Management Team

Luke Ussery, CEBS, FPC – Chief Executive Officer

Luke Ussery has more than 20 years of experience in management and administration of health and welfare plans for both large and small companies. He is a Certified Employee Benefit Specialist (CEBS), currently one of only 11,000 in the United States. Before co-founding Rampart Advisors, Luke worked for a large manufacturing company supervising the daily administration of health and welfare plans for 12,000 employees in three locations. Prior to that position, Luke co-founded and owned a successful small business for more than 10 years that provided HR Outsourcing services to employers and other PEO companies. He has also consulted with manufacturing companies installing ERP systems and changing business processes to achieve best practice results.

Luke received a bachelor’s degree in corporate finance and investment management from the University of Alabama in 1985. He earned his CEBS certificate through the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and also holds a Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) from the American Payroll Association. In addition, Luke also holds a Certification in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM) designation from APICS. He is a member of the National Association of Professional Employer Organizations (NAPEO), the American Payroll Association, and the Society of Human Resource Management.

Annie Smith, FPC – Chief Operating Officer

Annie Smith is a benefits expert with more than 15 years experience in accounting, financial audit, and employee benefits. Before co-founding Rampart Advisors, Annie successfully managed a healthcare budget of more than $100 million for a large manufacturing company, while keeping healthcare cost increases at nearly half the national average. In that role, she was responsible for managing benefits, compensation, retirement and specialty services for more than 12,000 employees. She selected and managed vendors for health, dental, EAP, life, and disability programs. She was also responsible for analyzing internal HR administration costs and identifying opportunities for cost savings through implementation of best practices.

Annie received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Middle Tennessee State University in 1990 and her CPA designation in 1991. In addition, she has also earned the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) from the American Payroll Association. Annie is a member of NAPEO, the American Payroll Association, and the Society of Human Resource Management.

Karen Oldham, MD, MBA, – Chief Medical Officer

Dr. Karen Oldham is a seasoned medical administrator with expertise in the areas of emergency medical services, public health, and private health administration. Dr. Oldham currently serves as a supervising physician for a large Urgent Care and Occupational Medicine clinic in middle Tennessee and as an independent consultant. Prior to working in her current position, Dr. Oldham served as the Supervising Physician on the medical staff for a large manufacturing company, responsible for 14 advanced practitioners and helping implement and manage a return to work program for disabled employees. She also spent two years as Chief Medical Officer for the Bureau of TennCare, Tennessee’s Medicaid program, overseeing an $8 billion annual budget that provides healthcare services to 1.2 million people through a network of managed care providers. Dr. Oldham has served as Medical Director for more than nine emergency medical services located in Texas and Tennessee and has consulted with dozens of companies on healthcare policy, disaster planning, quality oversight, process improvements, medicolegal issues, research and systems development.

Dr. Oldham received her medical doctorate in 1982 from Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. She completed postgraduate medical programs in special anesthesiology at the University of Texas at Houston, TX, and in public health administration at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She received a master’s degree in business administration from Cumberland University, Lebanon, Tenn., in 2001. Dr. Oldham, who holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard, served nine months with the Air Force in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during 2003. She was awarded a Medal of Valor for her service.