For the second consecutive year, Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions is embodying Newfront’s Work, Love, Play ethos as a sponsor of the Seattle Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 22, 2022.

As the Health and Wellness Sponsor of the annual 5k from the American Cancer Society, Advanced Professionals is helping support efforts to actively promote wellness, with a focus on breast cancer and how it affects the community.

“Advanced Professionals is proud to again be a sponsor of this important event that allows us to support a cause we believe in, while also giving our team a reason to be active together outside of the office,” said Keith VanderZanden, practice leader of Advanced Professionals.

With this sponsorship, Advanced Professionals – the wholesale employee benefits division of Newfront – is continuing a longstanding tradition to support the American Cancer Society. Since 2008, Newfront has raised over $500,000 to support the American Cancer Society through its signature golf tournament. In addition to the golf tournament, Newfront has sponsored Making Strides events in Seattle and the Bay Area, among other fundraising events that directly support the American Cancer Society’s groundbreaking research initiatives, outreach programs, and support for communities affected by cancer.

Join Us in the Fight Against Breast Cancer 

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is part of the largest network of breast cancer events in the nation, created to unite communities in the fight against the deadly disease. 

More than just a walk, the Making Strides movement raises lifesaving funds that support breast cancer patients, survivors, thrivers, and caregivers through every step of the journey. Enhanced digital offerings available across the nation include one-on-one breast cancer patient support services and the use of video chat to safely connect patients, caregivers, and family members with valuable online services and resources, in addition to a 24/7 helpline.

The Seattle Making Strides Against Breast Cancer takes place this year on Saturday, October 22, at Gasworks Park. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the 5K walk scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. Anybody can sign up to participate in the walk, and it’s easy to create a fundraising page or to start your own team. 

The Advanced Professionals Insurance team also is recruiting members, and we invite you to consider joining our fundraising team or making a donation that will help fund the American Cancer Society’s support services and lifesaving research to end breast cancer.

Watch our video to find out Why We Walk at Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions. We’d love to hear why you walk! Let us know on the Advanced Professionals LinkedIn page or better yet, tell us in person at our sponsor booth at Seattle Making Strides. See you there!

Advanced Professionals Helps Put Spotlight on Wellness as Sponsor of American Cancer Society 5K

The team at Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions is taking its passion for health and wellness into the community by supporting Making Strides Against Breast Cancer in Seattle on October 16, 2021. Here's why we walk. What about you? Join our team or donate at http://main.acsevents.org/goto/advancedprofessionals.

Why We Walk at Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions

The wholesale benefits division of Newfront is hiking for a good cause this summer as sponsors of the annual Hike-a-Thon fundraiser to support the Washington Trails Association. The August event encourages participants to hike and share stories of their outdoor adventures as they raise funds that directly support trails in Washington state.

“Once again, our practice is making a commitment that supports the well-being of our team and of the community as a whole,” said Keith VanderZanden, Executive Vice President and Practice Leader of Newfront’s Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions. 

This is second consecutive year the practice has sponsored Hike-a-Thon in conjunction with client ALLtech Benefits Trust, which offers employee benefits to Washington-based businesses in the information technology industry. ALLtech partner Delta Dental of Washington also is continuing its sponsorship this year.

Dedicated to Newfront’s commitment to philanthropy, Advanced Professionals is helping raise even more money during the August Hike-a-Thon event as members of the ALLtech team, which took home the award for raising the most by a company team in 2021.

 “I'm really proud of our team for supporting the Washington Trails Association over the years,” said Tom Waller, Business Manager of Advanced Professionals (AP). “This cause means a lot to the AP team. It was great to see the results last year.”

Advanced Professionals staff have been participating in ALLtech’s Hike-a-Thon team since 2019, giving them an excuse to gather for a healthy cause while also supporting the three pillars of Newfront: Work, Love, Play. Newfront and Advanced Professionals value balanced lives and are passionate about creating a culture of wellness that results in healthier, happier, more productive employees, and more successful clients.

Anybody can sign up to participate in Hike-a-Thon, no matter where you live or hike. It’s free to register, and you’ll receive a T-shirt once you’ve donated or raised $25. 

