Earning your Certified Employee Benefit Specialist® (CEBS®) designation is a learning journey. Along the way, you acquire valuable employee benefits knowledge and relevant new skills. As you apply what you’ve learned to your work, you can forge a unique career pathway that is truly your own. Here’s a designee’s CEBS story.

A Chat With Emily Erkel, CEBS

Emily Erkel, CEBS

Director Benefits

Windstream Communications

Could you describe how expanding your professional network has supported you in obtaining your designation or helped you attain success?

“I started working in employee benefits in 2012 and was greatly blessed to have Bob Boyd as a mentor. He earned his CEBS designation in the 1970s and had a 40-year career in benefits. He shared the value of education and the CEBS designation. My company agreed to support my education, and I finished the exams less than a year later.

As I attend health care and retirement conferences now, I enjoy meeting other CEBS designation holders and learning from their experience and ideas.”

Could you share some insight about how pursuing your CEBS designation demonstrates that you’re a lifelong learner and an expert in your profession?

“I love working for a company that offers me the opportunity to become a deep subject matter expert in benefits and one that supports continued learning. I’ve never worked in an area that has so much regulatory oversight, and requirements are ever-changing. 

I continue to read current benefits information—from regulatory changes to innovative ideas to issues. I enjoy discussing them with my team at work and with my consulting/brokerage team. I’ve learned over the years that perfection is not the best goal, but supporting employees to get the right care at the right time in the right place is so worthwhile. 

I get to see behavioral economics at play every day in how employees receive information and either do or do not take action. We want to help make employees successful!”

Could you share a story about how you prepared for your CEBS exam and applied what you learned to your work?

“I prepared for exams by reading the study materials, highlighting key terms and writing an outline of the content. I found that writing helped me commit more to memory. After I passed one of the exams during COVID times, I got a friend to make a video of me throwing the pages in the air in celebration of passing the exam and what I had learned.

I recently used my knowledge from the CEBS curriculum on the differences between FSA, HRA, HSA and limited purpose FSA accounts in designing a new benefit program to help bridge employees through a significant change in premiums.”

Could you describe how earning your CEBS designation has supported you in your role and professional growth?

“The CEBS designation has provided me with knowledge and validation in working with vendor partners. I continue to love what I do and I’m happy in my role.”