Latitude Retirement is the new brand of the Niles Lankford Group family of companies.
Questions?
Latitude Retirement is the new brand of the Niles Lankford Group family of companies.
Questions?
Since September of 2021, Steve Gradeless has been the TPA Latitude Retirement’s National Director of Sales. His responsibilities include driving Latitude’s retirement plan sales, through both organic and non-organic growth. He also serves concurrently in a role as KTRADE’s Director of Market Development. He joined KTRADE in January of 2012. His KTRADE responsibilities include assisting the existing TPA Alliance Members to drive new growth into their business, identifying and adding new TPAs to the Alliance Membership, serving as KTRADE’s field liaison to Broker/Dealer firms and Third Party Money Managers, and working with Financial Advisors to help them write and service KTRADE business.
Prior to joining KTRADE, Steve represented Nationwide Financial Services, Inc. in various roles, including Vice President of Business Development for Private Sector Retirement Plans, National Sales Manager for Select Markets, National Sales Manager for GICs and Terminal Funding Annuities, Director of Private Sector Pension Sales and TPA Relationship Manager. He started his career as an Associate Actuary for Lincoln National Life Insurance Company and in the Fort Wayne, IN BUCK Consultants’ office.
Steve graduated cum laude from Taylor University in Upland, IN and is in their Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a two-time NAIA All-American in Cross Country and a two-time small college Indiana state champion in the mile run (1600 meters), 3 mile run (5000 meters) and cross country.
Steve and his wife Jeannine live in Dublin, OH. They have four children, Brandon, Katy, Keri and Aimee. He enjoys MLB (he is a Chicago Cubs fan), NFL (he is a Green Bay Packers shareholder) and Big Ten basketball.
Jim joined Latitude in February 2023 as a Retirement Plan Consultant and works out of the Mt. Pleasant, SC office. Prior to joining Latitude Jim spent 33 years supporting financial professionals as they worked to grow their retirement plan business. Most of those years were spent working for major recordkeepers where he managed sales territories and sales teams.
Prior to entering the retirement plan business, Jim spent 5 years with a regional NYSE firm running a division supporting over 500 independent financial planners.
Jim attended Iowa State University with a major in business administration and spent most of his career in the middle of the country. Jim and his wife Teri now enjoy life in Calabash, NC spending time at the beach, on the golf course. And spoiling their 7 year old granddaughter.
Lynn Lankford is the CFO for Latitude and is based in the corporate office in Plymouth, IN. Lynn began her career with Latitude in 2001 as an accounting assistant and has held various roles with the company in both finance and administration. In 2007 she helped create and lead the company’s conversion department before being appointed Latitude’s CFO in 2013.
Prior to working at Latitude, Lynn was the controller for the Midwestern division of a national medical software company where her responsibilities included preparations for the company’s initial public offering.
Lynn is a graduate of Indiana University South Bend, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Sarah Baltazar is a Retirement Plan Consultant for Latitude Retirement™ based in Plymouth, IN. Sarah started her career in the retirement plan industry working for KTRADE, Latitude’s recordkeeping affiliate. At KTRADE, Sarah was responsible for transitioning new clients to the system and served as the internal sales contact, working closely with the National Director of Sales and Marketing. Sarah also was integral with KTRADE’s operations as she maintained relationships with KTRADE’s corporate and advisory partner firms. In 2018, Sarah became a Retirement Plan Consultant for Latitude serving Michigan and northern Indiana.
Prior to the retirement plan industry, Sarah worked as a Controller for a service company where she managed and monitored finances and established and implemented internal controls. She also performed the due diligence for the company’s retirement plan.
Sarah is a graduate of the University of Phoenix, where she received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and has obtained the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation. Sarah has two children who both play soccer at the collegiate level. She enjoys watching her children play soccer, going to the gym, golfing and spending time with her family and friends.
Trent Newcomb is a Retirement Plan Consultant based in the Plymouth, IN office. Trent joined the firm in 1998 as a Retirement Plan Administrator. Trent’s primary role is the Director of Operations for KTRADE. He still serves LatitudeTM in maintaining client and advisor relationships.
Trent completed his Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Business Administration from Wabash College where he also played basketball. He is a Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA). He resides in Plymouth, IN with his three children. His hobbies include family activities, basketball, fishing and golf.
