2014 Advisory Board 

Executive Director:

Lanette Hanson

Conference Chairs

Denise Evans, Director of Workers' Comp Claims (Staffmark)

Daniel T. Holden, Manager, Corporate Risk & Insurance (Daimler Trucks)

Barry Wilson, Director of Risk Mgmt., & Insurance (EXPRESS)

Linda Locklear, VP & Workers' Comp Manager (Bank of the West)

Scott Ritto, Director Risk Management (American Realty Advisors)

Robert Johnson, Managing Counsel (McDonald's Corporation)

Legal Chair

Brian Egan, Partner (Laughlin, Falbo, Levy & Moresi LLP)

Medical Chairs

Douglas Benner, MD, National Medical Director (Macy's)

Board Members

Dawn Alvarado, W/C Administrator (City of LA)

Fernando Barajas, Risk Manager (UPS)

Ryan J. McGuinness, M.Ed., ARM,Senior Director Risk Management (Rite Aid Corporation)

Rick Sumner, Director Insurance& Safety (Dollar General)

Scott Gardner, VP Medical Operations (CA State Comp. Insurance Fund)

Becky Yee, Risk Manager (County of LA, Community Development Commission)

Carol Lucas, Workers' Comp. Manager (L-3 Communications Corp.)

Cora Lee,  (State of California Dept. of Industrial Relations Division of Workers' Compensation)

Tyrone Spears, Workers' Compensation Administrator (City of Los Angeles)

Michael Simmons, Director Risk Management (Riverside Community College District)

Sheryl Higa, Risk Management Specialist (City of Beverly Hills)

Mark Walls, Senior VP - Workers' Compensation Market Research Leader (Marsh)

Shaun Jackson, Director of Risk Management (El Pollo Loco)

Mike Alio, Risk Manager (City of Long Beach)

Dawn Watkins, Director (Los Angeles Unified School District)

David J. DePaolo, President/CEO  (WorkCompCentral.com)

Drenée Miners, Assistant Vice President/Governmental Affairs (Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc.)

Ellis Green, Risk Manager (City of Ventura)

Erika Freiling, Senior Claims Adjuster (FirstComp Insurance)

John Shin, Risk Manger (ValleyCrest Companies)

2013 Program: A few of the confirmed speakers: (plus many more)

Christine Baker, Director (Department of Industrial Relations)
Jill A. Dulich, Senior Director (Marriott Claims Services)

Robert Darby, President (Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies), (WCIRB Chairman)
Katherine Zalewski, Chief Counsel (Department of Industrial Relations)
Misty Hambright, Workers’ Compensation Claim Manager (American Airlines)
Max Koonce, Sr. Director, Risk Management (Wal-Mart)
Angela DeBortoli, Program Manager, Workers' Compensation (University of California)

Shaun Jackson, Director of Risk Management (El Pollo Loco)
Jon Wroten, Chief (Office of Self-Insurance Plans)

David North, CEO (Sedgwick, Inc.)
John Riggs, Manager-Workers' Compensation (Disneyland Resort)
Anita Weir, Director, Med & Disability Mgmt., Corp Risk (Safeway, Inc.)
Dr. Rupali Das, MD, MPH, Executive Medical Director(DWC/DIR)
Kurt Leisure, VP Risk Services/Assets Protection (The Cheesecake Factory)
Pamela Ferrandino, National Casualty Practice Leader, Placement (Willis North America)
Martin Brady, Executive Director (Schools Insurance Authority)
Mark Webb (Pacific Compensation Insurance Company)
Richard Friesenhahn, Chief Underwriting Officer (AIG)
Jeffrey Pettegrew, Executive Director (California Self- Insurers' Security Fund)
Patti Williams, ARM, WCCP, CPDM/Risk Manager(City of Huntington Beach)
Michael Simmons, Director of Risk Management (Riverside Community College District)
Andrew S. Flor, Director of Risk Management (Montage Hotels & Resorts)
Douglas Benner, Macy's Inc. (Claim Services Medical Director)
Steve Mauck, Risk Manager (County of Monterey)
Bernyce Peplowski, Medical Director ( US Healthworks)
Mark Walls, Senior Vice President (Marsh)
Roman Kownacki, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Regional Occupational Health Services (N.CA Kaiser Permanente)
Steve Cattolica, Director of Government Relations,(CSIMS)
Richard (Jake) Jacobsmeyer (Shaw, Jacobsmeyer, Crain & Claffey PC)
Sandy Loncaric - WC Manager(City of Anaheim)
Debra Russell - WC Program Manager (Schools Insurance Authority)
Robert G Rassp, Esq.(Author, "Lawyer's Guide to the AMA Guides and CA Workers' Compensation2013 (c) Lexis Nexis Matthew Bender & Co.)
Dennis Downing, President (FIT)
Lisa Jurski, Director of Workers’ Compensation (HCR ManorCare)
Kelly Ingram-Mitchell, MPT, Executive Director (HTPN-Heartland Therapy Provider Network)
Josef Levy, Former Commander (City of Long Beach)
Sean McDaniels, Director, Claims Mgmt (Veolia Environmental Services NA)
Ron Thackery, SVP ( Emergency Medical Services Corp)
Teresa Bartlett, MD, SVP & Medical Director (Sedgwick CMS)
Jessica C. Smythe, National Medicare Compliance (ISO Crowe Paradis)
Linda Slaughter, (Athens Administrators)
Dave Duden, (Deloitte Consulting Advanced Analytics Group)
Tracy Sturtevant (Gray & Prouty)
Mary Farrell (Farrell Law Group)
Alan Wang, Senior VP( AFIS Benefits)
Thomas A. Richard (Richard, Thorson, Graves & Royer LLP)
MaryRose Reaston, Ph.D (Founder Emerge Diagnostics)
David D. Keyser, Risk Manager (Barrett Business Services)
Dustin Gary (Centric Actuaries)

2013 "Hot Topic" Sessions & Categories: (plus many more)

• KEYNOTE :Part 1: SB 863(Regulatory) – 10 months later, what works and what doesn’t (State of CA)
• KEYNOTE :Part 2:SB 863 – 10 months later, what works and what doesn’t (Employers and Stakeholders)
• Risk Management: Ideas and solutions for the identification, assessment, and treatment of risk—best practices, success stories, and innovative techniques
• Part 1: SB 863: Medical Unit Update……. 10 months later….(Regulatory)
• Part 2: How SB 863 has impacted the employer, claims and medical managed care vendors in UR and Bill Review (Employer perspective/Vendor)
• Legal/ Regulatory Issues
• Safety, Loss Control, and Risk Control: Framework and techniques for reducing risk through mitigation programs, disaster recovery, emergency planning, and business continuity
• Insurance, TPA, Brokers, and Captives-Analysis of contracts and coverage
• Workers’ Compensation: New developments and best practices
• Return-to-Work Strategies
• “How has Workers’ Comp Self –Insurance Changed with SB863”
• Claims Management: Information on the most up-to-date technology and procedures for managing the claims element of the total cost of risk and better claims management strategies
• Disciplining and Terminating Workers’ Comp Claimants
• Healthcare: Insight into medical malpractice claims data, risk management developments, and the implications of national trends.
• Healthcare Reform: Impact on employers (medical/behavioral solutions, medical fee schedules, utilization review, etc.)
• Finance: Integrates the financial aspects of risk into risk management
• Cyber Security—Covering Your Assets: Social media and its impact on risk management—what is coming next?
• MSA Topic
• Prescription Drug Topic
• Pre-employment screening topic