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EBRI 30th Anniversary

Press Release -- EBRI's 30th Anniversary
Program Book -- EBRI's 30th Anniversary

An early 1979 letter explained the Founders' vision:

“EBRI is dedicated to the development of more effective public and private policies in the broad field of employee benefits. It neither involves itself in lobbying or the taking of policy positions. Rather, it undertakes projects which are of value to all who care about policy and program development and economic security outcomes in the employee benefits area.”

EBRI stands alone in employee benefits research as an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization. It analyzes and reports research data without spin or an underlying agenda. All findings, whether on financial data, options, or trends, are revealing and reliable–the reason EBRI information is the gold standard for private analysts and decision makers, government policy makers, the media, and the public. As members of both political parties in Congress noted in recent tributes, EBRI has been a vital resource.

• Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee –“One of the most valuable resources we have to help us understand what is happening in these areas is the nonpartisan and non-profit Employee Benefit Research Institute. One of the reasons [EBRI’s] work gets attention and is respected is because EBRI does not have an ideological agenda and does not try to ‘spin’ the numbers.”

• Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee– “The high quality and objective work done by EBRI has won it respect within the halls of Congress, among members on both sides of the aisle in the House of Representatives and in the Senate.”

• Rep. Earl Pomeroy (D-ND), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee and a former state insurance commissioner–“Rather than try to tell Congress and the Federal Government what we should do on health and retirement issues, instead [EBRI] simply reports what the facts are–and what the results are likely to be from different policy options. Substance, reliability, credibility: That’s what I expect when I see work from EBRI.”

• Robert Reischauer, now president of the Urban Institute, and formerly director of the Congressional Budget Office– “Because of their high quality and nonpartisan, nonadvocacy stance, policymakers and the media appropriately turn to EBRI’s staff and leadership for analysis and insight into future benefit trends and clear thinking about the policy proposals that are being debated.”

On December 3, 2008, at EBRI’s 71st meeting of its board of trustees, the board presented EBRI President, CEO, and EBRI’s first employee, Dallas Salisbury, with a plaque quoting the submission of Rep. George Miller (D-CA) as his words appeared in the Congressional Record on Friday October 3, 2008:

Employee Benefit Research Institute 30th Anniversary Tribute to Dallas L. Salisbury

“EBRI has been guided by Dallas Salisbury, its president and chief executive officer. Mr. Salisbury has been an important analyst and contributor to national public policy decision making on employee benefits. His thoughtful and often prescient analyses have aided lawmakers throughout the years.

“EBRI is a rare organization in Washington. Its research provides information that is critical to the decisions made by public policymakers. As EBRI celebrates its 30th anniversary, I want to thank them for decades of quality work.”

In the words of EBRI Board Chairman Peter Smail, “EBRI has fulfilled and surpassed the Founders' vision.” EBRI has become internationally recognized as “the source” for facts and insights on public and private employee benefit programs and public policy.

One of the original Founding Trustees of EBRI, Ken Keene and his wife Janet, joined hundreds of others at EBRI’s 30th anniversary celebration in Washington, DC, on December 3, 2008. Ken and Janet had also been at the 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th anniversary celebrations of EBRI.