URMIA Matters

In this episode of URMIA Matters, URMIA President Miguel Delgado is joined by the Officers of the URMIA Board of Directors to share highlights from the 2026 Annual Business Meeting. This episode provides members with an update on the association’s current initiatives, financial position, and strategic priorities. Listeners will hear reports from the president and other board officers, along with updates from the URMIA Office on recent accomplishments and upcoming plans. Whether you attended the meeting or are catching up afterward, this episode offers a valuable snapshot of where URMIA is today and the opportunities and priorities shaping the association’s future. 

Show Notes

• Join an URMIA Community
• URMIAmatters Podcast
• URMIA Institute
• Board of Directors Nominations
• Attend a board meeting: email Michelle Smith, URMIA’s Executive Director 
• URMIA's Strategic Pillars
• URMIA Mentors
• URMIAacademy
• URMIA Library - Search like a pro!
• URMIA Funds at the Spencer Foundation
• URMIA Risk Hero Recognition
• URMIA's 2026 Annual Conference (October 11-14)

Guests

Susie Johnson, Risk Management Director, Iowa State University

Sandy Mitchell, Director, Office of Insurance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Jim Mulholland, Director of Compensation and Risk Management, Grinnell College

Kim Nimmo, Director of Risk Management, Lehigh University

Tristan Tafolla, Assistant Treasurer, Risk and Insurance Management, Columbia University

Keesha Trim, Sr. Director, Risk Management & Insurance, University of Richmond

Host

Miguel Delgado, Associate Vice President for Enterprise Risk Management and Chief Risk Officer, Carnegie Mellon University

Guest Host

Michelle Smith, Executive Director, URMIA

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, host Julie Groves of Wake Forest University speaks with Sypress Davis, Becky Donovan, and Karen Kruppa, tri-chairs of URMIA’s Belonging Committee, about the critical connection between belonging, campus culture, and effective risk management. The conversation explores how fostering environments where students, faculty, and staff feel seen, valued, heard, and supported can strengthen institutional resilience, improve communication and trust, encourage reporting of concerns, and help prevent risks before they become crises. The guests share practical strategies for integrating belonging into everyday risk management practices, discuss the financial, operational, and reputational impacts of exclusion, and highlight how URMIA’s Belonging Committee supports members through resources, scholarships, accessibility initiatives, and community engagement opportunities. Interested in advancing this work? Learn how you can get involved with URMIA’s Belonging Committee and help shape a more connected and supportive community for risk management professionals. 

Show Notes 

• URMIA – Get Involved Page 
• URMIA Scholarships  
• Belonging Entries in the URMIA Library 
• Interested in joining URMIA’s Belonging Committee? Contact Sypress, Becky, or Karen at their email addresses below. (Click on their profile page to view email address) 

Guests  

• Sypress Davis, Regional Director, Education Practice - HUB International 
• Becky Donovan, Risk Management Consultant – Gallagher 
• Karen Kruppa, Chief Risk Officer - Suffolk University 

Host 

• Julie Groves, Director of Risk Services - Wake Forest University 

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, host Caitlin Cai sits down with Ashley Caldwell of Gannon University and former student intern Tomoki Kouchi to explore the impact of URMIA’s Be the Change Student Internship program. Together, they share how the program created a meaningful, 13-week risk management internship with funding from URMIA’s Be the Change Internship program. They discuss how that allowed Tomo to help develop a campus risk assessment tool and business continuity planning resources. Listeners will gain insight into the benefits of hosting a student intern, and why investing in the next generation of risk management professionals benefits both students and higher education institutions alike. We’ll talk about how the internship application works, what the expectations are, what Tomoki and Ashley’s experience was like, and what’s happened since the internship ended.

