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2010 Speakers Catherine Aguilar Christine Baker, Executive Officer Donald R. Barthel, Esq., Partner Angela Bradstreet, State Labor Commissioner Martin Brady, Executive Director Nancy J. Brown, Esq., Partner Ronnie Caplane, Commissioner Ward Ching Adam Dombchik, Esq. Dennis Downing, President John C. Duncan, Director Mary E. Farrell, Esq., Partner Susan V. Hamilton, Assistant Secretary and Deputy Commissioner Scott G. Hauge, President William A. Henderson, Risk Manager - City Attorney’s Office Mary-Beth Hoyt-Dixon, Esq., Attorney Carlton Jacobson, CFO Lori C. Kammerer, Principal Steve Legg, CPCU, ARM, Director of Risk Management Monica Lichtenstein, Western and Central Regional Claims Manager Amy E. Lopes, Manager, Workers' Compensation & General Liability Sean McNally, Esq. Rosa Moran, Workers' Compensation Judge Alfonso J. Moresi, Commissioner Priscilla Morse, Director of Workers' Compensation Carrie Nevans, Acting Administrative Director Bernadette M. O'Brien, Esq., Of Counsel Destie Overpeck, Chief Counsel Fred O. Pachón, WCCP, CPDM, ARM, CRM Theo Pahos John J. Parente, Esq., Partner Barry S. Pearlman, Esq., Founder Jeffrey W. Pettegrew, Executive Director Tom Phillips, Risk Manager Rick Pires, Executive Director Rick Plein, Deputy Commissioner, Enforcement Branch Hernan C. Rivero, Senior Management Analyst - Risk Management Nicholas P. Roxborough, Esq., Managing Partner Vincent J. Scotto, III, Esq., Attorney Tracy Sturtevant, Esq., Partner Lachlan Taylor, Staff Judge Steven Wiesner, MD, Chief, Occupational Health Department Christine Baker Christine Baker is the Executive Officer of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers' Compensation (CHSWC) in San Francisco since its inception in 1994. She has served in several management capacities in the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) since 1984, including Chief of the Division of Labor Statistics and Research and Deputy Director for the Division of Workers' Compensation. Previously, Ms. Baker worked at various research organizations and taught college courses on US military bases in Japan and Korea and at the Confucian and Catholic Universities in Seoul, Korea. Under her leadership, CHSWC has grown into its role of overseeing the health, safety and workers' compensation systems in California and recommending administrative and legislative changes for improvement. CHSWC from the start has based its recommendations on findings from studies conducted by independent researchers, with the involvement of the entire community. Ms. Baker currently is a member of the executive committee of the International Association of Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC), a member of the advisory board for John Burton's Workers' Compensation Policy and Review. She is also a member of the steering committee for the Workers' Compensation Research Group. She is also a member of the National Academy of Social Insurance. Ms. Baker earned a Masters Degree and achieved Ph.D. candidacy at the School of Education, University of California, Berkeley. Donald R. Barthel, Esq. Donald Barthel graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with honors in 1986, and received his Juris Doctorate from U.C.L.A. in 1990. A Founding Partner of a statewide workers’ compensation defense firm with twelve offices, Bradford & Barthel, LLP, Mr. Barthel's entire legal career has been dedicated to the defense of employers' rights, particularly those involving workers' compensation matters. Having practiced in southern and northern California, he has appeared at virtually every WCAB district office in the state. Mr. Barthel’s clients number in the hundreds and include insurance carriers, TPAs, governmental entities, and private businesses, running the gamut from small start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Mr. Barthel, an acknowledged expert regarding the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, founded the B&B Rating Services in 2005. At last count, the rating service had successfully identified tens of millions of dollars in permanent disability savings for clients. Mr. Barthel is a Reviewer for the AMA Guides (6th), and the only non-physician on the Board of Advisors for the American Board of Independent Medical Examiners (ABIME), an organization established to enhance the quality of independent medical examinations in California, the US, and throughout the world. An accomplished public speaker, Mr. Barthel regularly addresses groups of workers’ compensation professionals—including adjusters, human resource directors, brokers, employer representatives, attorneys and physicians—throughout both California and the United States. Martin Brady Martin Brady is executive director of Schools Insurance Authority, a joint powers authority providing liability, property and workers’ compensation insurance to 34 school districts in northern California. Martin joined SIA in 1988 as wellness program manager and has been executive director since 1997. He is a strong advocate for pools and their potential for providing cost-effective, innovative services, particularly in the public sector arena. Martin is an active board member with the California Coalition for Workers’ Compensation (CCWC) and California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA). Nancy J. Brown, Esq. Nancy J. Brown received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business from Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, in 1981. She received her Juris Doctor in 1991 