This panel of PRIMA’s Risk Managers of the Year will help every level of risk professional. New risk managers can learn how to establish a solid program and more seasoned risk managers might leave knowing a few new tricks. These experts come from all different types of public risk (City, County, State, Schools, Special District Utility and Air/Seaports). They offer implementable strategies with million-dollar impacts. Attendees can learn ways to make risk managers superstars in their organization.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Learn how to build credibility and influence in your organization by using performance-driven solutions
2. Develop and apply metrics to demonstrate your success
3. Identify and resolve organizational exposures
4. Evaluate your program, identify areas of improvement and apply effective solutions

Allie began her career in public education serving 37.5 years in various capacities that included curriculum, finance, risk and human resources departments until her retirement in 2013. She immediately began her second career as the risk manager/fund administrator for the City of Tucson, managing a combined workers’ compensation and public liability trust fund with varied risk programs. Since her leadership, risk programs have been enhanced and the city has managed to turn the fund’s $24M negative net position into a positive net position within the last six years. Allie also serves as vice president of a community elder care home and is a board member of a local school district trust fund. Active in PRIMA, she served on the PRIMA Institute planning committee and regularly attends local chapter meetings. She is also the 2022 PRIMA Public Risk Manager of the Year.

John has a lifetime of experience beginning in the family’s insurance agency his grandfather started in 1932. He served as the first risk manager, as well as deputy insurance commissioner and attorney for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. John held the Robert Morgan Endowed Chair of Insurance at Eastern Kentucky University and has consulted with and defended both public and private entities as an attorney. He was named the 2016 PRIMA Risk Manager of the Year while serving as director of risk management for Broward County, Florida.

Megan began her career as an attorney before entering risk management. She earned her JD from Quinnipiac University School of Law. This background has been a valuable foundation in designing coverages and managing claims. Megan founded the Cyber Security Task Force as well as the Town of Greenwich’s Defensive Driving Program. She is president of the Connecticut chapter of PRIMA and founding president of the newly established New England chapter. She was also the 2021 PRIMA Risk Manager of the Year.

Sean has been the ERM manager for King County, Washington since 2014. He has developed King County’s ERM program from a nascent concept into a highly-sought resource in the toolbox of decision makers across the county’s diverse agencies and well beyond. Sean has led projects to modernize the county’s risk management information system and claims intake process. He has also led the development of customer service policies to ensure transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse claimants are served with respect while ensuring their safety and privacy. Sean was recognized as PRIMA’s 2023 Public Risk Manager of the Year and is very involved in PRIMA.

Join us for an insightful webinar exploring the emerging trends shaping the property and casualty insurance landscape for the public sector. This session will cover critical topics, which could include rising property risks due to climate change, evolving liability exposures and the growing importance of comprehensive cyber coverage amidst increasing ransomware and data breach threats. We'll discuss emerging challenges such as crisis response planning for catastrophic events, specialized coverage needs for law enforcement and addressing sensitive issues like sexual abuse claims with effective risk management strategies. Attendees will gain valuable insights into navigating these complexities, with a focus on proactive solutions to safeguard public entities and their communities. Don't miss this opportunity to stay ahead of the curve in managing public sector risks.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Gain insight into how climate change, cyber threats and societal trends are reshaping the market
2. Learn actionable steps to address critical issues
3. Explore best practices for balancing affordability and protection
4. Discover how advancements in technology, such as AI, are transforming

John works with clients to establish goals, strategies, marketing and renewal activities. He participates in renewal meetings, and other meetings as may be necessary, coordinates the completion of actuarial studies, and assists with contract language, coverage agreements and other documents. John’s areas of expertise include public entity property & casualty insurance brokerage, policy design/manuscript, market trends/strategy, self-insurance approaches, owner-controlled insurance programs (OCIP) and education/training specialist. John has been in the insurance industry since he joined Gallagher in 1981. He delves into public entity, scholastic and higher education accounts. He has developed 18 self-insurance pools/trusts and created eight coverage documents during his career. John completed a two-year internship at Lloyd’s of London specializing in the placement of self-insured public entity programs before joining Gallagher.

