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Read about the recipients of this year’s award

Retired Members Providing Exemplary Service to URMIA, Higher Ed Risk Management Recognized 

URMIA’s Emeritus Award is given to retired members who have provided exemplary service to the association and higher education risk management as a professional during their careers. Meet our five 2025 recipients.

Congratulations to Sally Alexander, BA, LLB (Rhodes), MEPM, ARM, MBA

Sally Alexander became a member of URMIA in 2008. She retired as the chief risk officer at Colorado State University (CSU). She was an active member of the association’s Government & Regulatory Affairs Committee (GRAC) for several years and served as committee co-chair from 2013-2017. Sally also served on the board of directors from 2013-2017. In 2019, she was awarded CSU’s Office of International Programs’ Distinguished Service Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the internationalization of the institution. Before joining CSU, she worked for Larimer County (Colorado) as risk manager and in risk management at the city and county of Denver. Originally from South Africa, she practiced law in the field of insurance law, in both plaintiff and defendant work.

Congratulations to Amy Daley, ARM, CSRM, MBA

Amy Daley joined URMIA in 2012 after attending a northeast regional conference the year prior. She served the association in many capacities: as a mentor, speaker, moderator, ambassador, writer, and volunteer at most of the conferences during the last decade. Daley always volunteered for more. She served as the affiliate representative on URMIA’s board of directors from 2018-2021 and was very active in the Affiliates Committee. She was recognized for her outstanding stewardship to URMIA by being one of the first members to receive the Jenny Whittington Excellence in Volunteering Award in 2022. Daley retired from AssuredPartners/Fred C. Church in 2025. She previously served as healthcare and education practice leader and account manager at FM Global. Before joining the mutual insurer in 2010, her career included positions as a property and casualty reinsurance underwriter, broker and commercial underwriter, and as a loss control specialist.

Congratulations to D. Jean Demchak, CPCU

D. Jean Demchak became a member of URMIA in the early 1990s. She has served the association in many capacities, including as chair of the Affiliate Committee for many years, as well as serving on URMIA’s board of directors from 2009-2012. Demchak was recognized with URMIA’s highest award for its affiliate members - the Outstanding Service Award - in 2024. She has been an active advocate for higher education risk management, and her involvement has had significant effects. Jean retired from a career largely spent managing Marsh’s Global Education and Public Entity Practice. She managed the integration of Marsh & McLennan companies in the education sector. Her responsibilities included managing and coordinating the education resources of the firm; assisting the various local offices with education issues; designing and building products for education; and serving as liaison with the marketplace, developing and customizing specialized services to meet client needs. 

Congratulations to Lou Drapeau, MBA, ARM

Lou Drapeau became an URMIA member in 2003. Most URMIA members know Lou as the man behind the “Ask Lou” button on the association’s website. He served as the organization’s resource manager from 2017 to 2025, his third retirement. Drapeau’s second retirement was in October of 2015 as director of risk management at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, a position he began in 2003. Before joining the University of Kentucky, he was the risk manager for The Budd Company/ThyssenKrupp USA in Troy, Michigan, for 22 years, retiring in 2001 (his first retirement). The Budd Company is a wholly owned subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp AG of Germany. Drapeau was president of RIMS National in the 1996-97 administrative year and was also an adjunct professor at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, teaching a senior- and graduate-level risk management course for 12 years.

Congratulations to Margaret Tungseth, CPA, MBA, DRM 

Margaret Tungseth became an URMIA member in 1999 and recalls Albuquerque, NM as her first annual conference. Tungseth had worked in public accounting previously, so it was a natural transition for her to serve as URMIA’s treasurer from 2003 to 2009. She is recognized as shifting the board’s direction to running URMIA as a business versus being solely run by volunteers. She also served as president during the 2009-2010 year. Tungseth was recognized with URMIA’s distinguished risk manager (DRM) designation in 2011 and, in 2024, her career-long significant contributions earned her the Larry V. Stephens Lifetime Achievement Award. Tungseth retired as vice president & chief operating officer at Loras College in Dubuque, IA. Prior to this, she served as Hamline University’s senior vice president for business, finance and technology from 2014 until 2021. Before coming to Hamline, Tungseth served as treasurer and vice president for finance and administration at Central College in Pella, Iowa. She also worked for four years as assistant treasurer and director of risk management and nine years as deferred gifts accountant and insurance administrator at Concordia College.