from Pacific Coast University College of Law in Long Beach, California. She was admitted to practice in 1992 and became a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation in September 1999. From 1981 to 1992 she worked exclusively in the medical field. This included consultation on a direct basis with physicians of various medical specialists including Orthopedic, Neurology, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, and Radiology. She has an extensive background and working knowledge of how the various medical specialties interact with Workers’ Compensation cases. Ms. Brown is a partner at Samuelsen, Gonzalez, Valenzuela & Brown. She specializes in workers’ compensation defense, and is a former President of the Long Beach Bar Association. Ms. Brown has been Chairperson of the Orange County State Bar Association/Workers’ Compensation section and has served as a Judge Pro-tem. She was also appointed to the State Bar’s Workers’ Compensation Law Advisory Commission in 2005, serving as Vice-Chairperson from 2007-2008, and beginning September of 2008, Ms. Brown will serve as the Chairperson until 2009. Ms. Brown currently works out of the Irvine office. WCAB decision published: Irvin v. WCAB/City of Los Angeles, 62 CCC 1297 (1997). Additional decisions can be sent to your attention per your request for any attorney. Ronnie Caplane The Honorable Ronnie Caplane serves as Commissioner on the California Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board where she reviews appeals from the 18 local workers’ compensation trial courts throughout the state. Every month the commission reviews and issues decisions on 300 to 350 cases. Ronnie received her law degree from Hastings College of the Law and was admitted to the California Bar in 1975. As a practicing attorney in San Francisco, she handled issues such as workers’ compensation, employment discrimination and personal injury. Adam Dombchik, Esq. Adam Dombchik began advocating for the rights of the injured early in his career. He started working for the firm while at Southwestern University School of Law, then joined full-time after graduation and was named partner in 2005. Mr. Dombchik received the Exceptional Achievement Award in Workers' Compensation Law & Practice from his alma mater. Recognized by the California State Bar as a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation , Mr. Dombchik sits on the Executive Board of the California Applicants' Attorneys Association, a 1,000-member statewide organization that advocates for injured workers' rights, and is a past president of the Southern California chapter. He has served as a delegate to the California State Bar's Conference of Delegates. He is also licensed to practice law in Florida. Mr. Dombchik received a Bachelor of Arts degree, with honors, from Pennsylvania State University in Speech Communication. Law & Politics magazine has named Mr. Dombchik a "Rising Star" among Southern California lawyers for three consecutive years. Dennis Downing Dennis Downing is CEO and Founder of Future Industrial Technologies (F.I.T.), an international organization with the goal of reducing workers’ compensation costs through effective injury prevention protocols. For over 11 years he has worked with companies large and small across America. Through the practical applications of BACKSAFE® and SITTINGSAFE® employees around the world have benefited from reduced injuries and improved quality of life, while companies have enjoyed lower work comp costs and increased employee morale. John C. Duncan John C. Duncan, for the second time in his career, has been appointed Director of the California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). Duncan has had a distinguished career in both state and federal service including an appointment as special assistant to former U.S. Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger. He assisted the Secretary in writing "Fighting for Peace," an autobiographical account of the Secretary’s years at the Pentagon. In 1987, he received the Secretary of Defense Award for Outstanding Public Service. His current state government appointment—by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on August 9, 2007—follows previous service to DIR that included chief deputy director and then DIR director from 1995 to 1999. From 1991, he was DIR deputy director of communications. As DIR Director, Duncan oversees a department with 2,700 employees and a $382 million budget. DIR is composed of eight divisions/programs including the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (Labor Commissioner’s Office) which enforces labor law in California, investigates wage claim disputes and discrimination complaints; the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) which monitors safety and health in the workplace through standards enforcement, consultation assistance to employers and training programs; the Division of Apprenticeship Standards which administers California law governing standards for wages, hours, working conditions and the specific skills required for state certification at the journey level of apprenticeable occupations; the Division of Labor Statistics and Research which publishes information on economic, employment, workplace safety and health statistics; and the Division of Workers’ Compensation which monitors administration of workers’ compensation claims and assists in resolving disputes over claims for workers’ compensation benefits. He also serves as the administrator of apprenticeship and as an ex-officio member of the