Risk is an equal partner to safety in operational risk governance. The totality of our risk is a dynamic equation of respect for our risk partners, trust in our collective operational goals and the equality of inclusion in our best practices. Safety is a risk journey whose opportunities for improvement make us stronger as we problem solve as a team, instilling the importance of mutually beneficial partnerships. We all bring our life experiences, strengths and weaknesses to our team dynamics. This webinar will focus on a multidisciplinary approach to risk and safety, providing foundations for risk resiliency and strategic thinking by learning to appreciate the tribulations that occur and to capitalize on them for our risk resiliency success.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Learn how to identify potential risk-safety team members for strategic success
2. Develop partnerships in risk resiliency-mutual opportunities for improvement
3. Understand how to promote brainstorming in safety culture resiliency
4. Learn the good, the bad, the ugly and how they equate to success

In this presentation, we will explore innovative strategies, such as parametric insurance and retention financing, to manage underinsured and uninsurable hail risks. Attendees will hear real-world success stories illustrating successful implementation and optimization of these risk management practices.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Understand the growing risks of hail damage and limitations of traditional insurance
2. Explore risk financing options, such as parametric insurance and retention financing
3. Identify obstacles and key implementation factors

Scott is a seasoned insurance broker with over 17 years of experience in commercial insurance. He manages a multi-million-dollar portfolio for public entities, specializing in public utilities and power generation sectors. Scott's expertise spans various industries, including higher education, healthcare, real estate, transportation, utilities, water infrastructure and manufacturing. Known for his strategic risk management skills, he has a proven track record in client relations, public presentations and ethical leadership. Scott holds a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio and is a licensed property & casualty professional across all 50 states.

This webinar will provide attendees with an overview of risk management. Attendees will also walk away with more insight as to what role risk management plays in the public sector and how to be successful as a risk management professional.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. What is risk management?
2. The role of risk management in the public sector
3. Lessons learned as a risk management professional

Robert is the risk manager for the Trinity River Authority of Texas, with extensive experience in risk management. Before joining the Authority, he was the risk manager for the City of Arlington and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Robert manages the Authority’s risk management, safety and emergency management, property and casualty insurance and claims, security operations, records administration, and facility maintenance and fleet programs. Robert currently serves on the PRIMA board and formerly served on the Texas PRIMA board. He was named Risk Manager of the Year by Texas PRIMA in 2017 and was awarded the Chapter Service Award at national PRIMA. Robert is a licensed risk manager through the Texas Department of Insurance and holds a master’s degree from Columbia Southern University and a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University. Additionally, Robert holds the Certified Risk Manager (CRM), and the PSHRA-HR Senior Certified Professional (IMPA-SCP) certifications.

What are the common barriers on websites and electronic documents that discourage (and sometimes stop) people with disabilities from accessing information or completing an online task? Two members of the University of Washington's Accessible Design and Innovative Inclusion team will share what they have learned from years of providing accessibility reviews for private businesses and state and local governments. The discussion will focus on general guidance to improve web and digital experiences for end-users, rather than how to code a website for accessibility.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Give 3 examples of issues that can impede access and usability of websites and digital products
2. Briefly describe the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title II of the ADA and how website and digital access fits into the ADA
3. Give 3 national resources that can assist state and local government agencies to learn more about their ADA responsibilities, including website and digital access requirements and guidance

Mell is a continuing education specialist with the Center for Continuing Education in Rehabilitation at the University of Washington. A member of the Accessible Design and Innovative Inclusion team and the Vocational Rehabilitation Program and Services team, Mell provides technical assistance and training to professionals on a variety of disability and access topics, including web, digital, communication and physical access. Prior to this work, Mell provided trainings on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and taught blindness and low vision skills to adults in the state of Washington. She is a certified ADA coordinator.

