Tell me about how you became a risk manager?

I don’t think anyone says “I want to be a risk manager when I grow up”, I was no exception. I’d like to think that I’ve always been a risk manager, I just didn’t know it yet. I never initially set out to become a risk manager, everything happened organically as my career progressed. My bachelor's degree is in biochemistry, I thought I was going to be a doctor, but my body told me differently and I changed my career path. Initially I was working for a construction company, I dabbled in some wine chemistry, worked in finance, then in contracts management. All the while, my family and everyone else, thought, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up. It was true, I didn’t, but does anyone? If so, there are few that do.

After had worked in the same position for some time, I felt stagnant, I was bored of doing the same repetitive task over and over again. An opportunity came up in enterprise risk management, so I applied for it. Trust me, at first, I didn’t think I was qualified, risk management? What was that, and have I even done that? Then I realized after reading the job description, I’d be doing that my entire life. Risk management has been the core facet of the work I’ve done throughout all my careers. Managing project risks in construction, financial risk in banking, contract risk in procurement, and legal risks as an attorney. Needless to say, so many years later, I am still a risk manager, but overseeing reliability compliance risks. I really had always been a risk manager, I just didn’t know it at the time. 

What are the rewards you experience professionally by being a PARMA member?

Through PARMA, I have had the privilege of connecting with a large community of risk professionals focused on issues that are unique to public agencies. The knowledge, skills, and connections gained through PARMA has helped me stay informed on the latest risk trends and best practices, allowing me to continue to hone my skills. In addition, I’ve had several opportunities to contribute to the development of the risk management profession by serving as chair of the Sacramento Chapter and bringing timely and relevant learning sessions to our members. 

How has your professional knowledge expanded by interacting with other PARMA members?

My professional knowledge has significantly expanded through my interactions with other PARMA members. Discussing risk management challenges and strategies with peers from different industries and backgrounds has broadened my understanding of how to approach various risk scenarios. It also gives me the opportunity to collaborate on more complex issues and stay on top of the latest trends, regulatory challenges, and emerging risks.

When did you start realizing you wanted to move into a leadership role within PARMA?

I always knew that I wanted to give back to the risk profession in the same way my mentors have guided me. I helped out at a few PARMA meetings prior and the chair encouraged me to apply to the vacant vice chair position to help the team out, so I did. And now, here I am, serving as chair.

After being a member in PARMA for some time now, how essential was joining your professional association?

Our risk environment is constantly changing and therefore, we must continually evolve to find newer ways and techniques to better understand those changes and challenges. Doing it by yourself seems like an enormous feat so having like minded friends in the profession is essential to your personal and the risk profession’s collective success. I think that joining any professional association and being active by providing input is essential to this growth.

How would you respond to a risk manager who says they don’t have time to participate in PARMA and /or moving towards a leadership position?

I understand that balancing professional and personal commitments can be challenging, however, participating in PARMA can be significant in the long term because investing a little time in PARMA can lead to skills and knowledge gains that have the potential to make you more efficient and effective in your current role, you have access to a wealth of resources both people and education to help you stay abreast on industry trends and best practices. If nothing else, the professional network you build can provide valuable support and advice when you are looking for answers. 

What do you see being one of the largest challenges for the future of risk management?

As I said earlier, our risk environment continually changes, one such change is as technology continues to advance, there will be more and more interconnectedness between risks. As risks become more interconnected, it makes it more complex to understand the full scope of potential impacts, increasing uncertainty, and amplifying single risk events. In addition, it makes it difficult to assess and mitigate risks as taking mitigation action on one risk may inadvertently exacerbate another. 

How will PARMA respond to that challenge? 

PARMA can continuously update and expand educational programs to cover emerging risks and advanced risk management techniques, foster collaboration between different sectors to address complex risk interdependencies, and encouraging the use of advanced technologies by providing training and resources on these technologies to help its members stay ahead of the curve.