Lifetime Achievement Award

Purpose

The Larry V. Stephens Lifetime Achievement Award honors URMIA institutional members who have made extraordinary contributions to higher education risk management and to URMIA during their careers.

Named to honor our first recipient in perpetuity, this award recognizes a lifetime of exceptional achievement in higher education risk management, notable contributions to URMIA, and valued contributions to the risk management and insurance industry as a whole.

Nominations

The Honors Committee accepts nominations at any time. Submissions received after July 17 will be considered for the following year.

Selection Criteria

This award is meant for an institutional member who has made career-long contributions during a career of 20 years or more in which service to higher education risk management and to URMIA are notable.

Such service should include:

• Leadership roles within URMIA

• Participation as a speaker in annual and regional URMIA conferences, and other strategic and educational partner conferences

• Publication of articles and papers in support of professional development in support of the strategic plan

• Advocacy for relevant higher education issues

• Evidence of mentorship of newer risk managers, service provider staff, and/or other industry professionals

Other attributes to consider:

• Demonstration of positive attitude and good character, serves as a motivator to others

• Respected by colleagues, employees, managers, and others in all levels of the organization

• Willingness to put collaboration with others above competition for the good of the association

• Enthusiasm for higher education risk management

• Other industry recognition

About Larry V. Stephens

Larry Stephens was the driving force behind establishing and transforming URMIA’s National Office. In 2005, he provided a home for it on the Indiana University campus. Larry had been maintaining shadow copies of all useful data, including member demographics, and he was able to keep the National Office running until the organization hired its first executive director.

In addition to his work to establish a National Office for the organization, Stephens served as URMIA’s president from 1999-2000 and again from 2001-2002 in addition to a number of other roles he filled for the association. In large part to his tireless efforts and numerous contributions over the years, URMIA is a successful organization today.

In 2019, the Lifetime Achievement Award was renamed to the Larry Stephens Lifetime Achievement Award to honor Stephens’ commitment to URMIA and the profession of higher education risk management.