Show Notes
URMIA Scholarships
URMIA’s Be the Change Scholarship – Student Internship

Guests 

• Ashley Caldwell, Assistant to the Vice President for Finance and Campus Operations and Risk Management and Insurance Coordinator - Gannon University
• Tomoki Kouchi, Student/Former Intern – Gannon University

Guest Host

• Caitlin Cai, Risk and Insurance Program Manager - University of Tennessee System 

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, host Julie Groves sits down with Honors Committee members Elaine Del Rossi and Jabari Lewis to introduce URMIA’s new Risk Hero Spotlight, a recognition designed to celebrate the everyday champions of higher education risk management. The conversation explores why the award was created, who is eligible, and how it shines a light on the often unseen individuals across campus who make meaningful contributions to safety, resilience, and risk awareness. The Risk Hero Spotlight recognizes those whose innovative ideas and proactive actions help protect their institutions. Tune in to learn how this new recognition broadens the definition of a risk hero and how you can nominate a colleague, team member, or even yourself for this exciting new honor. 

Show Notes 

• URMIA Risk Hero Spotlight
• Nominate a Risk Hero
• URMIA Honors & Awards 

Guests  

• Elaine Del Rossi, Senior Strategy Advisor - Cigna
• Jabari Lewis, Executive Director of Risk Management & Insurance - Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana 

Host 

• Julie Groves, Director of Risk Services - Wake Forest University 

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, guest host Caitlin Cai from the University of Tennessee is joined by Lavern Miles and Kathy Peeling from the University of Maryland, College Park, and Melanie Bennett from United Educators for a focused, practical conversation on Enterprise Risk Management for those just starting out. The episode presents ERM as a shared, ongoing process for identifying, prioritizing, and managing institution‑wide risks, with strong emphasis on leadership support, clear communication, and campus engagement. Using real‑world experience from the higher‑ed community, our guests discuss how ERM can move beyond compliance to support better decision‑making by connecting risk to strategy, using data and monitoring to guide action, and leveraging peer networks and professional resources to build programs that grow and adapt over time. Whether you are brand new to ERM or looking to strengthen an existing approach, this episode offers clear insights and relatable examples to help you get started with confidence.

Show Notes 

• Join URMIA’s Higher Ed ERM Roundtable Community 
• URMIA’s Risk Inventory 
• UE - Enterprise Risk Management Resource Collection 
• ISO 31000 

Guests  

• Lavern Miles, Director of Enterprise Risk Management - University of Maryland, College Park 
• Kathy Peeling, Assistant Director for Risk Management - University of Maryland, College Park 
• Melanie Bennett, Senior Risk Management Counsel - United Educators 

Guest Host 

• Caitlin Cai, Risk and Insurance Program Manager - University of Tennessee System 

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In this third and final episode of our mini‑series honoring the 2025 Distinguished Risk Manager Award recipients, guest host Miguel Delgado, Carnegie Mellon University, sits down with award‑winner David Parker, Pima Community College, to explore his remarkable and unconventional path into risk management. From early days as a school‑bus mechanic to accident reconstruction with law enforcement and ultimately leadership across Arizona’s public sector and higher education, David reflects on how curiosity, mentorship, and a willingness to rethink traditional approaches have shaped his more than 30‑year career. He discusses the evolution from traditional to enterprise risk management, the importance of viewing challenges through multiple lenses, and the pivotal role URMIA’s community has played in his professional growth. Beyond his career, David shares stories of civic service, disaster‑relief volunteering, and what he envisions for life after retirement—all of which illuminate why he was honored at URMIA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas this past October. 

