History
Hill, Chesson & Woody can trace its roots back to 1971, when Dan W. Hill, III, CLU, ChFC,
MSFS created Dan Hill & Associates to sell life insurance policies. Three years later, Earl G.
Chesson, CLU, ChFC, came aboard, and the firm changed its name to Hill, Chesson & Associates.
In 1979, the duo took the firm in a new direction by signing deals with UNC-Chapel Hill,
Duke University, East Carolina University and North Carolina State University to administer
those institutions’ student medical insurance plans. Today, Dan Hill's group continues to
administer student insurance services (go to www.hillchesson.com for more info), while Earl
Chesson's group handles estate planning and individual life
insurance (go to www.hillchessonandwoody.com).
In July 2000, Skip Woody was named partner after nine years as an associate, and the firm’s
name was changed to Hill, Chesson & Woody. Skip helped create an employee benefits division
within the firm, and recruited Todd Yates in 2001 to help get the division off the ground.
Over the next four years, the firm's employee benefits division expanded from two to 17 employees,
and now serves over 300 corporate clients. Today, Hill Chesson & Woody's Employee
Benefit Services division aims to provide middle-market clients with consulting, strategies
and solutions normally reserved for Fortune 500 companies.
The firm recruited Wil Drake in October 2004 to head up its new retirement and financial services
division. Drake's group offers advice on executive benefit
packages, 401(k) plans and other tools to build retirement savings.
With offices located in Chapel Hill, NC, Hill, Chesson & Woody continues to grow as it nurtures
the needs of its vast client landscape. Combined, the firm's principals represent over 100
years of experience in the group insurance and fringe benefits market. And after 30+ years
in the business, Hill, Chesson & Woody continues to assist clients in developing benefit
strategies and then delivering on the execution of those strategies.
For more information on the Hill, Chesson & Woody consulting group, visit www.hcwconsultants.com.
