The Division of Workers’ Compensation has announced the winners of the 2016 Carrie Nevans Community Service Award. Both recipients are commissioners on the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC). This year’s award recipient in Southern California is Martin Brady, the Schools Insurance Authority executive director. Christy Bouma, Capitol Connection president, is the Northern California recipient. The awards will be presented at the upcoming 23rd annual DWC educational conference luncheons.
Martin Brady is the executive director of the Schools Insurance Authority in Sacramento, where he has worked since 1998. He was appointed by the Governor to CHSWC in 2012 to represent employers. Over the course of his career, Mr. Brady has also served as a member of the California Joint Powers Authority, the California Coalition on Workers’ Compensation, the Public Agency Risk Managers Association, the Public School Risk Institute, the Association of Governmental Risk Pools, and the Public Risk Management Association. He has worked tirelessly to ensure that public employer needs and concerns are addressed in the workers’ compensation system, including in the SB 863 reforms, and he has been instrumental in supporting programs to prevent workers’ compensation injuries that have helped to reduce costs for employers and protect California employees.
Christy Bouma is the president of Capitol Connection in Sacramento. She was appointed by the Governor to CHSWC in 2012 to represent labor. Ms. Bouma has supported the California Professional Firefighters, the California School Employees Association government advocacy team, the State Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Service Employees International Union on special legislative projects. She is affiliated with the Institute of Government Advocates, the Leadership California Institute, and the CompScope Advisory Committee of the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute. She has been a critical partner in supporting the recent workers’ compensation reforms and preserving benefits for workers in the state, especially those involved in public safety.
The DWC’s 23rd annual educational conference is the largest workers’ compensation training in the state and allows claims administrators, attorneys, medical providers, return to work specialists, employers, and others to learn about the most recent developments in the system as well as ongoing DWC programs. The Los Angeles conference (February 25-26) at the LAX Marriott is almost sold out; registration is still open for the Oakland training (March 3-4) at the Oakland Marriott City Center Hotel.