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Authority Members Dive Beneath the Surface for the 31^st Annual Risk Management Educational Forum

Members, business partners, and staff gathered in Monterey from October 6 to 9, 2026, for the California JPIA’s 31^st Annual Risk Management Educational Forum. Themed Beneath the Surface—Dive Into Risk Management, the event challenged attendees to look beyond everyday operations and explore emerging risks and strategies shaping the future of public-sector risk management.

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The Forum opened with a presentation by Stephanie Veniez, associate at Best Best & Krieger LLP, and Tim Mahoney, general manager of Disability Access Consultants, who explored how public agencies can effectively and consistently respond to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) reasonable accommodation and modification requests while managing risk and maintaining compliance.

The second session featured a panel discussion examining how risk exposure can emerge from executive-level decisions and priorities. Michelle Bender, city manager of San Marcos; Ken Domer, city manager of La Verne; and Jorge Garcia, city manager of Pismo Beach, shared insights on how budget decisions, policy approvals, organizational culture, and communication practices can influence liability. Drawing from real-world examples, the panelists discussed situations in which executive actions were later scrutinized through litigation, investigations, or public controversy, and reflected on lessons that became apparent only in hindsight.

Thursday’s programming began with the presentation of the 13^th Annual Capstone Award to Kate Weihe of the City of Poway. The award recognizes a member agency employee who demonstrates an outstanding commitment to risk management.

The morning keynote featured Danielle Slaton, co-owner of Bay FC and a silver medalist in women’s soccer at the 2000 Olympic Games, who shared insights on leadership, trust, and creating a culture that enables teams to succeed. Her message emphasized the value of understanding individual strengths, supporting one another, and rising to the occasion when performance matters most.

Members then participated in breakout sessions covering a wide range of issues impacting public agencies today, including legal liability, cybersecurity, AI and automation risk, deferred maintenance, evolving police liability, and risk transfer.

The Forum concluded on Friday with a multimedia closing session from underwater explorer Jill Heinerth, who shared hard-earned lessons from decades of extreme exploration and filmmaking about how to succeed when the path ahead is unclear. Through gripping stories and practical insights, Heinerth explored how to assess risk, stay calm under pressure, learn from setbacks, and build trust when stakes are high. The event concluded with the always-popular liability case law update presented by the Authority’s liability panel attorneys.

Authority members are encouraged to save the date for the 32^nd Annual California JPIA Risk Management Educational Forum, being held October 13–15, 2027, at the JW Marriott in Palm Desert.

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