Once you are registered, Washington Trails Association will provide you with a fundraising page you can set up and customize to share with friends, family or anyone else wanting to support trails in Washington. Participants can raise one-time donations or receive donations per mile or per hike. 

You also can choose whether to hike as an individual or to create or join a team of two to 10 hikers. Consider forming a team with your family, friends or colleagues, and of course you’re always welcome to join the ALLtech team!

Advanced Professionals hopes to see you on the trails!

Read more about how Advanced Professionals gives back to the community.

The wholesale benefits division of Newfront is hiking for a good cause this summer as sponsors of the annual Hike-a-Thon fundraiser to support the Washington Trails Association.

Advanced Professionals Sponsorship Supports Trails for Everyone, Forever

Connecting with nature is critical to everyone’s mental and physical health. The ALLtech Benefits Trust supports this belief with its sponsorship of Hike-a-Thon, the annual fundraiser for the Washington Trails Association. Learn more at ALLtechBenefits.com.

ALLtech: Trails for Everyone, Forever

Food Lifeline’s mission to end hunger in Western Washington got a little help from Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions on May 25, 2022, when the team repacked 13,200 pounds of watermelon for distribution to food banks, shelters and meal programs.

“Together, our team of volunteers worked to help address food insecurity in our community,” said Keith VanderZanden, Practice Leader of Advanced Professionals (AP), which is the wholesale benefits division of Newfront. “Such an incredible and inspiring day. Thank you to all the AP team members that committed their time and energy – 6.5 tons of watermelons boxed and ready for delivery. Amazing!”

Advanced Professionals’ nine-person crew took their teamwork outside of the office at this community-building day, working together at Food Lifeline’s Seattle warehouse to sort and repack watermelons that weighed as much as 40 pounds each! 

“It was great to see such an amazing turnout from the AP team to help out such a worthwhile cause,” said Business Manager Tom Waller. “Everyone has a lot going on, and for them to put that aside for a few hours meant a lot.”

Food Lifeline provides nutritious food to 1.37 million people facing hunger, or the equivalent of more than 282,000 meals every single day with help from volunteers, partnerships and more. This volunteer event is just one of many Newfront supports to advocate to end hunger. From sorting and packing, assisting at mobile pantries, and delivering meals to neighbors in need, Newfronters regularly visit local food banks to make a difference for our communities.

“I loved being able to work side by side with my work family,” said Theresa O’Brien, Senior Account Manager. “We all work so well together, both in the office and outside of the office. We crushed it!”

Newfront Volunteers Repack 6.5 Tons of Watermelon to Help End Hunger

The newest employee resource group (ERG) at Newfront has come together to do exactly what its name implies: Amplify AAPI. By uplifting and supporting one another, the group of Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) and allies are giving voice to our community while continuing to build on Newfront’s foundation of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“Being part of a community that relates to the challenges I had growing up and being able to share stories is such an amazing opportunity,” said Heidi Clubb, a co-lead of Amplify AAPI and Senior Account Manager at Newfront. “It wasn’t until I was an adult where I realized there were many people who were in the same boat as I was. I wasn’t alone after all. I just didn’t know where to find fellow friends and colleagues with a safe space to connect.”

Amplify AAPI joins six other ERGs at Newfront, all with a common theme to help employees find a community that not only creates a sense of belonging, but also provides an opportunity to support the professional development and growth of its members.

“In the AAPI community, many of us were taught not to speak up or to blend in so that we can assimilate into the American culture,” said Vivian Le, the founder of Amplify AAPI and Benefits and Wellbeing Manager at Newfront. “These innate characteristics may spill into our workplace. 

“Amplify AAPI was created to break the barrier and uplift our voices, our members and our allies.”

As a fellow co-lead of Amplify AAPI, I have already experienced the power our members have to amplify our voices, which gave me the courage to take on a leadership role and to introduce our ERG to the entire Newfront community at a Town Hall meeting on May 4.

“I am inspired to see the diversity of AAPI cultures and life experiences being shared,” said Winnie Van, Executive Sponsor of Amplify AAPI and Chief Legal Strategist at Newfront. “In the sharing and allyship, there is power, compassion and greater community. This ERG looks to further amplify and elevate its members and Newfront.”

