The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) congratulates Audrey Cray, finance and risk manager for the City of Pacific Grove, who received the 10th annual Capstone Award at the California JPIA’s 28th Annual Risk Management Educational Forum in Carlsbad.
“Audrey is deserving of this award for so many reasons,” said California JPIA Senior Risk Manager Tim Karcz. “I think one of the best reasons is that she’s a very proactive risk manager. She’s very attentive. She is involved in every single operation within the city, whether it be the police department, parks and recreation, or city hall and administration.”
Cray upholds Pacific Grove’s culture of safety by initiating programs, hosting California JPIA-sponsored training sessions, and facilitating city-wide safety meetings. She also shares information about organization-wide training goals and provides quarterly reports to the Pacific Grove City Council on workers’ compensation information, including claim statistics and safety program efforts.
“I think one of the more innovative projects that Audrey spearheaded was the Safety Incentive Program,” said Karcz. “It’s a very employee-focused program, one that rewards and incentivizes safety performance and being involved in worker safety in general.”
The Safety Incentive Program requires departments to participate in basic safety activities and rewards employees who go above and beyond the standard requirements.
“Audrey has done fabulous work on the city’s Safety Incentive Program,” said Pacific Grove Administrative Services Director and Interim City Manager Victoria Hannah. “Audrey jumped right in. She has the personality to really bring people together.”
The Capstone Award is presented annually to an individual at a California JPIA member agency who exemplifies the practice of risk management by supporting risk management efforts, coordinating risk management goals and programs, and mitigating risk exposures for their agency.
The 2023 finalists also included:
- Alexa Davis, Assistant City Manager, City of Rolling Hills Estates
- Heather Reiter, Training and Safety Specialist, Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
- Linda Reid, City Clerk / Human Resources Director, City of Buellton
- Raylette Felton, Deputy City Manager / Human Resources and Risk Manager, City of Lawndale
“I would like to thank the California JPIA for this esteemed award,” said Cray. “Being nominated alongside such amazing risk managers was an honor in itself, and to have won is a deeply meaningful milestone in my professional journey.”
To learn more about the Capstone Award and view the finalist videos, visit the award webpage.
Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 45 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 125 member cities and other governmental agencies. Members actively participate in shaping the organization to provide important coverage for their operations. The California JPIA provides innovative risk management solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services, including liability, workers’ compensation, pollution, property, and earthquake coverage, as well as extensive training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.