Show Notes 

David Parker, Executive Director, ERM, Ethics & Compliance, Title IX Coordinator - Pima Community College 

URMIA’s Distinguished Risk Manager Award 

Three Honored as Distinguished Risk Managers at URMIA Annual Conference 

Guest 

David Parker, Executive Director, ERM, Ethics & Compliance, Title IX Coordinator - Pima Community College 

Guest Host 

Miguel Delgado, Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer – Carnegie Mellon University 

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In the second installment of our three‑part mini‑series celebrating the 2025 Distinguished Risk Manager Award recipients, URMIA Matters turns the microphone toward one of its own: longtime host and newly honored DRM, Julie Groves of Wake Forest University. In this insightful conversation, Julie reflects on her unexpected path into risk management—from an English major to having three insurance folders dropped onto her desk, a moment that ultimately led her career in risk management. She shares how mentors, colleagues, and particularly the URMIA community shaped her professional journey; why collaboration and connection are essential for risk managers; and how involvement in URMIA helped elevate both her work and recognition within her institution. Julie discusses what the award means to her, the evolution of higher ed risk management, and the importance of being a steadfast, behind‑the‑scenes protector of campus communities. It’s a warm, reflective episode that highlights Julie’s impact, leadership, and enduring commitment to helping others succeed in the field. 

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In this first installment of a three‑part mini‑series honoring the 2025 Distinguished Risk Manager (DRM) Award recipients, URMIA Matters highlights the remarkable career and life of Fitzroy Smith, Assistant Vice President, Chief Risk Officer at Howard University, with guest host, Miguel Delgado, current URMIA president and Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Carnegie Mellon University, interviewing. 

Fitzroy reflects on his early introduction to the insurance world through a high‑school program in Hartford, which set him on a lifelong path in risk management. With more than 25 years of experience across insurance, brokerage, captive management, local government, and over two decades in higher education, he shares the mentors, milestones, and leadership opportunities that shaped his professional journey, which culminated in the surprise of receiving the DRM Award at URMIA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Fitzroy discusses his deep commitment to community service, including decades of involvement with the YMCA and ongoing humanitarian efforts in Jamaica following recent hurricane devastation. He also offers a glimpse into what’s ahead, from advancing risk management excellence at Howard University to continuing his lifelong passion for youth development and service.  

Show Notes 

URMIA’s Distinguished Risk Manager Award 

Three Honored as Distinguished Risk Managers at URMIA Annual Conference 

Guest 

Fitzroy Smith, Assistant Vice President, Chief Risk Officer - Howard University 

Guest Host 

Miguel Delgado, Associate Vice President and Chief Risk Officer - Carnegie Mellon University 

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, host Julie Groves is joined by Frank Cella and Matt Miller of Marsh to explore the evolving risk landscape in higher education. The discussion dives into demographic shifts, cybersecurity threats, regulatory changes, and the growing complexity of compliance. They also examine financial sustainability, employment practices, liability, the impact of AI on institutions, and the “role of the risk manager.” With insights on enterprise risk management, creative risk financing, and strategies for building resilience, this conversation offers practical guidance for risk managers navigating today’s “new normal.”  

Show Notes 

• Marsh White Paper: “Higher Education: Navigating the New Normal”  

Guests  

• Frank Cella, Managing Director, Education Industry Leader - Marsh 
• Matt Miller, Senior Vice President, Placement Specialist Education Market - Marsh 

Host 

• Julie Groves, Director of Risk Services - Wake Forest University 

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In this episode of URMIA Matters, Michelle Smith, URMIA’s Executive Director, interviews Sue Liden, URMIA’s soon to be retired (again!) Education Manger. Join us for a heartfelt conversation as we honor Sue on the eve of her retirement! From her early days in the military to building a proactive risk management program at Pacific Lutheran University, Sue shares inspiring stories of resilience, reinvention, and leadership. Discover her top tips for solo risk managers, the power of networking through URMIA, and why telling your story matters in this profession. Plus, get a peek behind the curtain at URMIA’s inner workings and hear what’s next for Sue as she embarks on new adventures. This episode is packed with wisdom, warmth, and a celebration of a career dedicated to higher education risk management—don’t miss it!

Show Notes

• URMIA Scholarships
• Volunteer with URMIA

Guest

Sue Liden, Education Manager - URMIA

Guest Host

Michelle Smith, Executive Director - URMIA 

Connect with URMIA & URMIA with your network
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Thanks for listening to URMIA Matters!