Honoring Our Diversity During AAPI Heritage Month

The May launch of Amplify came at a pivotal time for the community as we honor our diverse cultures and share our experiences during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

“When the ERG was approved, I felt very honored, humbled, a sense of belonging, and proud to be an employee of Newfront,” said Alaine Gallanosa, an inaugural member of Amplify AAPI and Senior Client Representative at Newfront. “Celebrating this month is important to me because it also reminds us to be proud of who we are and how our culture and values have contributed to our success in life.”

Throughout AAPI Heritage Month, Newfront is featuring Amplify members to help showcase their views and the community’s diverse cultures, including Andrew Pham, Senior Business Analyst for the Wholesale Benefits division at Newfront, who said: “I’m a proud first-generation Vietnamese American. Growing up in Hawaii where there’s a large population of Asian Americans, I was able to share my Vietnamese culture as well as embrace other cultures." 

As Amplify AAPI continues to build momentum, we hope to provide a deeper understanding of the collective cultures and experiences within the AAPI community through educational programming, holiday celebrations, workshops and more.

“When there’s a holiday, we want to bring the cultural celebrations to all,” said Heidi, whose parents immigrated from Hong Kong. “Traditions in my family were all based on the Lunar calendar, which all symbolizes family, which is the heart and soul of my life.” 

Celebrating and Educating with Amplify AAPI

The broad diversity of the AAPI community encompasses more than 20 different countries with more than 40 different ethnic subgroups. However, there is one common thread that seems to bring us all together: the celebration of food. 

“My favorite memory growing up in a Vietnamese household was all about the food,” Vivian said. “There are so many memories I have with my family and the dishes we had together. Food brought us all together while we created memories laughing, storytelling, and being silly together.”

Our shared love of food inspired a kickoff event in May on making Cantonese dumplings – a class that is sure to spark curious (and perhaps competitive!) discussions about the diversity of dumplings within AAPI cultures and throughout the world.

Many in the Newfront AAPI community also came together in 2021 to provide support for one another amid a spate of hate crimes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Those fears continue for many of us, and we know our allies often feel as helpless as we do when we witness or are a victim of racism.

To launch our educational series, Amplify AAPI is also building on that foundation by planning Bystander Training to Stop Anti-Asian/American and Xenophobic Harassment, a powerful workshop that is geared toward helping the entire Newfront community better understand how to respond safely.

“I’m really looking forward to this Bystander Training, which will empower not only myself but others and allies in the AAPI community,” said Chastity Wilson, a co-lead of Amplify AAPI and Account Manager at Newfront. “I want to be prepared to stand up for what is right.” 

We’re excited to bring to more opportunities to share and learn about one another's cultures, and through it all, we know the entire Newfront community will be right there beside us as we uplift one another and Amplify AAPI.

The newest employee resource group (ERG) at Newfront has come together to do exactly what its name implies: Amplify AAPI.

Newfront Launches ERG to Amplify its Asian American Pacific Islander Community

The team at Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions is taking its passion for health and wellness into the community by supporting the Seattle Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on October 16, 2021. 

The annual 5K from the American Cancer Society is part of the largest network of breast cancer events in the nation, created to unite communities in the fight against the deadly disease. More than just a walk, the event also raises money to help the American Cancer Society fund breast cancer research and provide patient services like free rides to chemo, free places to stay near treatment, and a live 24/7 cancer helpline. 

“Prioritizing health and wellness for our clients and the community is what we do every day at Advanced Professionals,” said Executive Vice President Keith VanderZanden. “As the Health and Wellness sponsor of Making Strides, we’re proud to also walk for wellness by joining the American Cancer Society in its fight against breast cancer.” 

With this sponsorship, Advanced Professionals – the wholesale employee benefits division of Newfront – is continuing a longstanding tradition to support the American Cancer Society. Since 2008, Advanced Professionals has raised over 75,000 to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life fundraiser through its signature golf tournament.  

In addition to the golf tournament, Advanced Professionals has sponsored Relay for Life events in Seattle and the Bay Area, among other fundraising events that directly support the American Cancer Society’s groundbreaking research initiatives, outreach programs, and support for communities affected by cancer. 

Seattle Making Strides Against Breast Cancer takes place this year on October 16 at Gasworks Park. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the 5K walk scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. A virtual experience also is available to participants who are unable to attend in-person. 