Sarry Phung is the Manager in Latitude Retirement’s office in Columbus, OH. She has worked in the retirement industry since 2006. She began at Pension Resources and worked her way up from processor to retirement plan administrator. She was retained as a retirement plan administrator when Latitude Retirement purchased Pension Resources in 2010 and has been serving as the Manager of the Columbus, OH office since 2014. Sarry is an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA) and a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Sarry has a bachelor of science degree in Industrial Systems Engineering from the Ohio State University, and a bachelor of arts degree in Accounting from DeVry University, Ohio. Sarry was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, and came to the United States to attend college. She’s married to Sunny, and they have three children, Ethan, Henry & Felix. She enjoys trying different kinds of food and traveling.
Nick Gibson is the Manager of the Administrative staff at Latitude Retirement’s office in Plymouth, IN. He originally joined our firm in 2006 as a plan administrator and transitioned to the role of Manager in 2014. He also does administration for both Defined Contribution and Defined Benefit plans.
Nick graduated from Purdue University and has obtained the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) and Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). He lives in Plymouth and enjoys college football and fishing.
Jeff Mahon is a Consulting Actuary for Latitude Retirement out of our Glendale, Arizona location. Jeff is an Enrolled Actuary (E.A.) and holds the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries. (ASPPA)
Jeff has more than 18 years of experience in the qualified plan area with expertise in both Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution administration, specializing in areas of retirement plan design, client consulting services, and compliance. Jeff has also worked in various managerial positions throughout his career. His responsibilities included overseeing and coordinating high quality day-to-day administrative and operational services while providing actuarial consultative services at the plan level. He has worked on plans ranging in size from 1 to over 1,000 participants.
Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Connecticut.
Jeff’s interests include United States History, College Basketball, and playing racquetball.
Based in Columbus, OH, Mike Gossard is the Pension Consultant responsible for Sales and Consulting in the Northern and Central Ohio region for LatitudeTM. Mike joined NLG—now Latitude—in 1995 as a retirement plan administrator working on both Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution Plans. In addition, Mike is also a part of the Actuarial Team at NLG. He is involved with complex plan designs associated with Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plans. Mike is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA).
Mike is a graduate of Grace College, Winona Lake, IN where he played basketball. A resident of Powell, OH, Mike, his wife Keri and their three daughters, Hanna, Olivia & Rylie are members of Lifepoint Church, Delaware, OH. His hobbies include golf, basketball and Ohio State Football.
Brad Lankford is the President and CEO of LatitudeTM. Brad also serves as a Consulting Actuary and Retirement Plan Consultant. He maintains offices in both Woodland Hills, CA and the corporate office in Plymouth, IN.
Before Brad joined Niles Lankford Group, he worked as an actuary in Indianapolis then eventually moved to Plymouth, IN where he provided actuarial consulting services to insurance companies, accounting firms, and other pension administration firms.
Brad was one of the founding members of Niles Lankford Group, now Latitude, in 1989. Brad has served in the past as Latitude’s lead actuary. As President and CEO, Brad assists other Latitude consultants on complex cases, and manages the firm’s corporate affairs.
Brad completed his undergraduate studies at Ball State University and did graduate work at Butler University in Actuarial Science. He is an Enrolled Actuary (E.A.), a Member of American Academy of Actuaries (M.A.A.A.) and a member of American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA)
Brad resides in Plymouth, IN and Las Vegas, NV. His hobbies include golf, baseball, sports cars, and great literature.
Keith Pyle is a Retirement Plan Consultant for LatitudeTM and is based in our Indianapolis, IN office. Keith joined the firm in 1990 working with defined benefit/actuarial services. After attending law school and practicing in the field of Employee Benefits with a prominent law firm in Indianapolis, Keith rejoined the firm in 2002.
As a Consultant for Latitude, Keith advises clients on all facets of plan design and administration. Keith focuses on business development and maintaining client and advisor relationships. Keith also heads up the fiduciary services area for Latitude.
Keith completed his undergraduate studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. He earned his Juris Doctorate at Indiana University Robert H McKinney School of Law – Indianapolis. Keith is a member of the Indiana Benefit Conference and is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association. Keith lives in Indianapolis with his wife Cris where his hobbies include motorcycles and volleyball.
Johnny begin working in the retirement plan industry with Corporate Plan Services while still in college in 1976. He graduated that year from the College of Charleston with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. In 1986, he became a principal of the firm which was renamed as Pension Systems. From that time forward, he served as the company’s Vice President until the purchase of Pension Systems by the Niles Lankford Group—now LatitudeTM—in 2013.
