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Discover President Miguel Delgado’s charge for URMIA over the next year

A Road Not Considered

When I first joined URMIA, I didn't exactly picture this. As a matter of fact, I didn't picture it at all. Back then, I was just trying to figure out what risk appetite meant and wondering if I could still have dessert after the conference session was over. But as I look around this room at the annual conference, I realize something pretty special.

URMIA has been one of the most meaningful parts of my professional journey. URMIA has been my professional home base, my classroom, and at least more than once, it has been my therapy session.

We risk managers love to commiserate, don't we? It's where I learn lessons that you can't find in a textbook - lessons about leadership, listening, empathy, and, occasionally, the importance of laughing at yourself. It's also where I met people who became mentors and mentors who became friends; people who challenged me, encouraged me, inspired me, and sometimes told me what I needed to hear as opposed to what I wanted to hear.

Let’s Start with a Confession

As I take on this presidential role, I've been thinking a lot about what I hope we can accomplish together this year. But, before I get to that, let me start with a confession. I love risk management. But I also recognize that not everyone else does. I mean, that's crazy, right? I mean, who wouldn't get excited about an updated risk register, a new insurance renewal worksheet, or explaining your top institutional risks to a board of trustees, which, by the way, I had to step away from the conference to do?

But the truth is, most people on our campuses…they're passionate about other things. They're passionate about research, athletics, student success and retention, finances, people and culture, new buildings - we like those, don't we – and innovation, and that's great. That's what makes higher ed vibrant and alive. You realize, though, our job is not to make them fall in love with risk management. It's to show them how we can help them succeed in their world, how we can help them reach their goals safely, strategically, and sustainably.

And Then Focus on Building Relationships

And let's be honest, if you have not learned this lesson yet, I hope this helps you, especially if you're new to higher ed risk management. You're not going to make very many friends being the risk management police. I mean, we already have enough trouble as it is getting invited to parties. So, if you're walking around with a metaphorical risk management badge and siren, it might be time to hang those up and pick up a coffee mug instead. Because our work - this work - is about building relationships and not enforcing rules.

It means we take our work seriously, but never ourselves. It means being flexible, being agile, and when we can, believe it or not, finding a way to make it fun. It means showing intellectual humility - that willingness to pause and say, “maybe I don't have the full picture yet,” before assuming that we're right. It's about understanding the full landscape before toying with the idea that maybe we have the answer. It also means leading with kindness, empathy, and active listening, especially when things get tough.

You see, these aren't soft skills. They're far from that. They are leadership strengths that build trust, that open doors, and that help people feel seen, respected, and valued. I once heard someone say, and I've never figured out who to attribute this to: “People may forget what you said, but they'll never forget how you made them feel.” And that is true for every part of what we do, whether it's managing a crisis, leading your team, guiding a conversation that no one wants to have, or interacting with a student who doesn't quite understand the importance of safety and risk management on your campus: people will remember the way you made them feel in that moment.

URMIA Is the Glue That Brings It All Together

Now, none of this is easy, but here's the good news. URMIA gives us the community to do it together. This association has always been about more than policies and protocols. It's about people. It's about learning from one another. It's about lifting one another up and helping each other succeed. And that is what I hope to emphasize this year: service, connection, unity, and shared ownership of this great association.

You see, URMIA is strongest when members from every corner of the world - from large research institutions to small liberal arts colleges, from public to private - see themselves, each of you, as a part of the URMIA mission. When we all take ownership not only of the success of the association, but of one another's success as professionals. Because, at the end of the day, the real strength of URMIA isn't our tools. It isn't our website. It's not the templates. It's not even the annual conference, believe it or not. It is the relationships we build and the trust we create.

Where You Fit In

So, as we move forward this year, my challenge and my invitation to each of you is simple. Let's serve generously. Let's lead with humility. Let's take our work seriously, but never ourselves. And if we can do that, then not only will URMIA continue to thrive, but we'll keep proving that risk management isn't about saying no. It's about saying “let's find a smart way to say yes.”

Thank you all for your trust, your support, your humor, and your friendship. I am deeply honored to serve as your next president. And I promise I'll make sure that we still get invited to at least a few parties.

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