Chris Swanker Receives NADP Gabryl Award

National Lifetime Achievement Award Honors Contributions to Dental Benefits Industry

DALLAS, Oct. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For his leadership during critical health care reform years, Chris Swanker, Chief Executive Officer at Avēsis, a Guardian Company, received the National Association of Dental Plans (NADP) 2018 Gabryl Award, the association’s highest honor, recognizing contributions advancing the dental benefits industry.

Serving as Health Care Reform Task Force Vice Chair during development of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and as NADP Board Chair during its first two years of implementation, Swanker provided a very strategic and insightful thought process to discussions impacting the dental benefits industry. In addition, his recent work on the revenue-based dues model has been crucial in making the model a reality.

“Behind the scenes, he shares with staff critical information on activities impacting the industry. The dental benefits industry has benefited and continues to benefit from Chris's engagement with NADP,” said Executive Director Evelyn F. Ireland.

Swanker has 24 years of experience in the insurance industry with a focus on employee benefits. As CEO of Avēsis, he is responsible for developing and executing a strategy to leverage Guardian’s knowledge of supplemental health benefits into government benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by the NADP with the Gabryl award,” said Chris Swanker. “I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with members of NADP for many years with a common goal of promoting and advancing the dental benefits industry as well as increasing access to quality dental care.”

NADP presented the Gabryl Award during its recent annual conference, CONVERGE 2018, in Denver, Colorado.

About the Gabryl Award
The Gabryl Award celebrates six years or more of volunteer contributions that advance the dental benefits industry. NADP volunteer groups recommend individuals for Gabryl Award nominations, which are approved by the Board of Directors. This year the Board received only one Gabryl recommendation, which was submitted by five volunteer groups: Commission on Advocacy Policy, Education Commission and the Communications, Membership and Government Relations WorkGroups.

About NADP

National Association of Dental Plans (NADP), a Texas nonprofit corporation with headquarters in Dallas, Texas, is the “representative and recognized resource of the dental benefits industry.” NADP is the only national trade organization that includes the full spectrum of dental benefits companies operating in the United States. NADP’s members provide Dental HMO, Dental PPO, Dental Indemnity and Discount Dental products to more than 199 million Americans.