Meet the retired federal benefits specialists behind Federal Benefits Counsel.
Federal Benefits Counsel is led by longtime colleagues Loretta Jackson and Pamela Stewart-Williams, two retired federal benefits and retirement specialists with decades of hands-on experience helping employees, HR professionals, survivors, and agency leaders understand complex federal retirement and benefits questions.
Loretta Jackson
Loretta Jackson has more than 40 years of Federal service and Human Resources experience, including extensive expertise in Federal Benefits and Retirement counseling, followed by nearly a decade supporting retirement and benefits operations as a Federal contractor.
Before retiring from Federal service in 2015, Loretta served as the Agency Benefits Officer for the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), where she led the Headquarters Benefits and Retirement Unit and supervised a team of HR specialists responsible for Federal retirement and insurance programs.
Throughout her career, she provided expert guidance on CSRS, FERS, FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, retirement eligibility, service credit determinations, deposits and redeposits, survivor elections, and complex retirement coverage issues, including FERCCA-related cases. Her Federal career included leadership and specialist roles across the Department of Defense, DoDEA, HHS, NIH, and other Federal organizations. Loretta is also a certified mediator, experienced trainer, and recipient of the Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
Loretta was selected by the Department of Defense Civilian Personnel Management Service to provide on-site benefits counseling support to families of victims following the September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon.
Pamela Stewart-Williams
Pamela Stewart-Williams is a highly experienced Federal Benefits and Retirement Specialist with more than 36 years of federal service, including extensive work with the Department of Defense and Department of Defense Education Activity. Her experience spans CSRS, FERS, FEHB, FEGLI, TSP, Social Security coordination, retirement coverage, service computation dates, and civilian and military deposit issues.
Throughout her career, Pamela served as a subject matter expert and senior advisor on federal retirement and benefits, supporting employees, HR professionals, and agency leadership across all phases of federal service — from onboarding through retirement. She is known for helping resolve complex service histories and making intricate policies understandable.
Pamela is a certified trainer and frequent presenter at pre-retirement seminars, recognized for her ability to make complex federal retirement policy accessible and practical.