About Us

Principals

Michael R. Johnson – Principal

Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Johnson & Dugan. He began his career with Confederation Life and New England Life where he was responsible for developing and servicing businesses in the professional industries. In 1980, he joined Rollins, Burdick, Hunter in Palo Alto as a consultant handling major commercial accounts, continuing this with William M. Mercer in 1982. This led to the formation of MBO Benefits which he acquired in 1988 with his partner Kathleen Dugan, thus forming Johnson & Dugan.

Kathleen A. Dugan – Principal (Retired)

Chief Operating Officer and co-founder of Johnson & Dugan. She came to MBO Benefits in 1983 from Intel Corporation where she spent four years in Recruiting, Human Resources, and Corporate Benefits. Here, among many accomplishments, she developed a comprehensive package of employee communications materials for all elements of the benefits program, including an employee benefits manual and annual benefits statements. She also taught the Benefits Management module of the HR Certificate program at U.C. Santa Cruz Extension from 1996-2006.

J. Douglas Hessel – Principal

Doug started his career in 1982 with Equitable Life in San Francisco, where he developed a keen interest in helping companies design and manage their employee benefit plans. He then went on to start Hessel & Hover Insurance Services, Inc. in Palo Alto in 1984. Doug has advised and served as a broker to hundreds of companies in Silicon Valley, including many successful public companies and non-profit groups. He joined Johnson & Dugan in 1995 as a Partner and continues to enjoy working with J&D’s clients as an employee benefits consultant. Doug holds an Economics degree from UC Santa Barbara.

Virginia K Sutton – VP of Retirement Plans Practice

Specializing in 401(k) defined contribution plans Virginia supports clients regarding all phases of their qualified retirement programs, including plan design, investment selection and review, compliance, vendor assessment, plan conversions, employee education, and mergers and acquisitions. She engages with clients as a fee-based 3(21) fiduciary investment advisor, through Global Retirement Partners, and independent investment advisory firm.

Virginia is an active member of the American Retirement Association (ARA)’s ASPPA and NAPA affiliates. She is a past member at large of the ARA Board of Directors, member of the ASPPA DOL Government Affairs committee and past chair of ASPPA’s participant communication task force and 401(k) Plans Subcommittee. She was invited by and has worked with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Department of Labor to provide input and education for officials regarding fees, disclosure standards, and pricing practices in qualified plans. Virginia is a regular speaker at ASPPA, WPBC and NIPA conferences. She has been named one of NAPA’s Top Women Advisors for 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Virginia is the VP of Johnson & Dugan Insurance Service Corporation’s Retirement Plan Practice. She is an investment advisory representative of Global Retirement Partners. She holds ASPPA’s Qualified 401(k) Administrator (QKA) and Qualified Plan Financial Consultant (QPFC) designations. Virginia graduated with honors from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in economic history.

Niko Washington – VP of Employee Benefits Practice

As lead consultant, Niko is responsible for assisting clients with defining and achieving their strategic goals for the employee benefits program. She is proficient in all areas of group benefit programs and specializes in strategic planning, benefits technology, benefit financing, employee communication and Health and Welfare legislation. Niko has over twenty-five years of experience in the medical/insurance industry. She started her career as a pharmaceutical sales representative, educating physicians and pharmacists. She has worked for two large medical/dental carriers, educating employers, employees and brokers on their benefits packages. Niko brought her insurance knowledge, strategic planning skills, and communication skills to Johnson & Dugan. She has worked for Johnson & Dugan over 20 years. Niko has a BA from San Jose State University and a California Life Agent License.