Karen Smith

F.S.A., E.A., M.A.A.A., M.S.P.A., F.C.A., J.D.
President and Shareholder
Phone: (713) 881-9310
KarenS@Nova401k.com

At the helm of Nova 401(k) Associates is president, Karen Smith (formerly Nowiejski). She has been practicing in the retirement area for more than 20 years. In addition to being the visionary of the firm, Karen is a technical resource for the Nova 401(k) staff on defined benefit and cash balance issues, particularly legal, actuarial and complicated nondiscrimination testing issues. She assists clients with plan design and implementation, defined contribution plan and defined benefit plan administration, completion of IRS required nondiscrimination testing, special projects such as mergers and acquisitions and plan terminations, and plan drafting and interpretation. [Read more...]

Russell J. Hooker

QKA
Executive Vice President and Shareholder
(713) 881-9313 office
(713) 855-2382 cell
Russ@Nova401k.com

Russell Hooker is the Executive Vice President of Nova 401(k) Associates where he oversees sales and marketing for the firm, and works with financial advisors and their clients to design qualified plans that meet the objectives of the business owner. He personally handles Houston area marketing and sales for Nova 401(k) Associates and acts as a resource for our other marketing directors. With over 12 years of experience in the retirement plan industry, Russ fully understands the ins and outs of defined contribution plans, from design to implementation and administration. Russ is also extremely well-versed on defined benefit and cash balance plans. [Read more...]

Steve Vest

APA, QPA, ERPA
Vice President and Shareholder
Phone: (713) 881-9311
Steve@Nova401k.com

Steve Vest joined Nova 401(k) Associates in 2006 as a Vice President with over 17 years experience in the retirement plan industry. Steve’s responsibilities include managing Nova’s largest and most complex plans, training and mentoring staff, assisting with daily technical questions, and assisting with marketing meetings as needed. Steve specializes in defined contribution plan administration, including plan design and implementation for 401(k) and profit sharing plans, annual compliance testing, including complex controlled group and 410(b) cross-testing, annual trust accounting and Form 5500 preparation, existing plan conversions, compliance software systems development and valuation and record-keeping for balance forward plans. [Read more...]

Arasely Colchado

QKA, QPA, APA
Practice Manager and Shareholder
Phone: (713) 881-9315
Arasely@Nova401k.com

Possessing over 14 years experience in the retirement plan industry, Arasely Valdez Colchado is the Practice Manager for Nova 401(k) Associates. She develops, implements, and monitors processes, procedures, and controls to ensure that Nova 401(k) Associates’ stated service standards are met and new service initiatives are implemented. In addition, she regularly assists Account Managers with day-to-day technical issues and escalated client relationship issues. [Read more...]

Kim Davis

ERPA, QPA, QKA
Director and Shareholder
Phone: (469) 726-3316
KimD@Nova401k.com

Kim Davis is the Director of the Dallas office and Account Manager with Nova 401(k) Associates. She has been with the firm since 2004 and assists plan sponsors with daily and annual routines that arise in 401(k) Plans. Her responsibilities include plan design and implementation for 401(k) plans, consulting with employers relating to law changes, employer changes and other plan effects, reviewing existing plans and implementing conversions, annual compliance testing, preparing government filings such as the Form 5500 and advising plan distributions and loans. [Read more...]

Nathan Cooley

Marketing Director
Office: (469) 726-3314
Cell: (214) 683-4031
NCooley@Nova401k.com

Nathan is the Marketing Director for Nova 401(k) Associates in the North Texas Area. He has spent the last three years gaining experience in the retirement plan industry, and his background includes implementation and administration of defined contribution plans. His responsibilities include the establishment and maintenance of relationships with Nova’s many different partners in the retirement plan community, assisting financial advisors and plan sponsors with retirement plan design options, and navigating a broad variety of retirement plan providers. [Read more...]

Steven Hale

Marketing Director
Office (512) 501-2866
Cell (512) 658-8225
SHale@Nova401k.com

Offering over 17 years of expertise in the 401(k) industry, Steve joined Nova 401(k) Associates in May 2010 as the Marketing Director for Austin, Texas, as well as Northwest Texas and Oklahoma. He is responsible for sales and business development initiatives including developing platform provider, DCIO, broker and financial advisor relationships, implementing key advisor support services, and assisting plan sponsors and financial advisors navigate a wide range of retirement plan design options. [Read more...]

Retirement Plan Consultant

Cell (832) 971-8890
sadie@nova401(k).com

Sadie A. Hooker is a Retirement Plan Consultant for Nova 401(k) Associates. At Nova 401(k) Associates, she focuses on helping advisors and their clients with plan design, compliance and administrative issues. Prior to joining Nova 401(k) Associates, Sadie worked as a retirement plan sales representative at both Principal and MassMutual. In addition, Sadie worked at Madison Benefits Group, one of the largest independent employee benefit consulting firms in the southwest. At Madison Benefits Group, she focused on providing specialized consulting assistance to plan sponsors of qualified retirement plans. Before joining Madison Benefits Group, Sadie was the Regional Account Director in Texas for the Retirement and Investment Services Division of Pan-American Life, a leading international financial services and insurance company. [Read more...]