President's Message
Greetings Texas PRIMA family! The Texas PRIMA Board and I are excited about the direction we are headed and the many offerings Texas PRIMA is providing our membership. I hope each of you have been able to engage in the webinars and Coffee Talk events up to this point, but if not, we have much more in store, including our Annual Conference & Expo, November 13-16 in Frisco, Texas, under the space theme Risk Management: The Universe of Uncertainty.
Why a space theme and Risk Management? Beyond the opportunity to tie in your favorite science fiction movie themes and taglines, such as Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy, or perhaps Space Balls…. many concepts used in risk and safety management have roots in space exploration. There’s been no greater pursuit of uncertainty in our lifetime than that of space exploration. Plus, rockets are just really cool!
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic approach to hazard identification, risk assessment and control. It is used by many businesses in the food industry to ensure all food consumed is safe to eat. HACCP originated in the 1960’s, when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Pillsbury Company, and the U.S. Army Laboratories collaborated together to provide safe food for upcoming space expeditions. NASA has also been known to use various hazard and failure methods such as Fault-Tree Analysis for failure root-cause identification including some of the known events such Apollo and Space Shuttle tragedies that have shaped some processes used today in safety management programs.
Advances in medicine that impact our health and wellness programs have roots to space exploration, as well as experiments conducted at the International Space Station (ISS) to improve the lives of humans here on earth.
Technologies and products developed for space programs through NASA have affected many processes we use or to which we are exposed today. In a 2008 report titled Spinoff, NASA outlines 50 years of NASA-derived technologies.
Funding Our Mission - Space Exploration demonstrates what collaboration and partnership can look like. From the multi-national collaboration that makes up the International Space Station (ISS), to public-private partnerships in space from funding space research projects, to the ever-competitive market for commercialized space travel, collaboration is a significant key to success. In a recent article from the Harvard Business Review, titled The Commercial Space Age is Here, it is evident these partnerships are improving the effectiveness and efficiency in which of space exploration and travel. Likewise, Texas PRIMA benefits greatly from our partners who help further public entity risk management professionals’ education and networking. Texas PRIMA recently had an opportunity to meet with some of our sponsors at our annual Partnership Meeting, where we had great discussions on how Texas PRIMA is doing, and how we can continue into the future. Thank you to all our sponsors and exhibitors for your continued support.
Training for the Mission - In preparation for the Conference, the Call for Presentations is currently open. This is your opportunity to share your risk management journey so others can learn. Make sure you do not miss the deadline to get your proposals in for this wonderful and important opportunity.
We are also excited to announce that our Education Committee is putting together a long-requested Risk Management 101 series to help new and seasoned risk management professionals address some of the basic fundamental elements of a public entity risk management program.
Recruiting the Crew - Membership has been a significant focus for Texas PRIMA this year, as we still have a large number of public entities in Texas that do not currently have a Texas PRIMA membership, and are missing out on the opportunity to be part of the greatest networking and education organization for public entity risk management professionals. I am challenging our Texas PRIMA Board, our sponsors/partners, as well as our members to recruit four new members each this year. The goal is to use our networks of colleagues, connections, friends and clients to promote the value that comes with a Texas PRIMA membership.
Addition to mission control – Due to a recent mid-term vacancy, the Texas PRIMA Board has appointed Jamee Higgins, City of Midland, as Director to fulfill the vacant board term in accordance with the bylaws. Please join me in wishing a warm welcome to Jamee. I look forward to her contribution and leadership she will bring.
Join our galaxy - If you have not done so already, connect with Texas PRIMA on Linked-In, Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter and check your emails for updates about upcoming events.
Until we see you on the launchpad in November, please find opportunities to engage with one another, or reach out to your Texas PRIMA Board. See you soon!
Robert Warren, CRM, IPMA-SCP,
Texas PRIMA President
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Join the National Safety Council in June for National Safety Month—the annual observance to help keep each other safe from the workplace to anyplace. Sign up for free access to helpful resources to spread safety messages on pressing topics, including:
Week 1 – Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
Week 2 – Workplace Impairment
Week 3 – Injury Prevention
Week 4 – Slips, Trips and Falls
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Educational Committee Update
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Texas PRIMA, who is excited about Summer? Your Education Committee has been hard at work and we have some amazing programs planned for the upcoming months. We listened to our membership and for the first time ever, we are offering a Risk Management 101 Series over the Summer months. This series will be an excellent opportunity for members to brush up on some basic Risk Management terms and procedures, and for those new to the Risk Management profession and to Texas PRIMA to get some great information. We have recruited experienced and knowledgeable risk management professionals for this series and we hope members benefit from this educational opportunity.