State Compensation Insurance Fund Board of Directors. Prior to his current appointment, he was Chair of the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) from March 2004 and was a member of Governor Schwarzenegger’s transition team where he was charged with handling issues and personnel for the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Duncan has also had significant private sector experience in labor and regulatory matters. He was president of Duncan Consulting, Inc. where he designed communications strategy for corporate, legal and governmental clients and specialized in navigating labor-related regulatory issues. He was also president and COO of Magnitude Information Systems, a company specializing in software and internet solutions for preventing workplace injuries, for several years. As part of his federal service, Duncan was an assistant to the secretary at the U.S. Department of Defense and special assistant to the deputy assistant secretary of defense for International Security Affairs, East Asia and Pacific Affairs. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, with a bachelor's degree in history and of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government with a master's in public administration. Duncan is a board member of the Yosemite National Institute and the immediate past president of the Industrial Relations Association of Northern California, and a former chair of the California Employment Training Panel. Mary E. Farrell, Esq. As the founding partner of the Farrell Law Group, Mary has extensive experience defending wrongful termination cases, handling employment discrimination and harassment matters, and providing preventative advice to both private and public employers. Mary counsels employers on all aspects of employer-employee relations including privacy issues, proprietary rights/trade secret conflicts, wage and hour laws, personnel policies, and employee leave issues. By offering preventative advice, Mary assists employers in reducing the incidence of litigation. When litigation is imminent, however, Mary provides employers with an alternative to expensive and protracted litigation. As an effective advocate, Mary has experienced significant success in resolving disputes short of trial by way of dispositive motions and/or settlement negotiations. In addition to her employment law practice, Mary has handled complex business litigation and intellectual property matters. Susan V. Hamilton Susan V. Hamilton currently serves as a Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Secretary to the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Her primary responsibility is to oversee the preparation of opinions and orders on petitions for reconsideration, removal and/or disqualification. Prior to her current assignment she was the presiding judge of the San Francisco WCAB District Office as well as a workers’ compensation judge assigned to the San Francisco District Office. She also served as a judge on the staff of the Office of the Administrative Director during the tenures of Ad John O’Sullivan and Casey Young. She served as an Acting Deputy Administrative Director during the tenure of Ad Richard Gannon. Scott G. Hauge Scott G. Hauge is the President and owner of CAL Insurance & Associates, Inc., located at 2311 Taraval Street, San Francisco. The company was founded in 1927 and currently has 31 employees. The agency specializes in providing insurance for small to medium sized businesses. Mr. Hauge has been a leading advocate in paving the way for small and medium sized businesses. He has introduced government legislation that has affected business on local, state and national levels. He is considered one of the insurance industry’s leaders in setting guidelines and has received numerous awards and countless commendations for his efforts. Mr. Hauge is renowned for his knowledge and how to best protect and serve the business community. He is currently a member of over 20 boards and commissions in San Francisco and California. He is the founder of the San Francisco Small Business Advocates and most recently, Small Business California. William A. Henderson Bill Henderson has spent over 33 years working for public agencies in the risk management field. He has been the risk manager for the City of Livermore for the past 13 years. As such, he has represented Livermore on the Board of Directors on the California Joint Powers Risk Management Authority, CJPRMA, holding the position of President from 2000 – 2006, and the Local Agency Workers’ Compensation Excess Joint Powers Authority, or LAWCX, where he currently holds the position of Treasurer. Prior to coming to Bay Area, Bill was Risk Manager for the City of Port Angeles, Washington. Bill works in the City Attorney’s Office, where his current duties include, managing claims and tort litigation, the City’s insurance portfolio, workers’ compensation, employee health and safety, contract review and approval for indemnification and insurance requirements, all certificates of insurance, and his newest responsibility is permitting all special events in Livermore, especially in it’s revitalized downtown. Carlton Jacobson Carlton Jacobson received a BS degree in Business Administration and a B.S. degree computer science at Pacific Union College in 1982. During his career has worked in the accounting and business field in Laboratories, nursing homes, retirement centers and hospitals. He began his work in hospitals in 1987 where he accepted a position as Controller with Valley Community Hospital, a 70 