Troy Harris, Director of Risk Management
Keeping our resources applied to our mission.
Versatility
Higher Education
- Emergency Management - Champions the college's Institutional Resilience Framework to foster a culture of readiness for wildfire, earthquake and all other hazards
- Administration - Since 1997, directs the Office of Risk Management and supports the functions of Procurement, Bookstore, Mailing Services and Reprographics test how this shows up
- Special Projects - Key assignments have included orchestrating the Tea Fire recovery effort; monitoring compliance with the college's Conditional Use Permit; coordinating the summer conference program; and managing the Telecommunications department
Government
- Purchasing (1993-97) - Managed a staff of professionals conducting $50 million in annual purchases for the County of Santa Barbara
- Information Systems (1990-93) - Coordinated the County's Information Systems Strategic Plan; developed a comprehensive departmental IS plan for Social Services. Also during this period served as a budget analyst for the County Administrator
- Courts (1986-89) - Supervised the Records Management Unit of the Santa Barbara Superior Court; supervised operations of the County Recorder
Private Enterprise
- DocuMotion (1984-85) - Portable copying of medical and other records for attorneys
- Associated Attorney Services (1974-84) - Owned/operated a legal support services business with up to 15 staff providing portable copying, process serving, court filing and ancillary assignments
- ReproGrafix (1977) - Partner in a full-services design and printing service
Innovation
- FrameworkEd - A webtool to help colleges and universities manage their emergency plans (in beta testing)
- DRIVER - The "Driver Record Information Verified to Evaluate Risk" program vets students driving on college business
- Internship Liability - Training, coordinating and form development to minimize liability exposure for students as they get real-world experience
- Foreign travel programs - Safety briefings, faculty orientation, insurance products and other means to reduce the risks of travel abroad
- The User-Friendly Bid - A simplified, effective approach to interacting with bidders in formal procurement processes
- ASAP - Developed the specifications for the Attorney Services Automated Production system that eventually served nearly 50 businesses
- NCR Design Award - Won national recognition for creative and attractive use of space on a complex multi-part form
Leadership
Board & Executive roles
- URMIA - Board of Directors for the University Risk Management & Insurance Association, and liaison to the Communications Committee
- IAEM-UCC Standards Committee - Chair for the University & College Caucus of the International Association of Emergency Managers
- Gallagher Think Tanks - Invited to participate in selective national panels on emergency management and internship liability in higher education
- MERRAG - Former president and board member of the Montecito Emergency Response & Recovery Action Group
- The Academy of St John - Former chair and board member for a small private classical school
- Hope Community Church - Former elder, and chair of the administrative team for many years
- CAPPS - Board member of the California Association of Photocopiers & Process Servers (now CALSPro)
- WCSA - Student body president (the Westmont College Student Association)
Emergency Management
Current engagement
- MERRAG - Response team member
- Red Cross - Government Liaison and Disaster Action Team member
- ARES - Regular participant in the Amateur Radio Emergency Services organization, holding the FCC license of KR1SES
- MRC - Certified logistics volunteer for the Medical Reserve Corp
- VOAD - Trained for service as Emergency Operations Center liaison for Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster
- Potter's Clay - Active on-site management of risks associated with Westmont's spring break ministry program involving hundreds of students in Ensenada each year
Kudos
- Well-received presentations at numerous gatherings of various associations around the nation (IAEM/UCC, URMIA, NACUBO,WACUBO, ABACC, ISM, NIGP, CAPPO) on topics that range from managing foreign travel risks to enhancing procurement practices to being ready for disasters
- Employee of the Year at Westmont, 2005
- Certified Purchasing Manager credential from the Institute for Supply Management, 1997
- Manager of the Year at Santa Barbara County, 1996
- Life member of the Omikron Delta Kappa national men's honor society, 1974
- Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, 1974
- "Honors at Entrance" to Westmont, 1970
Fun Stuff
Travel
- North America
- US: 49 states so far; Alaska still ahead
- Canada: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria and others
- Mexico: over 150 days in the Republic; several on-duty trips each year since 1999
- Europe
- France; Portugal; Italy; Belgium; Netherlands; England
- Africa
- Dakar, Senegal
Transportation
- Cadillac STS to Maine and back with my 33 year old daughter, 2011. 27 entirely delightful days.
- Yamaha 750 to Canada with my dad on the back, 1978
- Amtrak: Seattle/Chicago/Dallas, 1984; Seattle/Salt Lake City, 1988; Portland/Denver, 1993; Vancouver, 2008
- Helicopter, submarine, catamaran, kayak on the Big Island when we won a 10-day all-expenses trip to Hawaii, 2002
- Bungee jump, Colorado 1993
- Aerobatics (flew upside down and rolling), 1984
- Jumped a freignt train (300 miles on a flatbed under an earth-mover), 1970
- Surfing and scuba diving, mid 70s
- Hitchhiked around California, early 70s
Gratitude
Family - Can't imagine how a marriage can be better. 22+ years with a most remarkable wife, and the blessing of two really amazing kids.
Faith - Living and supple, shaped in the last decade by the deep richness of Orthodox Christianity; informed by an upbringing in evangelical Christianity and the maturing years in Protestant Christianity and contemplative Buddhist practice--yielding the ability to appreciate and respect differences in perspective and commitment.
Foundation - The experience of living in 21 homes in 10 cities and attending 13 schools K-12 produced resilience, adaptability, and the ability to ramp up quickly when necessary--which has served well across the stages of career and circumstance.
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Troy Harris |