Anybody can sign up to participate in the walk, and it’s easy to create a fundraising page or to start your own team. Watch the Seattle Strides Kickoff video for some helpful tips on how to set up an effective fundraising page. 

The Advanced Professionals Insurance team is avidly recruiting members, and we invite you to consider joining our fundraising team or making a donation that will help fund the American Cancer Society’s support services and lifesaving research to end breast cancer. 

As the Health and Wellness sponsor of Making Strides, we will have more information featuring wellness and healthy living resources from the American Cancer Society leading up to the event. Please keep an eye here or on the Advanced Professionals LinkedIn page to stay up-to-date, and we hope you’ll stop by the Advanced Professionals booth on Oct. 16 to tell us who you’re walking for. 

Advanced Professionals Continues Support of American Cancer Society with Making Strides Sponsorship

For Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions, sponsoring the Hike-a-Thon fundraiser to support the Washington Trails Association is an opportunity to embrace Newfront’s Work, Love, Play ethos while giving back to the community.

The annual event is a month-long excuse to hit the trails for a good cause as participants hike, share stories of their outdoor adventures, and raise funds that directly support trails in Washington state.

Advanced Professionals – the wholesale benefits practice of Newfront – is sponsoring Hike-a-Thon in conjunction with client ALLtech Benefits Trust, which offers employee benefits to Washington-based businesses in the information technology industry. ALLtech partners also sponsoring the event include:

Regence BlueShield, which underwrites medical insurance for ALLtech.

Delta Dental of Washington, which underwrites dental insurance for ALLtech..

Associated Industries Management Services, the third-party administrator for ALLtech.

In addition to sponsoring Hike-a-Thon this August, Advanced Professionals will be participating in the event as members of the ALLtech team.

“We’re thrilled to join our ALLtech partners both on and off the trails to help support this event and the Washington Trails Association,” says Keith VanderZanden, Executive Vice President and Practice Leader of Advanced Professionals. “As a team, we value health and wellness not only for our clients and customers, but also for our own well-being.”

Advanced Professionals’ participation in Hike-a-Thon also supports the three pillars of Newfront: Work, Love, Play. Newfront and Advanced Professionals encourage employees to fill each of their work, love, and play buckets. The team values balanced lives and are passionate about creating a culture of wellness that results in healthier, happier, more productive employees, and more successful clients.

Anybody can sign up to participate in Hike-a-Thon, no matter where you live or hike. It’s free to register, and you’ll receive a T-shirt once you’ve raised (or donated) 0.

Once you are registered, Washington Trails Association will provide you with a fundraising page you can set up and customize to share the page with friends, family, or anyone else wanting to support trails in Washington. Participants can raise one-time donations or receive donations per mile or per hike.

For Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions, sponsoring the Hike-a-Thon fundraiser to support the Washington Trails Association is an opportunity to embrace Newfront’s Work, Love, Play ethos while giving back to the community. 

Advanced Professionals Team Is Hiking for a Good Cause This Summer

To better represent its diverse products and services, Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions is relaunching its website – advprofessionals.com – in July 2021.

“Since 2018, Advanced Professionals has expanded not only to new states, but also to offer additional products and services for the wholesale market,” says Keith VanderZanden, Executive Vice President and Practice Leader of the Advanced Professionals (AP) division. “An updated website will better showcase all that AP has to offer today.”

In addition to launching health trusts in Alaska and California, Advanced Professionals has introduced new General Agency products and expanded its Managed Services offering. Highlights of the new site include:

Better alignment with Newfront’s new branding, while keeping Advanced Professionals’ wholesale identity.

Sections exclusive to each type of AP client, including associations, carriers, employers, producers, and product and marketing partners.

Information on new AP products, including new General Agency products – Allstate Identity Protection, Ease, and Navia Benefit Solutions – and AP Managed Services expansion.

Showcase of Newfront's values and ethos, including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I), employee resource groups (ERG), and community.

Expansion of Newfront’s thought leadership, bringing appropriate Newfront blog, webinar and other content to an expanded audience. 

“The website relaunch will help our clients and potential clients better understand our values, product offerings and information resources,” says Tina Gonsalves, Director of Marketing for Advanced Professionals. “With links for both employer and producer partners to access our technology – AP Connect – landing pages for our trusts, and the addition of new resources, the new site will offer greater connectivity to current and potential partners as well as improve our SEO and marketing capabilities.”

