Pamlico County Vice Chair Ann Holton asks a question during a Risk Management Pools Board of Trustees retreat in February. Holton, along with Pasquotank County Commissioner Jeff Dixon (back to camera), Richmond County Commissioner Jimmy Maske (third from right), Martin County Chairman Ronnie Smith (second from right) and NCACC staff members Jennifer Ketner (left), Lisa Nolen (obscured) and David F. Thompson (right), were part of a breakout group charged with reworking the Pools' mission statement. (Photos by Jason King)

Risk Management Pools set course

By Lester J. Nixon
Risk Management Director

The NCACC's Risk Management Pools have a defined direction for the future following a Board of Trustees strategic planning retreat on Feb. 12-13.

Brunswick County Risk Manager Eileen Gardner talks with the NCACC's Lester Nixon and McDowell County Manager Chuck Abernathy during the retreat.

With the help of facilitator Bobbie McCreary, who has extensive experience working with similar pools across the country, trustees and staff took part in a series of exercises to review the mission statement for the pools, examine the current environment for the pools, and set some short- and long-range goals.

Trustees and staff began by taking a look at the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to the pools. Attendees agreed that the pools, as an NCACC service, have a very strong base, but that not all members understand the relationship of the Association to the pools, or understand that the pools are member service organizations.

With that in mind, attendees crafted vision and mission statements.

The vision statement – "As the trusted advisor we are the benchmark and preferred source for county risk management solutions" – sets the parameters for how the pools want to be known.

Attendees put a considerable amount of work into focusing the mission statement to read: "North Carolina Association of County Commissioners Risk Management Pools is a member-driven organization empowering North Carolina counties to effectively manage risks."

The group also developed several goals:

• the financial theme involved improving pool financials and cost stability;
• the membership theme focused on retaining and growing membership and increasing quality and frequency of member communications;
• the program theme dealt with how best to meet the needs of members; and
• the risk management theme involved identifying and analyzing members' risks and how to assist members with those risks.

The outcomes of the retreat will be developed into an action plan to be adopted by the Board of Trustees at its June meeting.