Capstone Award

The 2025 Capstone Award Winner stands in between two colleagues in front of a gray curtain while holding the curved, candle flame-shaped, glass award.

Left to right: California JPIA Chief Administrative Officer Nikki Salas, Human Resources Manager Dorna Farhadi with the City of Laguna Niguel, Assistant City Manager Alexa Davis with the City of Rolling Hills Estates

The five 2025 Capstone Award finalists stand together in a row while holding their awards in front of a step-and-repeat banner with the California JPIA's logo.

Left to right: Assistant to the Town Manager Pam Kobylarz with the Town of Mammoth Lakes, Assistant City Manager Josephine Wilson with the City of Westlake Village, Human Resources Manager Dorna Farhadi with the City of Laguna Niguel, Director of Human Resources and Library Services Kristi Hobrecker with the City of Santa Clarita, Finance Director Kevin McCarthy with the City of Indian Wells

The California JPIA presents the Capstone Award each year to an individual whose efforts promote risk management and minimize workplace exposure. The Capstone Award is open to all employees, at a member agency, who promote positive improvements in risk management for their agency and, ideally, would be someone who:

  • Works to support or improve risk management within their agency
  • Influences others in developing or maintaining positive risk management efforts in the work environment
  • Coordinates support systems that serve the member’s risk management goals and needs
  • Exhibits positive risk management practices in the workplace
New this year—the Capstone Award winner will be announced in advance of the Risk Management Educational Forum, taking place October 7–9, at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey, California. They will be recognized on stage on Thursday, October 8, before the keynote, with a brief presentation highlighting the individual’s leadership and efforts that earned this top honor.

Below are video links highlighting the 2025 Capstone Award finalists.

For questions about the Capstone Award, contact us via email.

Capstone Award Recipients

2025 – Dorna Farhadi, City of Laguna Niguel
2024 – Alexa Davis, City of Rolling Hills Estates
2023 – Audrey Cray, City of Pacific Grove
2022 – Shannon Buckley, City of Lake Elsinore
2021 – Arabo Parseghian, City of La Cañada Flintridge*
2019 – Stephen Y. Aryan, City of Palm Desert
2018 – Teri Davis, City of Moorpark
2017 – Isaac Etchamendy, City of San Marcos
2016 – Susan Crumly, City of Bellflower
2015 – Nikki Salas, Town of Apple Valley
2014 – Rayna Ospina, City of San Gabriel
2013 – Debra Garcia, City of Pismo Beach

* The Capstone Award was not presented in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

California JPIA