Jones' Gray among Risk Management Pools honorees

By Michael Kelly
RM Property and Casualty Program Specialist

Several counties were recognized for reducing their risk management costs during an Aug. 29 breakfast held at the NCACC's 102nd Annual Conference in Catawba County. The breakfast attracted nearly 200 county officials.

Michael Kelly of the NCACC's Risk Management Pools presents Jones County Clerk to the Board Jennifer Gray a certificate commemorating her selection as winner of the 2009 Frank Bonner Scholarship, which will fund Gray's expenses to attend the 2009 PRIMA Institute, the industry's premier risk management training program.

Granville and Cleveland counties were recognized for the best overall improvement in claims experience, loss ratio and loss control program management for the Workers' Compensation and Liability & Property pools.

Martin and Brunswick counties were recognized for having the highest mail order and generic prescription utilization in the County Health Plan. Stokes County received an award for having the greatest reduction in overall medical claims from the previous year.

While those counties stood out in 2008-09, Risk Management Director Lester J. Nixon said that all member counties would benefit from changes being made in the pools. Nixon discussed some of the specifics in the pools' new business model, such as utilizing program specialists, and explained how bringing both underwriting and loss control services in-house has enabled the Association to deliver a higher level of service to members while saving more than $1.35 million each year. This reduction in the pools' operational overhead will allow these dollars to be spread among members through lower annual contributions.

The Association also recognized pool members who participate in all three programs – Liability & Property, Workers' Compensation and the County Health Plan. These counties are: Alleghany, Brunswick, Caswell, Currituck, Davie, Gates, Hertford, Martin, Northampton, Orange, Randolph, Stokes, Tyrrell and Watauga.

Pamlico County Vice Chair Ann Holton, the Pools' Board of Trustees chairperson, outlined how the Board of Trustees has been involved in a yearlong strategic planning process that will continue to serve as the guide for staff and trustees over the next few years.

During the breakfast, the 2009 Frank Bonner Scholarship was presented to Jones County Clerk to the Board Jennifer Gray. The award honors Bonner, a long-serving Beaufort County commissioner who was instrumental in establishing the Pools.

Gray will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the PRIMA Institute, the premier training program for public entity risk managers, to be held Oct. 26-29 in New Orleans. The presentation was made by former Catawba County Commissioner Bob Hibbitts, who served with Bonner as a pools trustee for many years.