Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

While its deputy sheriffs and administrative employees are enrolled in the state’s pension plan, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is working to improve participation in its 457(b) plan and, thus, participant outcomes. To address engagement challenges across a diverse workforce, PBSO implemented automatic enrollment, extensive targeted communications, financial wellness tools and one-on-one and group education. These efforts increased participation in the 457(b) plan to 84.1%, raised average balances by nearly 10% and upped contributions by 15%. PBSO developed a retirement training book, which received such positive feedback that other agencies and municipalities have requested the details.

From left: Sonia Perez, Retirement Manager, Thomas “Mitch” Austin, Director of Benefits, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

To get to know them better, PLANSPONSOR sent the 2026 Plan Sponsor of the Year winners a list of questions from which to choose four to answer. Below are responses from Sonia Perez, retirement manager, on behalf of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

PLANSPONSOR: What do you foresee as the most significant opportunity—or challenge—for plan sponsors in helping employees achieve long-term financial security?

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: At the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, we believe the greatest opportunity for plan sponsors is to provide personalized guidance that meets employees where they are in their financial journey.

With a multigenerational workforce facing diverse priorities, financial challenges and retirement goals, we focus on delivering strong benefits, targeted education, effective communication and individualized support. By helping employees understand their pension, voluntary savings and healthcare costs together, we simplify complex information and offer tailored support. Our goal is to empower our employees to make informed decisions and develop greater confidence in their long-term financial future.

PLANSPONSOR: What aspect of your retirement plan offering are you most proud of?

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: We are most proud of our commitment to retirement education and employee engagement. Our approach focuses on providing ongoing education and resources that help employees understand their benefits and make informed decisions. We strive to simplify complex retirement concepts, creating opportunities for employees to ask questions and receive support throughout their careers. We are extremely proud of the confidence our employees have gained through this process. By fostering a workplace culture of education, resources and support, we help employees take a more active role in preparing for their financial future.

PLANSPONSOR: What does winning Plan Sponsor of the Year mean to you and your employer? Will you publicize the win outside of the human resources/benefits team?

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: Winning Plan Sponsor of the Year is a tremendous honor! To us, it’s a reflection of our organization’s commitment to employee financial well-being. This recognition belongs to the staff of the retirement and benefit services team, along with our partners and the employees who support and engage in our programs.

For the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, helping employees achieve retirement readiness is an important part of our commitment to them throughout their careers. This award validates our effort to provide meaningful education, strong retirement benefits and individualized support.

We plan to share this achievement throughout our organization as a celebration of our collective commitment to helping employees prepare for a successful retirement.

PLANSPONSOR: What priorities or areas of focus will guide your retirement program over the next few years?

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office: Our focus will be on enhancing our retirement readiness education and increasing engagement, through greater personalization. We plan to continue expanding our tools and the resources that help our employees understand their retirement benefits, savings option and timing. We also look forward to implementing technological advancements that will provide our employees with greater access to information and more financial control. Our communication strategies will evolve to include more personalized, relatable content, making retirement planning more accessible.

Ultimately, our goal is to help employees move beyond simply participating in a retirement plan to developing a clear understanding of retirement readiness, their financial needs and the steps needed to achieve their financial goals.