Here is a quick recap of the educational events from the last few months:
In March, we had the opportunity to hear from Diana Clendenin from the City of College Station to learn about the newest Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations for Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders. Diana gave us a great overview of the new regulations and how they affect municipal employers in recruiting, hiring and training commercial equipment operators. (View presentation in Community)
In April, Ryan Burns, Cyber Risk Services Manager for Texas Municipal League; and Will Trevino, attorney and doctoral candidate at Baylor University, discussed Cyber Risk and its impact on government agencies and municipalities. Ryan and Will focused on the importance of safeguarding information and the risks associated with failing to do so. Recommended checklists, implementation groups and response plans are posted in the video comments section. (View presentation in Community)
In May, Texas PRIMA sponsored a coffee talk with Greg Brannan, Director of Business Development and Training at Deer Oaks EAP Services. Greg focused on different ways PRIMA members can become more resilient at work during challenging times. We’ve posted ways our members have helped their employees cope with stress in the video comments section. (View presentation in Community)
Upcoming educational events:
Wednesday, June 22, 2022, 10:00 AM CST
Heat-Related Illnesses, Diagnosis and Treatments Webinar with Dr. Trang Nguyen
Wednesday, July 13, 2022, 1:30 PM CST
Risk Management 101 Webinar: Introduction to Workers Comp with Eddie Hernandez
Wednesday, July 20, 2022, 2:00 PM CST
Risk Management 101 Webinar: Contracts– What are we getting ourselves into? with Nancy McKenzie
Tuesday, August 16, 2022, 10:00 AM CST
Risk Management 101 Webinar: Safety Procedures and Incident Investigations with Robert Warren and Belinda Raindl
Webinars are free for Texas PRIMA Members. You must be a current member of Texas PRIMA to register. If you missed prior sessions, they are all recorded and available to view in the Member’s Only section at texasprima.org under Resources>Archived Presentations.
Do you have a story to share with members about an obstacle you overcame or a valuable lesson? Let us know, and we can add a coffee talk or even create a panel discussion around that topic for members. You never know how your story can inspire, inform and help someone who is going through something similar. We need each other and need these opportunities to connect now more than ever. Please let us know if you have specific topics you would like to learn about this year. We want to hear from you!
Again, a big thank you to the members of the 2022 Education Committee. We know you are extremely busy, and we appreciate you taking the time to contribute your ideas and talents to the Texas PRIMA Members.
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Changing Lives Through Kids’ Chance of Texas Scholarships
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When she learned on a Zoom call that she had received the Kids’ Chance of Texas scholarship, Bailee put her head in her hands and cried. Over the years she had cried many tears. Tears of grief after losing her father in the third grade to a work-related accident. Tears of joy when she graduated in the top five of her high school class and became a first-generation college student. Tears of exhaustion as she worked tirelessly in college for impressive grades that resulted in being inducted into her collegiate Honor Society. But these tears represented something different. Tears of relief that Kids’ Chance of Texas was going to be there not only financially, but also as a community of kids sharing a similar situation. That same community celebrated with Bailee several years later when she graduated from Abilene Christian University and was offered a job as a tax associate.
Many students like Bailee struggle to afford higher education when a parent is catastrophically or fatally injured at work. Kids’ Chance of Texas can help. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, our non-profit awards scholarships to these deserving students so they can afford an education that might not otherwise be possible.
Kids’ Chance was founded in 1988 and has now grown to have chapters in all 50 states. The Texas Kids’ Chance chapter was formed in June, 2015 and since that time has awarded scholarships to 40 students in amounts totaling $300,000. But there are so many more kids who need our help.
We invite you to be part of this life-changing organization! With your help these students can pursue their dreams to be future teachers, social workers, health care workers, attorneys, CPAs, and more. Your donations will be affecting future generations… through them.
Please visit our website at www.kidschanceoftexas.org for information about the organization and upcoming fundraisers—Austin Topgolf (June) and Grapevine Golf Tournament (October).
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Congratulations to Donna James-Spruce, A.R.M., Director of Risk Management - Port of Corpus Christi. Donna will start a new position with Action Behavior Centers, heading up their risk and safety program.
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Congratulations to James Huckaby, ARM-P on his retirement from Mesquite ISD.
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Social Media Ambassadors Needed!
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Texas PRIMA is looking for members to assist with the Chapter’s social media outreach. If you have a passion for Texas PRIMA and the risk management profession AND are social media savvy, we want you!
This volunteer opportunity would involve assisting the Chapter with regular social media posts and looking for new and creative opportunities for social media involvement. Please contact Kristiana Spencer, Social Media Chair, at [email protected] if you have an interest.
Even if you are not interested in serving on the social media committee, you can also help support our social media outreach efforts. Don’t just keep all the amazing things that are going on in our Chapter to yourself. Help us spread the word by liking, commenting, and sharing on all social media posts. You can also share your knowledge and experience by answering questions and commenting in the Community Forum located on the Texas PRIMA website.
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TRISTAR and Texas, a 22-year tradition! TRISTAR is the largest independently-owned P&C claims administrator in the country. We provide best-in-class third party administration, medical management, loss control/ergonomics, and benefits/absence administration, serving self-insured public entities and corporations, captives, program managers, insurers, and reinsurers. TRISTAR works with employers to ensure that their SIR or insured programs meet their requirements and their employees' needs. We combine proven claim fundamentals with flexibility and the freedom to customize. Our comprehensive approach is designed to reduce your overall cost of risk; helping to protect your bottom line and support your long-term success.
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UnitedHealthcare is dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making the health system work better for everyone by simplifying the health care experience, meeting consumer health and wellness needs, and sustaining trusted relationships with care providers.
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