Nationwide celebrates partner honorees at 2025 NAGDCA Leadership Recognition Awards

Nationwide Retirement Solutions recently joined plan sponsor partners that were recognized by the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA) for their innovative ideas and impactful solutions across the public sector defined contribution industry.  

Nationwide representatives celebrated partner recipients as they accepted their honors at the 2025 NAGDCA Leadership Recognition Awards ceremony, which took place during the association’s annual conference in San Diego, September 28 to October 1. 

Nationwide-supported plans captured four Leadership Recognition Awards as well as the peer-voted Members’ Choice Award and NAGDCA’s top honor - an Art Caple President’s Award.  

“Congratulations to our valued partners for earning these best-in-class industry recognitions,” said Kevin Jestice, president of Nationwide Retirement Solutions. “We’re honored to support these public sector plans, and we applaud their creative efforts to help participants feel more confident planning for retirement.”    

Art Caple President’s Award  

• County of Fresno Deferred Compensation Plan won the standard plan 2025 Art Caple President’s Award which celebrates visionary leadership and innovation that enhance participants’ financial well-being. The County of Fresno was recognized in the Plan Participant and Communication category for its Increasing Plan Participation: A Journey of Education and Engagement initiative.  

Top, from left: Deanna Sisk (Nationwide), Jake Sours (Nationwide), Ed Malone (Nationwide), Greg Sabin (Nationwide), Kent Morris (Nationwide)  

Bottom, from left: Brent Petty (Fresno DC), Hollis Magill (Fresno DC), David Joseph (Fresno DC), Jim Keeler (Fresno DC) 

Members’ Choice Award  

• State of Indiana – Hoosier START Deferred Compensation Plan earned the 2025 Members’ Choice Award for its Leader Campaign: Empowering State Leaders for Enhanced Employee Retirement. The Members’ Choice Award, which recognizes the most outstanding project or campaign of the year, is determined by a vote among attendees at the NAGDCA Annual Conference.  

From left: Kimberly Rumple (Nationwide), Staci Schneider (Hoosier START), Britton Stucker (Hoosier START), Emily Boesen (Hoosier START), Michael Burkhart (Nationwide), Sarah Carlo (Nationwide), John Archer (Nationwide) 

Leadership Recognition Awards  

The Leadership Recognition Award winners were selected from nominations across five categories and judged on originality, effectiveness and measurable results. 

• The State of California Savings Plus 2024 Simplified Enrollment and Onboarding Experience was recognized in the Technology & Cybersecurity category. This marks the plan’s first win in the Technology & Cybersecurity category.
• The State of California Savings Plus 2024 Roadmap to Retirement Readiness Campaign won in the Participant Education & Communication category. This honor marks the second consecutive year that California Savings Plus won in the Participant Education & Communication category. 

From left: Zack Sharp (Nationwide), Taylor Schultze (California Savings Plus), Sandy Blair (California Savings Plus), Gina Eversley (California Savings Plus), Jake Sours (Nationwide) 

• State of Indiana - Hoosier START Deferred Compensation Plan was recognized in the Holistic Financial Wellness category for its Leader Campaign: Empowering State Leaders for Enhanced Employee Retirement. The 2025 Leadership Recognition Award is the second in as many years for Hoosier START, but its first in the Holistic Financial Wellness category.  

From left: Kimberly Rumple (Nationwide), Staci Schneider (Hoosier START), Britton Stucker (Hoosier START), Emily Boesen (Hoosier START), Michael Burkhart (Nationwide), Sarah Carlo (Nationwide), John Archer (Nationwide) 

• Ohio Deferred Compensation (Ohio DC) won in the Participant Education & Communication category for its Employer Recognition Program. This year’s award for Ohio DC follows a 2024 win in the same category.  

From left: Kevin Kirkpatrick (Ohio DC), Matt Gill (Nationwide), Ken Thomas (Ohio DC), Lauren Gresh (Ohio DC), Renee Zysk (Ohio DC) 

Nationwide Retirement Solutions is a business within Nationwide, a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio, that is one of the largest and strongest diversified financial services and insurance organizations in the United States. Nationwide Retirement Solutions administers nearly 32,000 retirement plans, helping protect nearly $200 billion in participant assets, and helping secure financial futures for over 2.7 million participants. Nationwide services the highest volume of Governmental 457(b) plans and demonstrated significant growth in corporate 401(k) and not-for-profit 403(b) markets.¹ Nationwide is committed to serving the retirement industry by doing the right thing at the right time through better participant experiences, administrative simplicity and values that translate to service.  

Visit nrsforu.com for more information about the tools and services Nationwide provides to retirement plan participants.   

¹ Plan Sponsor 2024 Recordkeeping Survey 

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