To learn more, please visit Advanced Professional’s standalone website, advprofessionals.com.

To better represent its diverse products and services, Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions is relaunching its website – advprofessionals.com – in July 2021. 

Advanced Professionals to Highlight Growth in Website Relaunch

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great societal upheaval and unprecedented change to the way we live, work, and socialize. Many of us may feel isolated or dislocated from everyday life, and many families are struggling to adjust to our continuously changing world.

Advanced Professionals Insurance & Benefit Solutions, the wholesale benefits division of Newfront, recognizes these significant effects on relationships and family structures, and is hoping to help share valuable resources by sponsoring the free online workshop Navigating Relationships Amidst Overwhelming Times.

The event on June 9, 2021, takes place from 7 – 8:30 p.m. PT and is hosted by Kids Co., a nonprofit located in Seattle that serves the region’s working families with quality, nonprofit childcare.

“This workshop will give participants the chance to reflect on the past year, acknowledge the highs and lows, and develop new tools to deal with any trauma that may have arisen either within your own household or in your world at large,” said Kids Co. board member Katrina Johnson.

Around the world, families continue to struggle with the effects of the pandemic, which can include:

Grief tied to the loss of time spent with family and friends

The featured speaker at the workshop, Laura van Dernoot Lipsky of the Trauma Stewardship Institute, will talk about isolation, trauma, recognizing emotional issues and paths to overcome. Laura, whose TED Talk you can watch here, specializes in issues surrounding overwhelm and trauma, signs to look for, ways to target stressors, and paths to mental wellness, self-care, community health, and helping us sustain ourselves and each other.

The workshop also serves as a fundraiser to support the Kids Co. Scholarship Fund, which helps Kids Co. succeed in its mission to provide and advocate for affordable quality childcare that enriches and nurtures all children, supporting their success in school and in life.

“Kids Co.’s licensed and quality care is available to all kids, no matter what their economic or demographic background is,” said Katrina. “Kids Co. not only has centers all over the city, they also offer tuition assistance so no family is turned away due to inability to pay tuition.”

To register for the workshop, email giving@kidscompany.org, or visit the Kids Co. event page to learn more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused great societal upheaval and unprecedented change to the way we live, work, and socialize. Many of us may feel isolated or dislocated from everyday life, and many families are struggling to adjust to our continuously changing world. 

Kids Co. Workshop Offers Paths to Navigate Overwhelming Times

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Articles from Mai Ling Slaughter

Advanced Professionals Helps Put Spotlight on Wellness as Sponsor of American Cancer Society 5K

Advanced Professionals Sponsorship Supports Trails for Everyone, Forever

Newfront Volunteers Repack 6.5 Tons of Watermelon to Help End Hunger

Newfront Launches ERG to Amplify its Asian American Pacific Islander Community

Advanced Professionals Continues Support of American Cancer Society with Making Strides Sponsorship

Advanced Professionals Team Is Hiking for a Good Cause This Summer

Advanced Professionals to Highlight Growth in Website Relaunch

Kids Co. Workshop Offers Paths to Navigate Overwhelming Times

Newfront for Businesses

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Articles from Mai Ling Slaughter

.css-13o7eu2{display:block;}Advanced Professionals Helps Put Spotlight on Wellness as Sponsor of American Cancer Society 5K

Advanced Professionals Sponsorship Supports Trails for Everyone, Forever

Newfront Volunteers Repack 6.5 Tons of Watermelon to Help End Hunger

Newfront Launches ERG to Amplify its Asian American Pacific Islander Community

Advanced Professionals Continues Support of American Cancer Society with Making Strides Sponsorship

Advanced Professionals Team Is Hiking for a Good Cause This Summer

Advanced Professionals to Highlight Growth in Website Relaunch

Kids Co. Workshop Offers Paths to Navigate Overwhelming Times

Newfront for Businesses

Newfront for Employee Benefits

Newfront for Private Clients

Blog ‍

Connect ‍
with ‍
us. ‍

Advanced Professionals Helps Put Spotlight on Wellness as Sponsor of American Cancer Society 5K