bed acute care hospital in Santa Maria, Ca. In 1993 he accepted a position as Controller with Simi Valley Hospital and Health Care Services, a 225 bed acute facility in Simi Valley, Ca. In 2000 he accepted a position as VP of Finance with Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital a 25 bed Critical Access Hospital in beautiful Willits, Ca. Here he oversees all financial operations and with the executive team sets direction for hospital growth. Carlton in his position has been instrumental business development and cost control at Howard Memorial Hospital. These efforts have increased net patient revenue by over 400%, moving the bottom line from a 5.2% loss to over 13% profit margin. At Howard Memorial Hospital we are proud of the accomplishments in the area of workers' compensation control where we have in conjunction with Future Industrial Technology implemented a program to reduce loss claims by over 10 fold saving the hospital over $500-600 thousand per year. Lori C. Kammerer Lori C. Kammerer is recognized nationally as a leading authority on policy issues affecting California's Workers' Compensation System. Lori has represented the business community as Executive Director of the California Coalition on Workers' Compensation from 1987-2002. More recently, she founded Kammerer & Company and serves as the Legislative and Workers' Compensation Policy Director for employers and trade associations across the state. In addition, she serves as an advisor to several boards, commissions and task forces including the California Commission on Health & Safety & Workers' Compensation, The RAND Corporation, the California State Council of Laborers, and numerous chambers of commerce. Steve Legg, CPCU, ARM Steve Legg is the director of risk management for Seattle based Starbucks Coffee Company and he has been with the company since 1997. Steve’s responsibilities include global property and casualty insurance, claims management and risk financing activities. Prior to joining Starbucks in 1997 Steve worked as an independent insurance agent, and also as an adjuster of workers’ compensation and general liability claims. Steve served on the Board of the Washington State Chapter of the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS) for seven years, serving as President of the Chapter during the 2005-2006 year. Steve has been an active participant within National RIMS and has served as a speaker to insurance industry groups such as the CPCU Society, the Professional Liability Underwriter’s Society (PLUS) and the Marine Insurance Association of Seattle. Steve has also served as a speaker on insurance and risk management to local high schools and universities. Steve has a degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from the University of California at Berkeley, and holds the chartered property & casualty underwriter (CPCU) and associate in risk management (ARM) designations. Amy E. Lopes Amy joined the Save Mart team in 1989. The past eight years of her career have been spent within the Risk Management Department as a Field Supervisor. All of Amy’s experience paid off when in October of 2007, Amy was promoted to Manager of Workers’ Compensation and General Liability. As a manager, she oversees a workers’ compensation program for over 22,000 employees. Amy’s duties entail, integrating risk and safety information from a multitude of sources, and translating that data into action. In addition, Amy has daily interaction with Save Mart's Third-Party Administrator in order to mitigate claim costs. A vital part of Save Mart’s cost-containment program is the Save Mart MPN Network. By working with the MPN Coordinator, she provides guidance in provider selection and other aspects of the MPN network operation of behalf of Save Mart Supermarkets. Sean McNally, Esq. Sean McNally is the vice president of human resources and legal counsel for Grimmway Farms in Bakersfield, California. He is certified by the State Bar of California as a specialist in workers’ compensation law. He is a licensed general contractor and serves as a trustee for the Self Insurer’s Security Fund. His community activities include serving on the Kern Adult Literacy Council Board of Directors as the president, and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Golden Empire Gleaners and the Board of Trustees for Garces Memorial High School. He is a graduate of the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and was a partner at the law firm of Hanna, Brophy, MacLean, McAleer and Jensen. He graduated from the University of San Francisco with bachelor's degrees in English and Theology. Following that, he did graduate studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem Israel. Alfonso J. Moresi The Honorable Alfonso Moresi is a commissioner on the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board in California. He has served as a workers’ compensation defense attorney and has represented insurance carriers, employers and government entities for 34 years. Mr. Moresi has served as a senior partner at the law firm, Laughlin Falbo Levy & Moresi, LLP since 1985. Fred O. Pachón, WCCP, CPDM, ARM, CRM Mr. Fred Pachón brought to Select staffing “Enterprise Risk Management in 2001.” As a result, his program has saved the company close to $200 million of what could have been a costly liability. That’s how important Risk Management is to Select’s bottom line. It is the company’s second-greatest expense after payroll. Along with sales, Risk Management plays a major role in driving the company forward. Fred originally