The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) congratulates Training and Loss Control Specialist Ryan Thomas, who celebrated his five-year anniversary with the Authority this January.

During his time on staff, Thomas has excelled in curriculum development, learning, and training. The integration of new, virtual learning environments in 2020 has extended his expertise in broadcast technology and webinar and teleconferencing platforms.

“Last year, Ryan jumped in feet first to learn Zoom and ON24, the Authority’s primary meeting, webcasting, and virtual event platforms,” said Assistant Executive Officer Norm Lefmann. “He stepped up as an educator and as a technological expert to leverage the platforms above and beyond typical use.”

Thomas, who holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Long Beach, has extensive experience in local government. He joined the Authority from the City of Costa Mesa, where he served as a principal human resources analyst for 10 years. Thomas previously worked for the cities of Bellflower and Paramount, where he had the opportunity to collaborate with Authority staff regarding workers’ compensation matters.

Thomas was drawn to the Authority, he said, by the idea of working with member agencies and providing the support that he wished he had when he worked for Costa Mesa: “Access to the California JPIA’s policy templates, advice, guidance, and training is the absolute, ultimate support system for municipal human relations and risk management staff members.”

As part of his role assisting in the development and implementation of the Authority’s curriculum—including the short-take training video series—Thomas designs courses, evaluates current training, manages instructors and consultants, and ensures that programming adheres to agreed-upon learning objectives and standards. His position bridges the gap between training and risk management by augmenting the already-strong training team with a resource who has first-hand understanding of risk management claims.

“Through his team attitude and strong interest in working with others across the organization, Ryan has built valuable relationships,” said Lefmann. “His acumen for identifying solutions for unique training needs has a direct impact on our members.”

“I enjoy working with our members and instructors to develop training that keeps employees safe and mitigates losses to the pool,” said Thomas.

Congratulations, Ryan, on your five-year anniversary!

Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 40 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 120 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 risk management training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.