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The Executive Director oversees all aspects of MMRMA's operations, drawing on the expertise of the entire network of staff and contracted firms to optimize their performance and provide outstanding, efficient services to MMRMA members.
The administrative staff coordinates organizational functions such as supporting the Board of Directors and helping implement MMRMA's governance policies. The team also coordinates the writing, editing, and production of MMRMA's communications, including its website, and handles event planning for MMRMA's Annual Meeting and Risk Management Workshops.
The risk control department has been an integral part of MMRMA since its inception, and the team assists members in all aspects of municipal risk. That 30-year relationship has earned the respect and trust of the membership, which allows MMRMA to fulfill its mission statement: to provide superior risk management services and products that protect its member participants and the public they serve.
MMRMA's risk control consultants have over 200 collective years of experience in their respective fields of public safety, parks and recreation, public services, and administration. This team of risk management experts is supplemented by member participation in seven risk control advisory committees.
Most risk control services are provided to members at no additional charge. These benefits of membership include: on-site inspections, assistance in managing specific risks, model policies, and training for member employees. In addition, MMRMA created Risk Avoidance Program (RAP) grants in 1997 to help members fund risk management projects. To date, RAP has provided over $10 million in financial assistance to the membership.
The underwriting department's primary function is to determine member contributions. They achieve this using rating plans developed by consulting actuaries, and approved by the Board of Directors, to ensure adequate revenue and a consistent and equitable approach to pricing. By studying exposure data, loss data, and loss prevention reports, the underwriting team evaluates hazards and exposures, and sets contribution amounts accordingly. Working closely with MMRMA's regional risk managers, the underwriting department develops coverage and pricing proposals for new and renewing members. These efforts are coordinated with finance, claims and risk control for optimized service to MMRMA members.
MMRMA's claims department is responsible for handling all covered claims for members. Over the past 30 years, the highly experienced claims team has developed a unique, successful system for crafting positive outcomes to thousands of cases.
The claims department inputs all new cases, including incidents, into the database, which provides the basis for loss trend analysis by risk control representatives and advisory committees. The claims staff also processes the required filings with the State of Michigan for each new lawsuit, as well as Michigan Catastrophic Claims Association reports and filings. The team works closely with member representatives to bring each case to an appropriate conclusion.
The claims staff oversees all cases, even those in litigation. MMRMA's Litigation Management Protocol spells out its philosophy of the right person doing the right thing at the right time. Each member of the team has special tasks to do, as outlined by the Protocol. The member representative is kept informed on all lawsuits and acts as part of the team.
The Finance staff performs all accounting and finance functions for MMRMA, including the administration of MMRMA employee benefits.
From MMRMA's inception in 1980 through 2008, accounting and finance services were outsourced to the public accounting firm of Quenneville & Associates, Inc. Due to the retirements of the owner and key individuals from that firm, as well as the growth of the organization, MMRMA's Board of Directors formed an in-house finance department, which began operating in January 2009.
MMRMA's stellar finance team has extensive experience in accounting, insurance and government. They ensure that accounting records are maintained in a manner that fairly reflects the operating results and financial position of MMRMA. The finance staff also monitors and complies with a system of internal controls, ensuring that the entire organization meets or exceeds all applicable accounting rules and standards as well as the compliance regulations of MMRMA's governing authorities.
MMRMA's information services department provides technology and related support services for the organization. The team provides maintenance and support of the primary technology for claims, underwriting, and finance. In addition, the information services staff manages the acquisition, installation, upgrade, and maintenance of all internal software, servers, employee workstations, network infrastructure, and printing equipment. They also facilitate employee software training, manage MMRMA's internal phone system and mobile devices, and administer network file sharing and backup protocols.
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Administration
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Risk Control
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Underwriting
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Claims
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Finance
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Info Services
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Michael L. Rhyner
Executive Director
Appointed by the Board of Directors in 2001, Mike is the second Executive Director in MMRMA's 30-year history. Mike has over 25 years of experience in managing public entity pools at the executive level. Prior to joining MMRMA, he administered pools in Minnesota and Connecticut.
Mike's service and commitment to MMRMA has seen it through a decade of changes, including the introduction of MMRMA’s net asset distribution program, which has resulted in the distribution of over $37 million to current members. He also spearheaded revisions to MMRMA's governance and management structure, ensuring that the organization remains a leader in the industry.
Mike is recognized nationally as a leader in the public entity pooling community. He serves on the Board of Directors and is a past president of the Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP). He also helped found Government Entities Mutual (GEM), a captive reinsurance company for public entity risk pools. Mike continues to serve on the GEM Board of Directors and is a past board chair. Prior to joining MMRMA, he also served on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities Mutual Insurance Company.
