Get to know the organization’s newest Distinguished Risk Manager awardees
Award Recognizes Outstanding Leadership and Service to URMIA, Risk Management
Congratulations to Julie L. Groves, Wake Forest University’s director risk services; Fitzroy A. Smith, Howard University’s assistant vice-president, compliance, safety & enterprise risk management; and David Parker, Pima Community College's executive director, ERM, ethics & compliance, title IX coordinator as they were each selected as recipients of the 2025 Distinguished Risk Manager Award (DRM).
This high honor signifies the profound respect of one's peers. It recognizes outstanding leadership and service to URMIA and the profession of higher education risk management. All of this year’s recipients have worked for several decades in the field of risk management and have served URMIA in multiple leadership roles. They were honored at the 2025 Annual Conference in Las Vegas. URMIA started awarding DRMs in 1989 and has since added the DRM designation to 64 individuals for their stellar risk management skills and contributions.
This year, URMIA’s Honors Committee used a special taskforce consisting of 15 other DRMs and concluded to break tradition this year and honor three members with the association’s highest honor. We received a record number of nominations and it was a difficult decision. This award is held confidential until the very moment the person realizes it is themselves who is being awarded. This has brought many special moments at annual conferences over the years. If you were unable to join in Las Vegas to be a part of this moment, URMIA will share the video recording soon.
Julie L. Groves from Wake Forest University
Julie joined URMIA in 2008 and had early involvement in our Communications Committee which was fitting for someone with an English degree. Groves served on URMIA’s board of directors and as president during 2022-2023 and is responsible for creating the Solo Risk Professionals Community in addition to reviving the URMIAmentor program among many other URMIA accomplishments.
Groves is the director of risk services at Wake Forest University, where she has worked since 1999. Among her responsibilities are administration of the university’s insurance programs, coordination of campus-wide loss control efforts, oversight of the university’s ERM program, and as a member of the university crisis response team. She is also on the board of the North Carolina Self-Insurance Security Association, and the Forsyth County Risk Management Advisory Committee. Additionally, she serves on the board of Bookmarks, Inc., a nonprofit bookstore and literary organization committed to putting books in the hands of young children.
Julie's nominator included, "I was so impressed with Julie's management of the recruitment of URMIA's executive director in 2023. She managed both the internal and external process flawlessly. She ensured that the chosen person was the right fit for URMIA, but also for the staff members of URMIA - engaging them in the process."
This aspect alone shows a strong commitment to higher education risk management and URMIA's future.
Fitzroy A. Smith with Howard University
Fitzroy joined URMIA in 2009 and has been an active member on various committees as well as a frequent speaker for the association. His first conference was 2007. He has exemplified service leadership throughout his 35+ years in risk management, in a career spanning public sector agencies and four prestigious higher education institutions: George Washington University, The Ohio State University, American University and Howard University. His dedication to advancing the profession is evidenced by his long-standing and meaningful involvement with URMIA and other risk management organizations.
Within URMIA, Smith’s work helped shape the association, particularly around emerging risk trends and talent development. He recently served on an URMIA white paper committee addressing internship and externship programs, reinforcing his commitment to developing the next generation of risk leaders. He contributed to the association’s “Enterprise Risk Management Resource for Higher Education in 2023” which has been featured in URMIA through articles that highlight the committee’s innovative contributions. Through frequent speaking engagements, panel contributions, and committee membership, he has elevated the field and influenced how risk is approached in complex environments. He’s been an annual conference speaker and moderator, helped as a member of the Stop Campus Hazing Resource Task Force, and is part of the Professionals of Color Community. Smith was recognized as part of the URMIA Risk Management Innovation Award program and received an award from EHS Leadership in Higher Education (CSHEMA) for his institution’s health and safety inspection program. He has also been a cover feature on the annual report of Arkwright Mutual Insurance Company. He is very active in RIMS, PRIMA, and National League of Cities – Risk and Insurance Sharing Consortium (NLC-RISC) and the CPCU Society.
Smith is a risk management and insurance professional with more than 35 years of experience. He is a thought leader whose colleagues rely on his risk management and insurance knowledge, and analytical and technical skills. A consistent theme of his career has been the effective management of business/operational risk.
Smith’s nominator included, "Fitzroy Smith has consistently exemplified service leadership throughout his more than 35 years in risk management, with a career that spans public sector agencies, major academic medical centers, and prominent higher education institutions. His dedication to advancing the profession is evidenced by his long-standing and meaningful involvement with key industry organizations."
David Parker with Pima Community College
David has been a member of URMIA since 2013 and first came to our conferences in 2016. He has been a frequent contributor to URMIA, wearing many subject matter expert hats. He was also our Pilates instructor at the 2016 Annual Conference!
Parker has worked to further the practice of risk management for more than 30 years as a risk manager, regulator, and practice leader, and by actively supporting and serving on the boards of directors of PRIMA and his local chapter of that organization. He has managed risk for state and local government, higher education, and special districts, and has worked with and supported risk managers across the country in many different types and sizes of organizations and leadership philosophies. His commitment to lifelong learning is evident in an impressive list of credentials—among them, ERM Fellow from North Carolina State University, Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional, Certified Public Manager, and Associate in Risk Management. He is also a graduate of Harvard’s Senior Executives in State and Local Government program, reflecting his belief that leadership and learning are inseparable.
His nominator included in this nomination application, “Despite the value of his contributions to the professional community, David has never sought recognition or reward for himself. In my time working with David, I seldom think of him as my supervisor, but more as my friend and mentor. I share this perspective with my colleagues across Pima Community College and those David has worked with in the past. In addition to sharing his professional knowledge, David’s mentorship has sharpened my abilities as a manager by extending opportunities to lead projects with his support and encouragement.”
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