President's Message
Greetings RIMS Washington Chapter Members and Friends!

I’m excited to announce that the RIMS Washington Chapter has been awarded a 2021 ECHO (Enhancing Chapter Outcomes) Award by RIMS Society! I am proud of the RIMS Washington Board’s work during the pandemic and honored that we are being recognized.
We’ve continued to delivery timely and relevant programming during 2022. We hit our first 100+ attendance record for a monthly educational event at our January 11th, 2022 session, “The $1B verdict is the new $1M – Forensics of a Nuclear Liability Verdict”.  During our February 8th event, we were pleased to co-host an important discussion on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with the PNW CPCU Chapter.

We hope that you can join us at our next monthly event on Tuesday March 8th from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. where we will hear from Michelle Wilkerson from Blue Origin discuss her experience in our session “From Launch to ERM: Navigating Risk in the Space Frontier”.

2022-2023 Board nominations are right around the corner. If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities and the various positions or committees, please contact us!

If you’re not on our mailing list, you can sign up on our Chapter Website or connect with us on LinkedIn.  We appreciate any questions, feedback, or suggestions that you may have. Please contact me here or any of our board members.

Lastly, I want to thank our 2022 Chapter Sponsors: AIG, AONAXA XL, FM Global, Marsh, Sedgwick, and Zurich. Your continued support of our Chapter makes everything we do possible.

Tracy Elliott
RIMS Washington Chapter President
Get Involved and Volunteer with RIMS!
Volunteering is essential to service the goals of our chapter and support our members. Best of all, our volunteers do it because they believe in the cause and want to help. Whether you're looking for something short-term, or a longer-term involvement, we have the right opportunity for you. Your contribution will support fellowship, education, and community service by:

  • Sharing your knowledge and expertise
  • Utilizing your connections to promote RIMS
  • Engaging with other members to create a stronger risk management community
  • Supporting the next generation of risk managers
  • Expanding the profile and reach of RIMS to include all members of our community

If you are interested in learning more about volunteer opportunities and the various positions or committees, please contact us!

Upcoming Programs

Blast off with Blue Origin’s Michelle Wilkerson as she shares her experience as the aerospace company’s first Risk Manager and how she has grown a Risk Management Department within. Michelle will discuss Blue Origin’s operations, provide an overview of their insurance program, and describe how Enterprise Risk Management comes in to play. Attendees will also gain insight from Michelle on how she effectively interfaces with the C-Suite on risk assessment in light of Blue Origin’s unique risks as part of the space industry.
RIMS2022 RISKWORLD
April 10-13, 2022
RIMS National 2022 Annual Conference will be held in San Francisco. RISKWORLD will provide a unique venue for the risk community to generate new ideas, discover successful strategies and learn the processes that are driving the future. Register for the opportunity to expand your knowledgebase and make connections to build a bigger, stronger, and more versatile risk management program.
Risk Manager Roundtable
April 2022
Date and Time Coming Soon
You are invited to join an event exclusively for RIMS Professional members. The Risk Manager Roundtable is your opportunity to discuss the topics that matter most to you with your peers in a closed session.
Stay tuned and visit our website to stay informed on in-person networking opportunities with your RIMS WA Chapter in the months to come. We look forward to connecting!
Have a great idea for a future RIMS Washington session?
We are working on programming through 2022 and beyond. Do you have a great idea for a future RIMS Washington session? Reach out to us here or complete a Session Submission Form.
FM Global – Climate risk presents a choice: resilience or disruption

Since 1835, FM Global has proven that most loss is preventable through its research, engineering, and analytics, and is uniquely positioned to help mitigate the risks and physical effects of climate risk. 

Use FM Global's NatHaz Toolkit and Maps to go head-to-head with the forces of nature. It’s packed with resources to help you prepare for and respond to floods, windstorms, and the business disruption that a changing climate brings.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
RIMS Washington Chapter Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy
Our Chapter’s mission to Advance the Risk Management profession and member participation through fellowship, education and community service supports RIMS Society’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategy by:
The Washington Board invites members on this journey to help us create a more inclusive environment for all.

If you have ideas or would like to join our Diversity, Equity & inclusion committee, please contact us.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Vision Statement

RIMS strives to provide a highly inclusive environment for all identity groups to thrive in the global risk community, and to facilitate and encourage open dialogue for a more inclusive and resilient future.
Aon’s Global Market Insight Reports

With uncertainty around the pandemic subsiding in many parts of the world, the hard market is stabilizing across most lines – with the notable exception of cyber. Aon's Global Market Insight Q4 2021 includes analysis of market dynamics across lines of business and geographies and offers actionable insight on how organizations can navigate today’s insurance market to achieve the best available outcomes.
Rising Risk Professionals
For members age 35 or younger and/or with 7 years or less experience in Insurance & Risk Management
Join the Rising Risk Professionals (RRP) group to talk about communicating risk. What are the important metrics that risk managers should be tracking and how do we communicate those data points to non-risk specialists?

