And her longstanding presence within the industry conference circuit, and experience testifying before government regulators, will come in handy as she steers EBRI's mission to accommodate the changing benefit needs of an evolving workforce, she told BenefitsPRO in an interview.

"This is a dream job for me," said Ms. Lucas, who has been involved with EBRI since 1999, most recently as the vice chair of its research committee. "I've always admired EBRI's research, which has never had an agenda outside of helping policy makers make better decisions."

Founded in 1978, EBRI's stated mission is "to contribute to, to encourage, and to enhance the development of sound employee benefit programs and sound public policy through objective research and education," according to its website.

That won't change under Ms. Lucas's direction, she said. But she does intend to extend EBRI's research thrust beyond the domain of retirement and group health plans.

"The vision is to broaden EBRI's perspective on what employee benefits really mean for today's workforce," she said. "It's no longer just about retirement and health care—important as those traditional areas are. We have a lot of people with large amounts of student debt, and other financial needs. The question is how do we accommodate the current vision and the future vision of what employee benefits are."

New research will emerge examining student debt and other areas of financial wellness. What won't change is the commitment to objective, fact-based research.

"We will maintain EBRI's sterling reputation," said Ms. Lucas.

EBRI, a non-profit, is funded by some grants and contributions, but largely by dues from its industry membership, a who's who of insurance and financial services providers, large plan sponsors, and consumer advocates.

In 2015, EBRI reported nearly $4 million in revenue, according to tax filings. About $2.2 million went to executive compensation; another $980,000 went to salaries and wages for staff. Dallas Salisbury, then president, earned $1.23 million in salary.

Last year, EBRI worked with the Save Our Savings Coalition, a lobby consortium of industry members formed to fend some lawmakers' intention to change the tax-deferred status of contributions to retirement plans.

EBRI was prepared to release groundbreaking research on how the so-called Rothification of retirement plans would impact the savings habits of mid and lower-income savers.

Ultimately, that research was not needed to inform lawmakers.

The push to limit pre-tax contributions to savings plans ran out of steam, thanks largely to a tweet from President Trump, and the effectiveness of the SOS Coalition's lobbying efforts.

By the time Congressional committees began taking up tax reform, lawmakers across the aisle were bemoaning the prospect of Rothification as a tax on the middle class that would adversely affect savings rates.

Untainted research

Notwithstanding the money it receives from member dues, EBRI's research always has been, and will remain, untainted, insists Ms. Lucas.

"Look at EBRI's entire body of research, and there is ample evidence that it is objective," she said. "EBRI never takes a position, and never comes to conclusions as to how policy makers should act. It is all unadorned fact."

It often is also highly technical and policy-centric. That Ms. Lucas intends to change.

"The vision is to make EBRI's research more accessible without diluting its unbiased nature, and to translate findings to make them more relatable to people that may not necessarily be in the benefits industry. That's something I intend to bring to the role," said Ms. Lucas, noting her background as a communicator. Before earning her CFA charter, she earned an MFA from the University of Illinois at Chicago in writing.

To some Congressional committees, and within the benefits industry, EBRI is a known factor. Outside those realms, EBRI is just another acronym. That too will change with Ms. Lucas at the helm.

"We will be creating more awareness of the research we do, and raising EBRI's profile and strengthening its voice," said Ms. Lucas.