joined Select in 2001 on a short-term assignment as a Workers’ Compensation Consultant. Soon after delivering his initial risk assessment report, the company offered him a full-time position as Corporate Risk-Insurance Manager. Fred now leads a Risk Management department with over 60 safety, claims, and underwriting professionals. His program is considered the most sophisticated and successful risk program in the staffing industry and among the best in the nation. Under Fred’s direction, Select has implemented an innovative Risk Management program that encompasses the very essence and principals of this doctrine; risk avoidance, risk detouring, risk transferring and risk reduction. Some of his most innovative initiatives include the development of a risk dashboard, attorney performance benchmark, investigators performance reports, TPA quarterbacks, etc. This program touches almost every part of the company and it includes key activities, such as comprehensive review and purchase of insurance policies, review of contracts, safety training, safety incentives, and in-depth claims management. The programs have been extraordinarily successful, reducing injuries and dramatically decreasing the number of workers’ compensation claims filed by the employees. In addition, the program has had exceptional results in the area of general liability, EPLI, Crime and other insurance lines. In 2008, Select's Risk Management program was awarded 2 prestigious awards: Risk Innovator of the year by Risk & Insurance magazine and National Underwriter-NCCI award for Excellence in Workers’ Comp/Risk Management. Lastly in April of 2009, Fred Pachon was named Risk Manager of the year. This is the highest award in risk management. This was sponsored by Business Insurance & RIMS (Risk & Insurance Management Society) Today, Fred is responsible for managing all of Select’s insurance matters, including 14 lines of coverage, from workers’ compensation to general insurance. He is also the General Manager of Select’s TradeForce construction-focused division, where he is involved in everything from pricing to selling. In addition, he was recently asked to head a heath-wellness program for his company. Fred has over 20 years of experience in the insurance field. He has worked as a Claims Adjuster for Republic Indemnity (Great American), an SIU Investigator for Industrial Indemnity, a special investigator for the department of insurance, and a Unit Claims Supervisor for Crum & Foster. He was also employed as a Disability Manager for Western General, a Regional Safety-Claims Manager for Monarch Life, and a Consultant for Heritage Life & Disability. Additionally, Fred has worked on a contract basis for several insurance carriers, including Hartford-ITT Insurance, Royal Macabees, Pen-Mutual, Lumberman Insurance Company, and Monarch Life Insurance, successfully negotiating hundreds of claims for each carrier. In 1997, Fred served as the Risk/Claims Manager for OneSource, a service company with more than 45,000 employees nationwide. He was instrumental in reducing the company’s losses from $33 million to $17 million over a period of 24 months. In addition to Fred’s extensive work experience, he has acquired key professional designations. These include CPDM (Certified Professional in Disability Management), WCCP (Workers’ Compensation Claims Professional), and ARM (Associate in Risk Management), OSHA-Certified and licensed by the State of California to run a Self-Insured Program. Mr. Pachón’s educational background includes a degree in Business Administration. He was involved in the California Workers’ reform and has given numerous lectures and presentations to peers and other professionals at different venues and forums. He is an active member of RIMS (Risk & Insurance Management Society) and serves in 2 advisory boards for 2 large insurance companies. John J. Parente, Esq. John Parente started in the workers’ compensation industry as a claims examiner with the State Compensation Insurance Fund while attending law school. While at SCIF, John worked on Uninsured Employer Fund Claims, Longshore and Harbor Worker Claims, State Fund employee Claims and Reinsurance Claims. He also wrote policies and procedures for claims handling and reserving. He also obtained his certification as an Administrator of Self-Insurance Plans. John is the founding partner of Parente & Christopher. He specializes in representing self-insured employers in defense of workers’ compensation and other employment related claims. He also consults with insured employers regarding the handling of their claims and insurance rating issues. He is a past president of both the Northern California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorney and the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys Associations. He is a Judge Pro-Temp at the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. John also serves as an expert witness in the areas of claims handling of workers’ compensation and re-insurance claims. Barry S. Pearlman, Esq. Barry Pearlman, who founded Pearlman, Borska & Wax with a loan from his parents, started the firm as a sole practitioner in May 1984. In addition to maintaining a full case load, he is the managing partner of the firm. Barry specializes in the litigation of workers’ compensation matters involving complex legal and factual issues, representing employers, insurance carriers, and third-party administrators, in coverage disputes, defense of workers’ compensation claims and other employment law issues. He is an experienced litigator