Thursday, May 7, 2009

Moderator: Peter Fallon
Senior Vice President
Risk Strategies Company

This panel discussion features a number of speakers from a variety of professional backgrounds to provide their insights into the current global economic crisis and its impact on the P&C industry. Panel topics will include the role of insurance regulators and their perspective on the insurance industry, purchasing and renewal considerations and potential effects on claims and litigation, and remedies available to risk managers to address areas of concern. Panelists will also highlight lessons learned by higher education risk managers.

Panelists include Karen Cusato, CPA, Cusato Consulting LLC, Westport, CT; Michael Christian, President, Risk Strategies Company, Boston, MA; Michael Bertrand, Deputy Commissioner, Insurance Division, State of Vermont, Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Healthcare Administration, Montpelier, VT; and Victor Greene, Associate Director of Insurance, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA.

Ann Franke, Esq.
Wise Results, LLC

Jeffrey J. Nolan, Esq.
Dinse, Knapp & McAndrew, P.C.

New Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) rules, amendments to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Higher Education Opportunity Act, and new Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) clarifications are among the many recently promulgated changes on the federal level. Come hear about the highlights of these laws and regulations that will most affect you as a risk management professional in higher education. We will also provide an overview of Department of Education priorities in the new Obama administration and a briefing of recent court decisions and federal agency rulings affecting employment and discrimination.

Bonney J. Hebert
President
Academic Risk Resources & Insurance LLC

Charles W. Soucy, CPCU, CLU, ARM
Vice President
Albert Risk Management Consultants

Higher education has expanded its mission over the years to include a larger global presence, service learning, business partnerships, and more. This evolution has changed the face of risk for higher education risk managers. Do you have the coverage you need to address these exposures? In these tough economic times, it is more important than ever to identify areas where money can be saved while not jeopardizing the integrity of your insurance program. Participants will learn both how to identify overlapping coverages and recognize critical exposure gaps within their insurance policies.

Christine Eick, Ed.D., ARM, DRM
Executive Director of Risk Management & Safety
Auburn University

Paul Clancy, ARM, DRM
Director of Risk Management
Boston University

This session is based on the knowledge and experiences of URMIA’s first class of International Fellows. The four URMIA Fellows spent an intense week in London, learning the history of Lloyd’s of London and how it operates today, witnessing the daily experiences of an underwriter, shadowing a broker, learning about emerging markets and compliance via risk register, getting an overview of the Turnbull Report, applying catastrophe modeling and its importance in the reinsurance market, discovering the challenges faced in gaining acceptance of fire sprinkler systems in the European market, factors driving the higher education risk management process in England, and much, much more.

D. Jean Demchak
Managing Director
Marsh

In a difficult economic environment, higher education will be scrutinized for the true costs of all aspects of our business. As the Total Cost Of Risk (TCOR) gains acceptance as a benchmarking and communication tool, the need for standardization increases. The dynamics of the higher education industry, its unique exposures, and the diverse risk profile among institutions require a consistent approach reflecting these factors. This session will review the basics of TCOR, a tailored approach for higher education with case studies, and provide suggestions for communication with senior management.

Moderator: Ed Frackiewicz, ARM
Director Co-Sourced Risk Management
The Boston Consortium for Higher Education Risk Management Group

Leslie Ems
Database and Website Administrator
University Risk Management and Insurance Association

URMIA’s leadership recognizes that information, knowledge sharing, and community are our greatest assets. This session will examine our efforts to re-engineer our current offerings and suggest ways for members to derive added value and benefit from their memberships through listserv and library searches.

Donna Pearcy, ARM
Chief Risk Officer, Risk Management, Insurance and Loss Prevention
The University of Iowa

In June 2008, Iowa experienced severe flooding that was the second largest natural disaster in the United States per capita. In Iowa City, UI leaders, employees, students, faculty, and community members were hard at work, anticipating the effects of the coming flood and working to save as many buildings and valuable resources as possible. As the floodwaters rose, towns were completely cut off from one another, major highways were closed, and the infrastructure in communities across Iowa began to falter.

This session will look at how the university used its flood emergency response plan to prepare for this natural disaster. The session will also focus on the process of damage assessment and rebuilding after the waters receded. Communication and collaboration with the different stakeholders involved in the process, including the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and FEMA, were essential and will continue to play a large role in the campus’ rebuilding for years to come. The session will also discuss how the university’s incident command center operated and how the university responded to the impacts on surrounding communities and their infrastructure. The session will include 45 minutes of presentation and 45 minutes of question and answer time. Please make the most of this session by arriving with some of your questions in mind!