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Expert Guidance. Better Outcomes. Stronger Schools.
A more informed approach to a growing challenge
School systems today are navigating a benefits landscape that has become increasingly complex—and increasingly expensive.
At the same time, systems are under pressure to manage budgets responsibly, support a diverse workforce, and ensure employees have access to meaningful, affordable coverage.
Health benefits now represent one of the most significant and fastest-growing cost centers for districts.
For many districts, the challenge isn’t a lack of options—it’s understanding how those options fit together, what they cost, and how well they serve their people.
Where CivicWell Partners began
As a firm specializing in health benefits for school systems, CivicWell Partners was founded to bring clarity and experienced guidance to this space.
Our founders bring combined decades of experience across the insurance and health benefits landscape, with deep exposure to plan design, carrier structures, pricing models, and program implementation.
Over time, they saw a consistent pattern:
Benefits programs that evolved without a clear, cohesive strategy.
Rising costs that outpaced visibility and control.
Overlap between medical and voluntary offerings that created inefficiencies.
Employees navigating complex decisions without clear guidance.
CivicWell was created to address that gap—with a focus on school systems and the people who keep them running every day.
What makes our approach different
We believe better outcomes start with a more complete view.
CivicWell Partners offers an alternative solution to the SHBP health plan for classified employees. Our pilot project for Georgia will help reduce cost for local school systems, covered employees and dependents, and local property tax payers.
We work alongside district leadership to evaluate the full health benefits ecosystem—not just individual plans in isolation. Our role is to help systems step back, assess how everything fits together, and move forward with a more aligned, efficient approach.
We focus on:
Understanding the full benefits structure — medical, supplemental, and voluntary.
Identifying overlap, inefficiencies, and cost drivers.
Improving alignment between coverage and employee needs.
Providing clear, actionable guidance grounded in real-world experience.
Our work is not about adding complexity. It’s about bringing structure and clarity to what already exists.
Why it matters
When health benefits are more effectively aligned:
Employees have access to coverage that better reflects their needs and financial realities.
School systems gain greater control over one of their largest cost categories.
Communities benefit from more responsible, sustainable use of public funds.
These outcomes are interconnected—and they compound over time.
Our focus
While benefits decisions affect entire school systems, we place particular emphasis on classified staff—the individuals who are essential to daily operations and often the most impacted by cost and access challenges.
This includes:
School secretaries and administrative staff
Custodial and facilities teams
Food service workers
Paraprofessionals
Operations and support staff
These employees are critical to the functioning of a school system. Ensuring they have access to benefits that are both appropriate and affordable is essential—not only for workforce stability, but for operational continuity.
How we work
CivicWell is a thoughtful, experienced partner.
We bring:
Deep expertise across the full health benefits landscape
A structured, system-level approach
Practical recommendations that districts can act on
We focus on what will create meaningful, lasting improvement—not short-term adjustments.
Why CivicWell Partners
As health benefits continue to evolve in complexity and cost, school systems will need to take a more integrated and strategic approach.
CivicWell exists to support that shift—helping districts move forward with greater clarity, stronger alignment, and a more sustainable path.
Better understanding leads to better decisions. And better decisions lead to stronger outcomes—for schools, staff, students and communities.
Our Team
David Essary
David has deep industry knowledge and a strong track record of leadership, most recently serving as the Chief Strategy Officer at Alight. Prior to that, David was President of Allstate Health & Benefits. There, he led digital transformation initiatives, managed M&A activity and oversaw a $2.6 billion business.
An accomplished entrepreneur, David has co-founded and led several successful ventures in the health and benefits administration space.
Ashley Ellis
With nearly 35 years of insurance and benefits expertise, spanning property and casualty, group and individual benefits, and life products, Ashley is a longtime executive leader and former EVP and CFO of BBWH Insurers. She has extensive experience in agency operations, financial management, and consulting.
Ashley has held numerous industry and community leadership roles, including President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia.
Leonard Blount
Leonard brings more than 35 years of experience in the insurance and benefits industry, with a background spanning agency leadership, third-party administration, and consulting for large self-insured employers. A former president of Blount, Burke, Wimberly and Hendricks Insurers and co-founder of Capstone Benefits Consulting, he has a long track record of guiding organizations through complex benefits decisions.
Leonard also served as President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia, where the association earned national recognition during his tenure.
Ben Watkins
Ben has more than 30 years of experience across insurance, managed care, and benefits consulting. His background spans leadership roles in healthcare systems, provider networks, and advisory services, including business development and physician alignment.
As a former principal of Watkins Consulting Services and co-founder of Capstone Benefits Consulting, Ben has deep expertise in employer benefits strategy and performance, helping organizations navigate complexity and improve outcomes.