with numerous successes before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, Superior Court and the California Court of Appeals. As a respected member of the Workers’ Compensation community, Barry is a frequent lecturer and instructor on current trends in procedure, law and strategy. His comprehensive approach has made him a popular presenter to insurance carriers and employer groups across the country. Out of his commitment to the legal profession and the Workers’ Compensation community, Barry acts as an Arbitrator for the State Bar of California, has previously served on the Governor’s Workers’ Compensation Community Task Force and the Administrative Director’s Advisory Committees on Permanent Disability and Medical Provider Networks. Barry has twice served as President of the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys’ Association and served six years as President of the Southern California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys’ Association. He is a member of the State Bar of California admitted to practice before all Courts in the State of California and the United States District Court. Most know Barry as an avid traveler and is involved in community affairs. He has been happily married since 1983 and has two lovely children of whom he is so very proud. Jeffrey W. Pettegrew Since 2004, Jeffrey W. Pettegrew serves as the first Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the California Self Insurers’ Security Fund (SISF). He previously served 12 years as Vice President of Risk Management & Insurance for Westaff, an international staffing company with 48,000 employees headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA, where he designed and managed a complex self-funded workers compensation, liability and employee benefits program covering all employees of the company. Prior to that, he was Chief Administrative Officer for 10 years of the Contra Costa Municipal Risk Management Insurance Authority, where he pioneered one of the nation’s first self-insured and self-administered joint powers authority pools which provided workers comp, liability, property, safety and health coverage to 18 municipalities. Former Assistant City Manager of Walnut Creek, he also served as the first Risk Manager for the cities of Walnut Creek and Sunnyvale. In a parallel role over the years, Mr. Pettegrew has enjoyed serving as a risk management consultant designing complex self-insured joint powers authorities and configuring various program components for self-insured public and private entities. Mr. Pettegrew was named "Risk Manager of the Year" in 1989 by Business Insurance magazine (the only public entity risk mgr. designee in its 32 year history) and was the standing Chairman of the Business Insurance National Workers Compensation Conference for 9 years. He also served as President of the Public Agency Risk Managers Association (PARMA); the California Joint Powers Association (CAJPA) – wherein he was a founding member; as well as President of the Golden Gate Chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS). During the past 30 years, Jeff has a frequent lecturer and spokesperson at various regional and national conferences and workshops around the country, and has appeared on CNN and 60 Minutes regarding complex risk management issues. He has taught at doctoral level classes in insurance at Golden Gate University as well as ARM courses. He has served as an expert witness in state and federal complex, insurance-related litigation and special studies. In addition, he continues to meet with organizations, and lawmakers on self-insurance issues, including testimony at all levels of government. A former Captain (Administration and Protocol) in the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Pettegrew handled VIP arrangements for the White House; Congress and the Pentagon in California and Iceland. He earned a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, Hayward; a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Denison University, Granville, Ohio; and an Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation. Rick Plein Rick Plein is the Deputy Commissioner of the Enforcement Branch for the California Department of Insurance (CDI), which consists of two investigative units—the Fraud Division and the Investigation Division. Mr. Plein has more than 19 years of law enforcement experience beginning as a CDI fraud investigator, and then as a supervisor, chief investigator, and bureau chief. He has extensive managerial and program experience in planning and directing statewide law enforcement operations. The Fraud Division oversees five major anti-fraud programs: Automobile, Organized Automobile Insurance Fraud Activity Interdiction, Workers’ Compensation, Property/Casualty/Life, and Disability/Health Care. The Investigation Division enforces the criminal and administrative laws related to insurance agents, brokers and insurance companies, specifically Premium Theft, Senior Citizen Abuse, Title Insurance and Bail Bond issues. As Deputy Commissioner, Mr. Plein provides program planning and oversight, budget control, training, outreach, state and regional case development, and strategic planning to the Enforcement Branch. Mr. Plein has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Fullerton. Hernan C. Rivero Hernan has held the position of Senior Management Analyst for the Santa Clara Valley Water District since 2003. Prior to joining the water District Hernan was the HR Manager for a metal plating company in Hayward, California, 