Johnny has obtained the Certified Pension Consultant (CPC) designation from the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and served on ASPPA’s Examination and Education committee from 1995 through 2005, serving as Chair of the C2-DC Subcommittee from 1998 through 2005.
Johnny was born in Charleston and is a lifelong resident currently residing on the Isle of Palms with his wife Tandy. They have a son, two daughters, four granddaughters, and one grandson.
Martha Phillips is a Pension Consultant for LatitudeTM. Martha began working in the retirement plan industry in 1984 administering Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution plans for a small TPA firm in Southern California. In 1994 she moved into a departmental leadership role of plan administration and client relationship management for an Investment and TPA firm. She joined Latitude with detailed knowledge in areas of plan design, drafting of plan documents, complex administration associated with combined Defined Benefit and Defined Contribution benefits testing and operational compliance. Martha is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) and an Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPA).
Martha is a graduate of Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA. Martha lives in Simi Valley, CA and has two sons (Tyler and Cameron) who live away from home. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with family and friends.
Brian Chupp is a Pension Consultant for Latitude RetirementTM and is based in our Plymouth, IN office. He originally joined our firm in 2006 as the Director of Administration. In this position, Brian was responsible for all Administrative staff including Distributions, Payroll processing and all Plan Administrators. Beginning in 2009, Brian transitioned into the role of Pension Consultant for the northern Indiana and Chicagoland areas.
Prior to joining the firm, Brian worked as a 401(k) Plan Administrator with AUL/One America in Indianapolis, IN, and with Great-West Life/Empower in Denver, CO. Brian has over 20 years of experience in 401(k) plan administration, management and recordkeeping systems quality assurance. As a Consultant for Latitude, Brian focuses on business development and maintaining client and advisor relationships.
Brian completed his undergraduate studies at Manchester University in North Manchester, IN, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Brian is a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA). Brian lives in Plymouth with his wife Jane and their two children. His hobbies include golf, skiing and watching his children participate in sports.
Debbie Norrell is the lead Pension Consultant and the Office Manager for Latitude RetirementTM’s office located in Phoenix, Arizona. Debbie has worked in the financial services industry since 1992. She has held Pension Administrator and Manager positions in Tucson and Minneapolis. She also spent six years working at a Financial Advisory firm in the Minneapolis area where she was Securities licensed. Debbie returned to Arizona in 2014 and provides support to Advisors locally in marketing and sales. She also works closely with our clients establishing and designing retirement plans and coordinating the entire onboarding process from documents and contracts to assisting HR personnel with processes for day to day administration. In addition, she is the Operations Manager of our growing 3(16) Payroll Integration service.
Debbie graduated from Duluth Business University and has obtained the Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) designation.
Debbie has two sons and two grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano, golfing, dancing, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Steve Parks is the Chief Actuary for LatitudeTM in California. Steve earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from California State University, Northridge. He began working in the pension industry in 1981.
Steve became an Enrolled Actuary in 1989 and worked for several years as a consulting actuary, providing actuarial services to numerous pension administration firms around Southern California. In addition to providing actuarial services to defined benefit pension plans, Steve also provided other technical expertise including IRS audit calculations and strategy, the design and compliance of more complex plan designs, divorce valuations and has acted as an expert witness in a number of court proceedings. He has also spoken on actuarial topics at numerous conferences.
In addition to being an Enrolled Actuary under ERISA, Steve is a Member of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA). He has served on the Leadership Council for the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries and the Conference Committee for the Los Angeles Advanced Pension Conference. His interests include music, hockey, and racing. And if he’s not at home with family or in the office, you’re likely to find him out climbing one of the local mountain roads on his bicycle.
Don Bungenstock is a Consulting Actuary at LatitudeTM and works out of our Cincinnati office. Don is an Enrolled Actuary (E.A.) and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries (M.A.A.A.). He has over 30 years of experience working on defined benefit plans at various employee benefits consulting firms in the Cincinnati area. Don has worked on hundreds of plans in his career, with from 1 to 10,000 participants.
In addition to reviewing ERISA valuations of plans, Don is our expert on the accounting requirements of ASC 715, for those clients who need GAAP financial statements.
Don is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati (Accounting) and is an avid fan of Bearcat basketball.