Programming and times to be announced soon.

If you have ideas for a future RRP event or want to get involved in serving on the RRP subcommittee, please contact Amber Udelhoven.

Amber Udelhoven
RIMS Washington RRP Directors

Visit RIMS Washington's Website
In September 2021, we were excited to launch our new Chapter website that represents the Chapter better and allows visitors to quickly find information valuable to them. We continue to offer the ability to register and pay for events through our website and offer free local job postings to our Chapter members. Chapter officers and directors have new email addresses – reach out to us with questions!

Visit our site at: www.warims.org 
Local Job Postings
Did you know, your organization can post your insurance and risk management job opportunities on our Chapter website at no cost? If you are interested in sharing a job opportunity, please email our Communications Director.

Visit our website to learn about new local job opportunities!
March is Women’s History Month
The 2022 National Women’s History Theme by the National Women’s History Alliance is “Providing Healing, Promoting Hope” as a tribute to the ceaseless work of caregivers and frontline workers during this ongoing pandemic and also a recognition of the thousands of ways that women of all cultures have provided both healing and hope throughout history.

In honor of Women’s History Month, we connected with some of our Chapter’s past female Presidents.
Sheila Barker

WA Chapter President: 2013-2015

Where were you working when you were Chapter President? Operational Risk Manager for the City of Seattle.

What are you doing now? I currently work for Snohomish County as the County Risk Manager, responsible for insurance and contractual risk transfer, as well as the Safety Office, tort claims, and workers’ comp claims. Currently I volunteer with the WA Chapter on the Ed Forum Committee.

What advice can you share with other women just starting off in the risk management field? Take time to meet other people in the industry. My Risk peers have helped me in many ways, including sharing best practices, lessons learned, and support and camaraderie. Also, earn a certification – in this industry it gives instant recognition of you as a professional and peer. Finally, know that we’re all still learning every day because this field is broad and ever changing; be excited and curious to learn as much as possible!

Who is a female that inspires you and why? My mother inspires me because she tried to connect with every person she met and make their day a little brighter, regardless of whether it was a grocery clerk or a president. People loved her everywhere she went and she loved life. She was incredibly smart, but never arrogant. Her spirit inspires me to always try my best, make friends along the way, and have some fun!
Sharon Clark

WA Chapter President: 2008

Where were you working when you were Chapter President? Northwest Risk and Insurance Manager for Expeditors International.

What are you doing now? I have been a Client Executive with Marsh McLennan for the past five years and have continued to volunteer on the Board of Directors for the WA Chapter every year since 2006.

What advice can you share with other women just starting off in the risk management field? The risk management network in Seattle has always been very welcoming and I am very appreciative of that. I would advise them to not be afraid to build and share your opinions, speak-up, and ALWAYS trust your gut. Make sure you surround yourself with people that will challenge you and help mentor and grow you professionally and within the risk management industry. Knowledge is power.

Who is a female that inspires you and why? There have been so many females that have inspired me over the years both in my professional and personal life. I believe that an inspiration influence should change during your lifetime because change in life is constant and what I need as an inspirational influence requires change too. Maya Angelou has probably left the most lasting footprint on my journey when she said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Shari Spung

WA Chapter President: 2015-2017

Where were you working when you were Chapter President? Director of Claim Services at University of Washington

What are you doing now? In 2018, I accepted a position as Executive Director of Risk Claims & Insurance at a large health system called Mercy Health based in St. Louis. I got involved in the St. Louis RIMS Chapter and currently serve as RIMS Delegate. It’s a great group of professionals and friends just like the WA Chapter.

What advice can you share with other women just starting off in the risk management field? Put yourself out there and get involved to build community, learn from others, and make a difference. Soak up as much industry information as you can and keep learning. Look for breakthrough strategies and emerging issues and be knowledgeable and creative about those. Stay organized and always focused on your internal and external clients’ needs.

Who is a female that inspires you and why? I was thinking about world and national leaders and some of the female leaders I have worked with, but what really popped in my heart and mind was Linda Watanabe who was on the WA Chapter Board when I came to Seattle in 2001. Linda sought me out and got me involved in the Chapter right away. More importantly, her tireless work for the Chapter as both the President and then as Treasurer for many years was a great inspiration on the importance of fitting in volunteer work and giving of yourself. Like all of us, Linda had a busy job with great responsibilities outside of RIMS but she gave tirelessly and was always upbeat. She always cared about our members individually and worked to get others involved in activities or leadership opportunities in the Chapter. While not a national or world leader, sometimes the best inspiration is right in our own communities, and I certainly think Linda is one.
Thank You to our 2022 Chapter Sponsors!
A special thank you to our 2022 Chapter Sponsors. Without your support, our educational and networking events would not be possible.