New SDPAA Executive Director
Happy New Year from the SDPAA! This will be my last column for the magazine because by the time you read it, I will have left the job as Executive Director to give retirement a try. With the SDPAA’s Board of Directors hiring of new Executive Director, Dave Pfeifle, the pool is in very capable hands. While Dave’s prior job as City Attorney for the City of Sioux Falls provided him with some knowledge of the SDPAA’s operations, he came on board the first part of November to spend some time with me, learning the ropes and getting more familiar with the organization.
SDPAA Board of Directors News
At the SDPAA’s Annual Membership meeting in Sioux Falls in October, Kathy Glines, Harding County Auditor, and Tracy Turbak, Director of Finance, City of Sioux Falls, were re-elected to three-year terms on the Board.
After nineteen years of service, including twelve years serving as Chairman of the Board, Dennis Olson, City of Brandon, chose to not run for re-election. Becky Brunsing, Finance Officer, City of Wagner, was elected to fill the slot for a three-year term.
At the Board’s December meeting, the following Officers for 2018 were elected:
Chair – Tracy Turbak, City of Sioux Falls
Vice Chair – Mike Wiese, Brown County
Secretary/Treasurer – Jim Borszich, City of Huron
SDPAA Receives AGRiP Recognition
The SDPAA has received recognition from the Association of Governmental Risk Pools (AGRiP) for completion of AGRiP’s Advisory Standards for public entity pools. AGRiP Recognition is an industry-specific method for their member pools to conduct comprehensive review and evaluation of internal operational procedures. Beyond financial indicators of pool health, AGRiP Recognition provides the benchmark of excellence for public entity pools.
AGRiP’s Advisory Standards provide a framework to examine current practices and procedures and provide governing bodies and pool members with assurance that operational best practices are being met. The Advisory Standards represent 78 best practice recommendations, spread across eleven operational categories – Governing Documents; Staff and Service Providers; Member Services; Coverages; Funding; Financial Management; Business Continuity; Claims Management; Professional Development; Governance; and Ethics.
Once AGRiP Recognition is awarded, it remains in place for three years after which time the process must be repeated to retain Recognition.
Parting Words
As I leave the SDPAA, the organization has just completed its 30th year of providing superior coverage, risk management solutions and service to its Member-owners. I was working for the State in the mid-1980’s when the “insurance crises” led to the unavailability and/or unaffordability of liability insurance coverage for governmental entities and thus, the pooling movement began. Generally speaking, risk-sharing pools have proven to be the best option for coverage for governmental entities by providing stable pricing and the broadest available coverages crafted to meet the specific needs of their members.
The SDPAA’s success is the result of the efforts and collaborations of a fantastic team which includes its Board of Directors, staff, service providers, and Members. It has been my privilege to serve on that team and I thank you all for assisting in continuing the SDPAA’s history of providing its Members with a great return on their investment.
