Risk Management Educational Forum
For more than 20 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority has hosted the Risk Management Educational Forum, a two-and-a-half-day conference featuring world-class keynotes and sessions presented by risk management experts. The Forum allows members to learn about topics relevant to local government, including legal liability, workers’ compensation, and public safety. The event is the one time of year all Authority members can come together, and it also features networking activities, including a golf tournament, where attendees can address common issues and share knowledge. The Capstone Award is presented annually at the Forum and recognizes individuals who drive risk management efforts within their organizations.
Speakers from the 2025 Forum
Erin Stafford
Keynote Speaker
Author, Social Psychologist
With increasing demands, evolving challenges, and public scrutiny, burnout among government leaders and teams is on the rise. Without the right tools to navigate stress, productivity and morale can take a hit. Drawing from her personal experiences with burnout, decades of leadership in hyper-growth organizations, and insights from interviews with Fortune 100 CEOs and top experts, Erin offers strategies to ignite purpose and cultivate lasting success.
Traci Park
Closing Speaker
Councilmember, Los Angeles District 11
Traci uses the 2024 L.A. wildfires as a case study to examine communications techniques such as real-time updates, social media, and coordinating with local authorities and media outlets. The wildfires presented a unique set of circumstances that required swift and accurate communication to the public, ensuring safety and minimizing panic while prioritizing emergency response efforts. Whether you are involved in public relations, emergency management, or a related field, this discussion will offer valuable takeaways to enhance your communication strategies during critical situations.
California JPIA Capstone Award
The California JPIA presents the Capstone Award each year to an individual who best exemplifies the practice of risk management by working to support risk management efforts, developing loss control programs, and coordinating systems that support their agency’s risk management efforts.
2025 Capstone Winner Dorna Farhadi
Moments from the 2025 Forum
The 2025 Risk Management Educational Forum was held at the Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, themed “Class of ’95: Not So Clueless About Risk.” Keynote speaker Erin Stafford, a social psychologist, delivered a compelling message on managing stress and preventing burnout. She encouraged attendees to build lives that not only look good but feel good, thriving at peak performance without sacrificing health or relationships. The Forum featured a diverse lineup of sessions covering topics such as Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) transition planning, managing complaints against local officials, mitigating special event liability, navigating homeless camping and storage regulations, and analyzing use-of-force case studies. Attendees enjoyed networking opportunities during breaks and the Thursday evening “Prom Night.”
Forum-related questions?