Discover how Patrong’s service and leadership culminated in being nominated
Congratulations to Mellany Patrong, Prairie View A&M University
URMIA created the Visionary Award in 2021 to recognize our association’s institutional members who identify a specific need, act upon it, and develop an innovative and effective program, process, or service to address that identified need for URMIA members.
This year’s recipient is a long-term member who has done much for the association. The Honors Committee delivered the news to Mellany Patrong to celebrate her recognition. Please check out the short video of the surprise announcement to her.
Patrong has been a member of URMIA since 2011, and she has been involved in many efforts, including our membership recruitment and retention and the newcomer session at the annual conference. She was on the board of directors from 2023-24 and has served on conference committees and the Belonging Committee, as well as being a conference ambassador, roundtable leader and moderator, and participant in several of our online communities, including the Professionals of Color, Solo Risk Professionals, and Compliance Community.
Patrong was nominated for this award by Eno Oregbesan, director, risk management at Rice University. Oregbesan shared this about Patrong: “Mellany Patrong is the visionary behind what began as the HBCU Risk Management Conference, an initiative she conceived and executed to directly address the unique risk management needs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which were historically underrepresented in national conversations around risk and insurance. Recognizing a gap in industry engagement and peer learning for these institutions, Mellany created a platform where leaders could gather to share experiences, discuss challenges, and co-develop solutions tailored to their operational and cultural realities. Importantly, Mellany’s work has had a measurable and lasting effect on URMIA. Through her intentional outreach and encouragement, participation by HBCU institutions in URMIA has grown significantly. More HBCU risk managers are now not only attending the annual conference but actively contributing to the URMIA community, enhancing its diversity, thought leadership, and reach. Her symposium is seen as complementary, not competitive, to URMIA’s offerings, and it serves as a new pipeline for institutional and individual membership. Mellany’s model of inclusive engagement and purposeful programming aligns seamlessly with URMIA’s mission and expands its relevance in today’s evolving higher education landscape.”
Congratulations to Mellany!
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