Our Team
Foundation Strategies team model: Lead by example
Get to know the people whose client-focused example provides the model for Foundation Strategies' approach to benefits solutions. Foundation Strategies' executives Shelly Coonrod, Charles Coonrod, and Rick Huntington comprise the leadership team of industry experts-each with considerable client rosters spanning up to 30 years of experience.
To promote people-centric businesses, the Foundation Strategies team strives to be highly accessible to their clients. You can easily reach out to anyone on the team by e-mail, just by clicking their linked name below. Or call the number of the person you'd like to talk to directly.
281-394-1311
Foundation Strategies founder Shelly Coonrod contributes more than 20 years of experience in the employee benefits marketplace to her team-leadership role. She oversees a client team responsible for the company's largest clients.
Shelly is the author of Foundation Strategies' client financial reporting tool which consolidates the various streams of plan spending into one comprehensive report customized for the client. She also assists clients in the design, funding, administration and implementation of group benefits plans. Shelly has worked extensively with clients on a range of issues from marketing plan development of a local EAP to international benefits program design and plan implementation. She works with clients defining benefits plan objectives, managing pharmacy benefits plans, orchestrating stop-loss procurements, setting plan pricing and developing healthcare budgets. Working with clients in the healthcare delivery industry—in which employee retention is a relentless concern—Shelly has been instrumental in assisting clients in developing programs that attract and retain employees.
Prior to forming Foundation Strategies in 1996, Shelly held key positions at Prudential, General American and John Hancock and spent more than five years as a consultant with Towers Perrin, an international consulting firm. Her expertise includes underwriting/financial analysis, contract review, FAS 106 assessments and account management.
Shelly's client experience includes Fortune 100 employers and large-industry giants like LTV Steel, Texas Commerce Bank (now Chase Bank of Texas), Lyondell Corp, Duke Energy, McDermott, Continental Airlines, Tenneco (now El Paso Corp) Total Energy, Houston ISD, Dallas ISD, El Paso ISD, and the City of Houston.
281-394-1314
After serving as an officer in the U.S. Army Field Artillery, Chic has spent more than 20 years in the employee benefits industry. Chic manages a client team responsible for benefits strategies, as well as plan design, pricing and implementation. Chic is also the primary marketing officer and relationship manager at Foundation Strategies. Since 2002, Chic has worked extensively with clients in benefits strategy, vendor procurement, vendor management, and plan performance. Additionally, Chic has significant experience in international benefits, for both expatriate and local nationals. Chic travels internationally to facilitate local vendor selection, plan communication and plan implementation.
Prior to Foundation Strategies, Chic worked with four of the largest health services carriers: Prudential, Metropolitan (now UHC), CIGNA, and General American (now Great West Healthcare/CIGNA). At Great West Healthcare , Chic was president, National Accounts Sales Advisory Committee, responsible for setting strategic direction for sales, pricing and service. Chic was also responsible for implementing of a host of products from client-specific provider networks to automated Medicare claims processing. Chic has tenured experience working with clients to assess risk and set costs for mergers and acquisitions. Chic's experience includes client relationships with Dell Computer, Gates Corporation, El Paso Energy, Aker Kvaerner, NL Industries, National Oil Well, National Instruments, Samsung Semiconductor, The Methodist Healthcare System, Texas Children's Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine.
281-394-1316
Rick Huntington joins the Foundation Strategies team of benefits advisors as an employee benefits professional with 30 years of experience in the design, funding and administration of employee healthcare benefits programs.
Until 2000, Rick was President and Chief Executive Officer of Business Health Companies, Inc. (BHC)—recognized in 1997 as the second fastest growing private company in Houston, by Houston Business Journal's "Houston 100."Through the Houston Healthcare Purchasing Organization, Rick pioneered a collaborative effort between employers and healthcare providers to collect and study hospital outcome data. This early effort to develop quality indicators and report on relative performance is recognized as a leading edge initiative in the evolution of consumer-driven healthcare. His experience includes senior management positions with The Prudential Insurance Company of America and healthcare benefits consulting for Coopers & Lybrand and Towers Perrin, where he served as Health and Welfare Benefits Consulting Practice Leader.
Rick also serves as the Executive Director of the Houston Business Group on Health, a non-profit coalition of leading employers working to ensure the future of high quality, cost effective employee healthcare plans.
281-394-1312
Francine Phan is responsible for client plan pricing, benefits strategy, funding, project management, and the financial aspect of group health and welfare plans. She also conducts staff training. Francine is expert in the procurement of all forms of group benefits to include benefits services such as claim audits and international benefits. Strengths include evaluating healthcare delivery systems and assessing vendor capabilities.
Prior to joining the Foundation Strategies team, Francine worked more than eight years with Towers Perrin. Francine's client relationships include El Paso Corporation, Apache Corp, Anadarko Corp, Westlake Corp, Reliant Energy, and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital.
281-394-1313
Thomas Tran is an Account Executive and has responsibility for client plan pricing, benefit strategy, funding, project management, and the financial aspect of group health and welfare plans.
Thomas has experience working on a wide variety of projects including Health & Welfare benefits design, evaluation, pricing, implementation and plan monitoring. Thomas is knowledgeable and experienced in the procurement of domestic and international group benefits which involves the evaluation of vendor services and capabilities. In addition to project based experience, Thomas has assisted clients with vendor and carrier management on a national and local basis.
Prior to joining the FSI team Thomas spent more than 10 years with Towers Watson, a global benefits consulting firm. Thomas most recently worked with Mercer Consulting as a Health & Benefits Senior Associate.
Thomas’ client experience include Fortune 100 companies such as El Paso Corporation, EOG Resources, Enron Corp., and Sysco. Other notable Houston area clients Thomas has serviced include Insperity (formerly Administaff), Transocean, Total Petrochemicals USA and Atwood Oceanics.
281-394-1315
As an Account Manager, Erica works on a client management team responsible for the planning, execution, and management of clients’ benefit plans. Prior to joining the Foundation Strategies team, Erica worked as a Research Analyst on the R&D and Consulting division of Agrilogic Insurance. She also spent four years in the financial services industry with UBS Financial Services and Morgan Stanley as a Registered Client Service Associate. Erica graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in finance.
281-394-8221
After completing his bachelors at Texas Tech University and The University of Jordan, Sean Shepard spent 2 years on the health services carrier side with CIGNA on bidding, implementation, and enrollment services before joining Foundation Strategies as an Account Manager.
Sean Shepard is responsible for group benefits procurement, implementation, comprehensive enrollment support, and plan monitoring. Sean also coordinates ongoing vendor and carrier management for client service.
281-391-8633 (general inquiries)
281-394-1310 (direct)
Stacey Bolden joined the Foundation Strategies team with more than eight years of experience in Human Resources in corporate roles. Previously, Stacey worked for Albertsons, Exxon/Mobil, and Real Data.
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