Creating stronger human connections and community engagement are essential elements of the law enforcement profession. This webinar will discuss how current law enforcement training philosophies may contribute to a warrior mentality. The warrior mentality can prevent efforts to improve public perceptions of police legitimacy.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Current state of law enforcement training
2. Understanding the importance of police legitimacy
3. What can be done to mitigate the warrior mindset

Thomas obtained an Associate of Applied Science in police science from Southside Virginia Community College prior to earning his Bachelor of Science in the administration of justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and his Master of Science in administration-human resources administration from Central Michigan University. Thomas has also attained the Associate in Risk Management-Enterprise Risk Management designation. As a police officer for 14 years, Thomas worked in narcotics, community policing and patrol.  He joined Virginia Risk Sharing Association in 2006 as a law enforcement specialist and was promoted to director of education and training in 2018.

How do you relate to co-workers with varying work environments and operations? How do you lead to infuse a culture of safety and trust? Do your employees view you and your safety experts as the “safety police” looking to bust bad actors? This webinar will present methods to develop relationships to enhance a culture of safety across your organization to foster employee engagement and trust while also preventing and mitigating employee injuries.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Understand the value and opportunity in leading with a culture of safety
2. Identify the benefits of taking the show on the road to engage employees in their work environments
3. Identify the benefits of taking the show on the road to engage employees in their work environments
4. Understand how to be a resource to your organization, developing trust that benefits colleagues’ wellbeing and creates significant savings for your workers’ compensation program

Sponsored by

Before joining the City of Asheville, Brad worked in other municipal governments, county government and public education.  He has worked with insurance pools, government agencies and third-party administrators. He’s familiar with the challenges of human resources, insurance, safety and financial services in connection with public service.

Brad earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Oregon and a Master in Public Administration from Portland State University. He is also an alumnus of the University of North Carolina School of Government's Municipal/County Administration Program. His designations include Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Claims (AIC), Associate in Claims Management (AIC-M), and other Insurance Institutes designations.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes a greater part of our professional lives, what does a public risk manager need to know to make the best decisions on how and when to utilize AI tools in the workplace? This webinar will look at ways to make AI work for you and your staff. We will also discuss the risk associated with utilizing AI tools, and how to identify the "sweet spot" where AI and human interaction work in tandem for maximum efficiencies and results. Finally, we will discuss ways to measure effectiveness and value of AI platforms.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Better understanding of how AI usage has revolutionized the public risk sector
2. Discussion of some of the AI tools that are of value to the public risk sector
3. Considerations (pros and cons) when introducing AI tools into the workplace
4. Ways to measure value/ROI of AI tools

Sponsored by

Karl is a claims professional with three decades of experience overseeing implementation of products and services for over 200 insurance and public risk sector business partners nationwide. He is also responsible for ensuring legal compliance in claims handling and consulting on technological advances in the claims industry. He has spoken and been published on topics in the auto claims industry, including utilization of AI tools, diminished value and legal decisions affecting claims handling.

The actuarial report may have many numbers and look pretty daunting, but with knowledge of some basic concepts, reading an actuarial report can actually be enjoyable. This session will not only provide attendees with a firm understanding of key actuarial results such as outstanding liabilities and projected funding rates, but also important actuarial concepts including loss development, inflationary trends, claim frequency and severity, reserve discounting, and confidence levels. Current industry trends will also be discussed.

Attendee Takeaways:

1. Better understanding of actuarial concepts and results
2. Ability to reasonably check the assumptions in the actuarial report
3. Ability to use actuarial results to determine appropriate funding levels and claims trends
4. Knowledge of current industry trends in various lines of business

Mike is the president of Bickmore Actuarial and has over 25 years of experience in both the insurance industry and consulting, the majority of which is with public entities. He specializes in reserve and rate analysis for public entities and risk pools for all property and casualty coverages and is known for his informative and down-to-earth presentation style, with some good “actuarial humor” thrown in.

Prior to joining Bickmore, for five years Mark was vice president supporting retail brokerage clients at one of the largest international brokerage firms. He provided risk managers and brokers with loss forecasts, reserve studies, cost allocation plans, program comparisons, risk retentions analyses, benchmarking, price negotiations, and assisted in program design and feasibility studies for finite risk, captives, and self-insurance.

As a senior reserving analyst for one of California’s largest insurance companies, Mark was responsible for special studies of $1 billion in workers’ compensation reserves and claims handling costs. He also served as lead actuary supporting captives and franchise/association accounts.

Mark holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. He also completed coursework at the University of Bristol.