) and NQ plans through a centralized compliance emailbox. Provided Regulatory Plan Consultant issue resolution support to the team administering plans of a major client. Managed the Compliance Team.

Hartford, Connecticut

Legal & Public AffairsDrafted internal and external (Pension Analyst) communications regarding legislative and regulatory developments. Provided editorial oversight for Pension Analysts to ensure readability and understandability. Managed external communication process and publication on CIGNA's internet and intranet sites. Provided internal training related to client communications, continuing to provide CE credit for various professional designations. Responded to ad hoc compliance inquiries (DB, DC, 403(b)) submitted through the central compliance emailbox. Managed Hartford Compliance team.

Hartford, Connecticut

Drafted, updated and maintained Core language for individually-designed DB and DC plans. Provided technical training to in-house staff, Field staff and clients on legislative/regulatory developments and general plan design. Formalized format to enable internal training sessions to qualify to provide continuing education credits for EA, CPA, ASPPA and NIPA designations. Was a key participant in the development of artificial intelligence system specs to produce plans, SPDs and IRS forms for qualified DB and DC plans from a single input; maintained those specs to reflect legislative/regulatory developments. Authored client communications ("CIGNA's Pension Analyst"), assuming editorial and managerial responsibilities in 1992, and created several additional communication vehicles to address specific needs. Assumed formatting responsibilities and oversaw evolution of distribution process from hard copy to electronic format. Represented CR&IS at monthly APPWP (now American Benefits Council) Retirement Plan Committee meetings in the early 1990's. Rewrote CIGNA's homegrown DC Prototype Plan document to provide greater flexibility and handled entire IRS Opinion Letter filing and approval process. Provided technical support and ongoing training to expanded Compliance Testing Unit and acted as nondiscrimination Testing Consultant for 6 major clients. Piloted Compliance Advisor role for major client, which was so successful that it evolved into a new department of Compliance Advisors. Managed several different units over this period of time: Core Drafting Unit, Issues Management Unit, Hartford Compliance Team.

Bloomfield, Ct

Participated in and managed internal audits of Group Pension, Group Insurance, Reinsurance, and Investment Divisions of CIGNA. Also participated in special Fraud Audits and Electronic Data Processing Audits. Planned audits based on interviews with management and identified areas of potential weakness. Assigned resources, identified appropriate samples and situations where samplings needed to be expanded. Authored audit reports and worked with management to resolve audit points.

Bloomfield, Ct

Group Pension Division, Defined Benefits UnderwritingDrafted individually-designed defined benefit plan documents, amendments, summary plan descriptions, and group annuity contracts using existing Core language. Where needed, developed special document provisions. Prepared IRS determination letter application packages and responded to IRS Key District challenges to plan provisions, as well as State Insurance Department challenges to contractual provisions.