Meet the Team
Solid Credentials & Experience...  Gerald F. Foran, Jr.
CPC, QPA, CFS, AIF, CRC, CRA, CLU
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Gerald Foran is the President of GF Pension Corp. in Bethlehem, PA. He began his career as a pension consultant in 1970, and his 38 years of experience provides a depth of insight that is not readily available to most retirement planning professionals. He served on the IRS Enforcement Committee for the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA) for 10 years. Gerry is an adjunct faculty member at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. He holds the following designations for which candidates must adhere to a professional code of ethics and meet annual continuing education requirements to maintain their expertise and certification:
Certified Pension Consultant (CPC)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who have demonstrated competence in various aspects of pension and related employee benefits consulting by meeting rigorous examinations and experience criteria. The CPC designation requires successful completion of five examinations.
Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who have the knowledge to perform the technical and administrative functions of qualified plan administration. The QPA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and evidence of practical pension experience.
Certified Fund Specialist (CFS)
Awarded by the institute of Business and Finance to professionals that have successfully completed a comprehensive examination. This program covers the history of each investment, government regulations, SEC investment requirements, evaluating performance and fund characteristics, domestic as well as foreign portfolios, reducing taxes and qualified retirement accounts.
Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF)
The AIF® designation signifies a thorough knowledge of fiduciary responsibility and the ability to implement policies and procedures that meet a defined standard of care. Designees are required to complete a rigorous training program, successfully pass an examination, conform to a code of ethics, and adhere to annual continuing education requirements. Designees are awarded by Fi360 through the Center for Fiduciary Studies. Certified Retirement Counselor (CRC)
Awarded by the International Foundation for Retirement Education to industry professionals who successfully completed a comprehensive, four-course program in Retirement Planning, Investments, Retirement Plan Design, and Counseling, Communication & Ethics. Certified Retirement Administrator (CRA)
For those professionals who have attained a CRC designation, the CRA certification is awarded to those who successfully completed a comprehensive, four-course program in Plan Design, Advanced Investments, Operations, and Compliance & Reporting. Relevant professional experience, professional references, and annual continuing education courses are also required. Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
The professional credential for persons involved in the protection, accumulation, preservation, and distribution of the economic values of human life. This program provides insights into the life insurance business and its importance to the economy.
 Craig Davis
QPA, QKA
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Craig joined our firm in January 2000 as a Pension Administrator. Craig directs the company's Pension Administration Department. His responsibilities include consulting, plan design, administration and coordinating the takeover of new plans. Craig applies his mathematical background to develop creative strategies designed to enhance retirement benefits for owners and key employees. Craig is a member of ASPPA and holds the designations of Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Plan Administrator (QKA). Craig received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Kutztown University with a concentration in Actuarial Science. Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who have the knowledge to perform the technical and administrative functions of qualified plan administration. The QPA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and evidence of practical pension experience. Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who work primarily with 401(k) plans. The QKA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and a minimum of two years' experience in practical retirement planning experience.
 Scott Babashak
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM
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Scott Babashak joined GF Pension in February 2010, after several years with a major Wall Street firm. Scott is a graduate of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. After college, he lived and worked in New York City for ten years—writing and producing for the advertising and promotion divisions at NBC and NBC Sports, as well as cable networks such as Lifetime and Discovery Channel. After working on the launch of a new television station owned by ITT-Dow Jones, Scott was executive producer for The Employment Channel—where he wrote, produced and hosted business programs for public broadcasting in New York and New Jersey. Before transitioning to the financial industry, Scott reported and anchored live news programming for WFMZ-TV in Allentown and Fox Television in Sacramento, CA. Scott lives in Bethlehem with his wife Liz, and daughter Sophie.
CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM
The CFP designation is administered and regulated by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. Financial planners that wish to obtain a CFP designation must meet several requirements mandated by the CFP board, including minimum education and experience requirements in the areas of financial planning, insurance and investment planning, and retirement and estate planning. CFP candidates must also pass a written examination and background check. Once a planner has obtained the CFP designation, they must complete continuing education requirements.
 Heather Joseph
QPA, QKA
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Heather joined GF Pension in August 2011 as a Pension Administrator. After graduating from Westminster College with a degree in Mathematics, Heather worked as an Actuarial Assistant for firms in Washington, DC and New Jersey. She took time off from the pension field while raising 3 children, but re-entered the workforce as a Pension Administrator for TPA firms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. She has over 10 years of experience in all aspects of pension administration, is a member of ASPPA and holds the QPA and QKA designations. Heather is responsible for consulting and administrative services to our client’s retirement plans.
Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who have the knowledge to perform the technical and administrative functions of qualified plan administration. The QPA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and evidence of practical pension experience. Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA)
Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who work primarily with 401(k) plans. The QKA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and a minimum of two years' experience in practical retirement planning experience.
 Dee Dee Foran
APR
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Dee Dee joined our firm in June 1997 as sales and marketing support. She is a member of the National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA). Dee Dee is responsible for office management and accounting for the firm. Her industry knowledge has led the technology migration of the firm to daily valuation and electronic data handling. Prior to her employment at GF Pension Corp., Dee Dee was a Pension software sales representative for SunGard Corbel. She also worked for SunGard Trust Systems for 8 years in software sales, training, and customer support.
Accredited Pension Representative (APR)
Awarded by the National Institute of Pension Administrators, the Accredited Pension Representative (APR) designation is earned by the successful completion of two study courses covering both the fundamentals and advanced topics of retirement plans, with an emphasis on defined contribution plans and investment philosophy. An Accredited Pension Representative is required to complete 10 hours of continuing education each year and must hold an FINRA Series 6, 7, 65, 66, 24, or an insurance license.
Barbara A. Mansfield
CEBS, QPA, QKA
Ext. 17 Barb joined our firm in December 2005 as a Pension Administrator. As a Pension Administrator she is responsible for providing consulting and administrative services to our clients’ retirement plans. Prior to her employment at GF Pension Corp., Barb has worked as a Pension Consultant and Administrator at other TPA firms in the greater Philadelphia and Northeast Pennsylvania areas for over 20 years. Barb is a member of ASPPA and holds the designations of Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Plan Administrator (QKA). She also holds the Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) designation from the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists (ISCEBS). Barb is a summa cum laude graduate of East Stroudsburg University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who have the knowledge to perform the technical and administrative functions of qualified plan administration. The QPA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and evidence of practical pension experience. Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) Awarded by the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries to professionals who work primarily with 401(k) plans. The QKA designation requires successful completion of five examinations and a minimum of two years’ experience in practical retirement planning experience. Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS) Awarded by the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists to professionals who have successfully completed ten examinations in topics covering retirement plans, health & welfare plans, accounting, finance, macroeconomics, benefit law, and other human resources areas.
 Jennifer Armstrong
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Jennifer joined the firm in August of 2008 as an Administrative Assistant. Her primary job responsibility is to coordinate payroll contributions for existing clients. She assists our Pension Administrators with client services, and performs a wide variety of other administrative tasks. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Lock Haven University Pennsylvania.
 Julie Steigerwalt
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Julie began her career with GF Pension in 1997 as a Flex Administrator. Her focus is to provide support to the staff with emphasis on client services. Julie is also responsible for Plan Document preparation, generation, and the resolution of document issues on client plans.
Judy Leichssenring
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