Kim Michael
Administrative Services Specialist
Tamara Christie
Communications Specialist
Denise McGinn
Events Planner
Denise is contracted through:
Association Guidance
1895 Ridgewood Drive
East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: 517-333-3628
Fax: 517-333-3628
Email: associationg93@aol.com
Melanie Shippe
Receptionist
Chuck Schwab
Director of Risk Management
Chuck Schwab has been MMRMA's Director of Risk Management since 1986. Chuck's insurance career began with USF&G Insurance. Prior to working for MMRMA, Chuck was the manager of insurance and safety at a self-insured trucking company. He has worked a total of 37 years across all insurance-related operations.
Chuck's education includes a bachelor's degree from Wayne State University, an MBA from University of Detroit, and the designation of Associate in Risk Management for Public Entities (ARM-P) from the Insurance Institute of America. He is also a past president of the Michigan Public Risk Management Association (MIPRIMA).
In 2005, Chuck accepted a teaching position at Oakland University as an adjunct professor in the Public Administration Masters Program. "Teaching risk management to future public administration professionals is a way to give back and create recognition of the importance of risk management in the public sector," says Chuck.
Boyd M. Smith, CIC
Risk Manager
William Page, ARM
Senior Risk Control Consultant
Mike Bertha
Risk Control Consultant
Jack Barron, WSO-CSS
Risk Control Consultant
Terry Van Doren, CPSI, CYSA
Risk Control Consultant
Allen Smolen
Risk Control Consultant
Kevin R. Denecke
Risk Control Consultant
Cara L. Kowal, ARM
Risk Control Coordinator
Katie Schoening
Administrative Assistant
Ray Williams
Underwriting Manager
Ray Williams of Northport Financial Services, LLC, oversees MMRMA's underwriting functions. Northport delivers underwriting and risk management services to a host of clients, including insurance companies, reinsurance companies, risk management departments, pools, and risk retention groups. Ray has extensive experience managing commercial underwriting facilities for both traditional and alternative risk facilities. Prior to joining Northport, Ray held underwriting management positions at the senior or national level for several insurance companies and managing underwriter groups and agencies.
Lorraine Zurenko
Senior Underwriter
Karen Damron, ARM
Underwriting Assistant
Kelly Elmore
Administrative Assistant
Michael Ellis
Director of Claims
Michael has been handling insurance claims for over 30 years. A graduate of Thomas M. Cooley Law School, he was admitted to the Bar in 1984. He also holds several other professional insurance designations, including the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU), Registered Professional Adjuster (RPA), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), and Senior Claims Law Associate (SCLA).
Michael is past president of the Greater Detroit Chapter of the CPCU Society and the Michigan Public Risk Management Association (MIPRIMA). He currently serves on the State Bar of Michigan's Law Related Education and Public Outreach Committee. Michael is a 30-year member of the Honorable Order of the Blue Goose, International and past Loyal Gander of the Lansing Puddle.
Tim Belanger
Senior Claims Attorney
Charlie Stevens
Claims Manager
Guy M. DesJardins, AIC, RPA, CPIM
Senior Claims Adjuster and Claims Team Leader
Louise Duchesneau
Senior Claims Adjuster
Gloria Winfrey, SCLA
Senior Claims Adjuster
Jim Duffy
Senior Claims Adjuster
Florence Nagy, AIC, ARM, CPCU, SCLA
Senior Property Adjuster
Pam Garton
Administrative Assistant
Denise Cervelli
Administrative Assistant
Lavonna Gadley
Administrative Assistant
Bryan J. Anderson, CPA
Finance Director
Bryan began his career in 1997 with a public accounting firm after graduating with summa cum laude honors from Saginaw Valley State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration. A licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan since 1999, he spent more than 10 years in public accounting, providing accounting, audit, and internal control consulting services to clients in the industries of insurance, government, and employee benefits.
Following his tenure in public accounting, Bryan joined the automotive manufacturer Chrysler LLC, where he worked as a manager in the internal audit department, supervising and performing accounting compliance and internal audits of employee benefit programs, retirement plans, insured and self-insured liabilities, and marketing functions.
In December 2008, Bryan joined MMRMA to lead the new in-house Finance Department.
Bryan is an active member in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants, Insurance Accounting and Systems Association, Government Finance Officers Association, Association of Government Accountants, and Institute of Internal Auditors. In addition, Bryan serves on the Audit Committee of Government Entities Mutual, Inc., one of MMRMA's reinsurers.
Tami Weidman, CPA
Senior Accountant
Tina White
Accounts Payable Clerk
Patrick Cummings, ARM
Information Services Manager
Patrick has been providing computer support for MMRMA since 1988, when he graduated from Wayne State University with a Business Administration degree in finance. During his studies, Patrick took advantage of WSU's Business Computer Center to apply technology to his course of study. This supplemented his experience working with computers and databases. Armed with that skill, Patrick helped foster MMRMA's computer savvy and has kept the organization at the forefront of technological advances ever since.
Sharon Galvin
Information Services Assistant
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