The WCI announced the May 7, 2019 election of 13 advisors. (Photo: WCI)

The Workers' Compensation Institute (WCI) announced the election of its new board of advisors:

• Michelle Adams - vice president of risk management services for Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando. She has been with Disney since 1996 as claims management director and for the last four years as vice president.
• Steve Coonrod - partner at McConnaughhay, Coonrod, Pope, Weaver & Stern, and the managing partner for the firm's Tallahassee, Fla., office. He is a board certified specialist in workers' compensation law and focuses on workers' compensation defense. He serves as litigation manager for the Florida Workers' Compensation Joint Underwriting Association.
• Daniel Jaffe - partner at Rissman, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue, McLain & Mangan in their Tampa, Fla., office. He has practiced workers' compensation defense with the firm since 1997 and is a frequent lecturer at the Workers' Compensation Convention.
• Laura Lamy - regional director at Workers' Compensation Research Institute in Salt Lake City. She has served in that role for seven years. Her career has included leadership roles as vice president at HyperQuest, UniMed, ChoicePoint and Mitchell International.
• David Langham - deputy chief judge for the Florida Office of Judges of Compensation Claims. He has served as a judge since 2001 and as deputy chief since 2006.
• James McConnaughhay - one of the founders of WCI, as well as the founder of McConnaughhay, Coonrod, Pope, Weaver & Stern. He has served as general chair of the WCI for 32 years.
• Frank McKay - chair and chief appellate court judge at the Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation. Prior to his appointment to the board, he was a partner in the law firms of Stewart, Melvin & Frost and Sartain, McKay, & Cromwell.
• David North - president and CEO of Sedgwick Inc. in Memphis, Tenn. Prior to Sedgwick, he was senior vice president of Johnson and Higgins.
• Vilma Palma-Blackmon - senior vice president at Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. She has been with Gallagher Bassett since 1986, serving as claims manager, regional vice president and, for the past 15 years, senior vice president.
• Steven A. Rissman - one of the founders of WCI. He is a shareholder of Rissman, Barrett, Hurt, Donahue, McLain and Mangan in Orlando, Fla.
• Marc Salm - vice president of risk management at Publix Super Markets in Lakeland, Fla. He has served there for 18 years — seven as director and counsel of risk management and 11 as vice president.
• Jim Smith - regional leader of risk control and safety services for Gallagher in Boca Raton, Fla. He has served there for 18 years.
• David Stills - vice president of global risk management at WalMart. He has served there for 17 years as assistant general counsel, then as vice president for the past 15 years.

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