About

The Founding of Bates & Company

Joyce Bates founded Bates & Company in May 1987, establishing the business first in Orlando, then moving to Winter Park, where the company has been located since 2003.

“A local, retirement plan administration and consulting firm, providing high quality personalized and professional services for businesses and their advisors.”

John D. Laskowitz

John D. Laskowitz

President/Owner

As the owner of Bates & Company, John has many years of experience working in the qualified retirement plan arena including strategic, operational and financial issues. His past experience includes public accounting, management consulting and benefit plan consulting. John worked for more than 3 years in Europe while based in Wiesbaden, Germany. His experience also includes auditing large benefit plans, including 401(k)s and Employee Stock Ownership Plans.

John has consulted with various organizations at the ownership level, helping with corporate strategies to enhance growth opportunities as well as attract and retain employees through the implementation of effective retirement programs. John's experience in the design and implementation of retirement plans helps ensure the right plan is implemented to suit the needs of any specific organization. In addition, he has experience in administering non-qualified deferred compensation plans.

John has served on the board for the ASPPA Benefits Council of Central Florida and is a member of the American Society of Pension Professional and Actuaries. In addition, he is involved with various groups focused on qualified retirement plans.

John received his Masters of Business Administration from Northeastern University and his Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting from Merrimack College. He is married and enjoys spending time with his wife, 2 children and the families Labrador retriever. He enjoys traveling, golf, boating and fishing.

Susan Norton

Susan Norton, ERPA, QPA, QKA

Managing Director

Susan Norton joined the Bates & Company team in March of 2005, with over 8 years of retirement planning experience.

In 2013 Susan achieved the designation of Enrolled Retirement Plan Agent (ERPPA) given by the Internal Revenue Service. This certification allows her to represent clients before the IRS. Susan is also a member of the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA), where she earned her designations of Qualified Pension Administrator (QPA) and Qualified 401(k) Plan Administrator (QKA).

As an Account Executive with Bates & Company, Susan provides quality customer service and client communication. Her responsibilities include preparing proposals for prospective clients, implementation of new clients and preparation of plan documents and amendments. She also provides full service annual administration, including calculation of contributions, trust and financial reconciliation, compliance testing, and preparation of Form 5500 series for both 412(e)(3) Defined Benefit plans and Defined Contribution plans.

Susan holds an Associate's Degree from Broward Community College, with studies emphasizing accounting and finance. Susan is a fifth-generation Floridian and is a die-hard Miami Dolphins fan. In her spare time, Susan enjoys reading, golfing, camping, and fishing, as well as spending time with family and her pups, Bodie, Nitro & Storm, and their feline siblings Chase, Dakota & Gabby.

Darla McLaughlin

Darla McLaughlin

Director of Compliance and New Business

Darla joined Bates & Company in March 2011, bringing on board more than 24 years of experience in the Retirement Plan Administration and Accounting fields. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, VA. She successfully completed ASPPA PA1 and C1 courses and has participated in numerous Retirement and Accounting seminars.

Darla's previous experience includes custodial administration of self-directed Individual Retirement Accounts, design, implementation and full service third party administration of Qualified Retirement Plans, as well as extensive accounting and tax work. Her responsibilities with Bates & Company include oversight of onboarding processes for new business, ERISA compliance and full Qualified Plan Administration.

Darla and her husband, Brian, share their home with their beloved felines. They enjoy music, entertaining in their backyard sanctuary, gourmet dining, boating and traveling.

Fred Johnston

Fred Johnston

Regional Sales Director

Fred, who joined Bates in April, 2015, has more than 35 years' experience working in the Retirement Services and Institutional Trust business. He worked in both the relationship management and plan administration side of the business for 15 years before making the transition into retirement plan consulting and new business development. Fred spent most of his career working for some of the largest bank trust companies in the Southeast before focusing his career in plan consulting and third party administration in 2012.

Fred is a graduate of Gannon College in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance and was elected into Omicron Delta Epsilon, an International Economics Honor Society. While at Gannon, he was the captain of the university's baseball team for two years.

Fred is a member of ASPPA Benefits Council of Central Florida and the American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries.

Fred and his wife Sandy reside in Orlando and have two daughters and six grandkids. They enjoy leisure time at the beach and are frequent visitors to California wine country.

Ashley Macri

Ashley Macri

Operations Manager, Administrative Manager and Accountant

Ashley joined the Bates & Company team in January 2020. She has experience in personal and business income taxation, as well as financial accounting and bank accounting. Ashley manages accounts receivable, force outs, business reporting, as well as assisting in distributions. She is truly a jack of all trades with Bates & Company!

Ashley holds a dual Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Youngstown State University. She also has a dual Masters in Business Administration and Finance from Purdue University Global. She holds certification in Retirement Plan Fundamentals, QuickBooks and teaching high school math. Ashley is currently studying for her CPA.

Ashley lives in Florida with her husband and two children. Her hobbies include crafting, woodworking, party planning, photography, volunteering and learning new skills. She enjoys the salt life of boating, paddle boarding, swimming, and beach time.

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