NU Online News Service, June 2, 2:43 p.m. EDT
DALLAS–The Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) announced Craig Macdonald as the winner of its 2009 Public Risk Manager of the Year award yesterday during its annual conference.
Mr. Macdonald, director of risk management, claims and safety for the Bi-State Development Agency of the Missouri-Illinois Metropolitan District (Metro), was chosen by a panel of his peers for his innovative risk management programs.
In remarks at the awards luncheon here, Mr. Macdonald said the award sends the message that Metro takes risk management seriously. "Safety is a part of Metro's culture and mission," he said. He added that his goal was to bring Metro's claims process in-house and examine each claim to prevent the occurrence from happening again.
"Craig's commitment to risk management excellence made him a standout in a very competitive field this year," said Lisa Lopinsky, PRIMA executive director. "He has shown the kind of dedication to public sector safety and accountability that typifies the Public Risk Manager of the Year."
PRIMA said Mr. Macdonald's most notable accomplishments, contributing to his selection, include:
o Within a five-year period, reducing workers' compensation costs by nearly two-thirds, with an attendant drop in annual lost-time days.
o Making the case to the Missouri legislature for the restoration of caps on tort liability for auto- and property-related actions.
o Reducing the preventable collision rate from 1.86 incidents per 100,000 miles to 0.9 incidents per 100,000 miles over a seven-year period.
Mr. Macdonald has worked in the risk management and insurance fields for more than 30 years, PRIMA said, joining Metro in 1990.
The Public Risk Manager of the Year award was established in 1994 to reward a risk manager who has effectively coordinated and managed a risk management program for a public entity facing out-of-the-ordinary challenges.
PRIMA President Sarah Perry, risk manager for the City of Columbus, Mo., congratulated Mr. Macdonald for the well-deserved award. She and President-Elect Ron Hayes presented awards for achievement in public risk management programs, products and pools to the following entities:
o Texas Health and Human Services Commission, Austin, Texas, winner, Workplace Violence Awareness & Safety Program.
o Prince William County, Prince William, Va., first place, SLIPS/TRIPS/FALLS-Make a Difference! The National Safety Month Challenge.
o Garland Independent School District Garland, Texas, honorable mention, Vote for Safety.
o Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority (MMRMA), Livonia, Mich., first place, Sudden Death in Custody Training Program.
o Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Agency (CIRSA), Denver, Colo., honorable mention, Occupational Disease Prevention for Firefights.
"It's always an honor to shine the spotlight on risk management excellence," said Ms. Perry. "PRIMA's awards program is a chance for us to celebrate each other and the things we do to help our entities and our communities."
PRIMA Past-President Bill Kostner presented conference scholarships to risk management students Megan Richardson of Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Eva Must of Temple University, Philadelphia.
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