2001-2002, HR Manager and Acting Controller for a Labor Law E-Training start-up 1998-2001, General Manager at Western Digital Instrumentation, managing the Printer Division, 1996-1998. Hernan was also an independent contractor for US Leasing, AT&T Capital Corporation and E.I. DuPont de Nemours, 1989-1996. He was also a corporate trainer for Lucky Stores, Inc. having trained over 400 employees in 8 divisions nationwide. Hernan is responsible for the workers’ compensation administration for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and also responsible for the ergonomics program administration reporting to the Risk Manager working closely with the District’s Employee Health & Safety manager. Hernan manages all Districts’ workers’ compensation claims and is responsible for the prompt return to work of injured workers. He has served as interim EH&S Unit manager and has been directly involved in various employee health and safety initiatives of the District. He is the liaison between the TPA and the injured workers providing assistance when needed. He plays an integral role in the District’s Safety Committee, and through his active participation he has developed simple yet comprehensive metrics to timely provide management with information relevant to injuries and illnesses. In 5 years of Hernan’s tenure the recordable claims have decreased from 75 in 2003 to 26 in 2007, a decrease of 65%. He obtained his BS in Business Administration, Personnel Management at San Jose State University. He has completed an Advanced Human Resources program at Notre Dame de Nemours University, and holds a Project Management Certificate from UC Santa Cruz. Nicholas P. Roxborough, Esq. Nicholas P. Roxborough is the co-managing partner at the Los Angeles County based firm of Roxborough, Pomerance Nye & Adreani LLP (RPNA), the first law firm in the country to specialize in representing employers nationwide in workers’ compensation premium disputes. He is a leading expert and has represented businesses including TPA’s, in all aspects of insurance and employers’ rights issues through litigation, legislation and public policy. A well-known and nationally respected trial attorney, he is quoted in numerous employer and insurance trade journals, legal and business publications, and newspapers, and is regularly invited to present at insurance, legal and risk management conferences. Vincent J. Scotto, III, Esq. Having practiced personal injury and workers' compensation law since 1979, Vincent Scotto has learned how to recognize and best serve the needs of clients in crisis due to disability or death. He also learned that small practices provide the greatest attention and results. Since founding the Law Offices of Vincent J. Scotto, III, they have provided the level of personal, hands-on attention our clients expect and deserve. In appreciation, our clients have continually referred friends and family to us; we are honored by their trust. Vincent is respected throughout the legal community and commonly receives referrals from doctors and other attorneys. Mr. Scotto practices in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice and workers’ compensation law; with 100% of his practice devoted to litigation. Mr. Scotto is a Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation through the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has presented numerous seminars in the area of workers’ compensation and subrogation. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California, San Mateo Trial Lawyers Association where he is the Former President, Emeritus Board Member, the California Applicants Attorneys Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice, and the San Francisco Italian American Bar Association. Tracy Sturtevant, Esq. Tracy Sturtevant, a UCL:A law graduate and partner with Gray & Prouty represented injured workers for two years before moving to the defense firm of Allen, Rhodes & Sobelsohn in 1986. In 1997, she opened the Santa Barbara office of Gray & Prouty, moving to the San Francisco Bay area office in 2004. For over 20 years, Tracy has protected the interests of carriers, self-insured employers and adjusting agencies on all issues before the WCAB. An attorney whose secret wish is to be a teacher, Tracy believes that education and communication are vital to assist employers in controlling comp costs. She has spoken at and coordinated past CEM seminars, coordinates her firm's speaking engagements, and she often speaks on and writes articles about workers' compensation law issues for employers and carriers. Lachlan Taylor Lachlan Taylor is a Workers’ Compensation Judge serving on the staff of the Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation (CHSWC) since January 1, 2004. Prior to working with the Commission, Judge Taylor served as a trial judge since 1995 at the Sacramento and later at the Oakland offices of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board. Previously he was a Senior Staff Counsel at the State Compensation Insurance Fund and in a private workers’ compensation practice he represented employers, insurers and public agencies. Mr. Taylor began practicing law representing injured workers in 1975. Steven Wiesner, MD Steven Wiesner, M.D. is a physiatrist and Chief of the Occupational Health Department and Co chief of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Oakland, California. He serves as the Medical Director for the Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, California Workers’ Compensation Department-Northern California and is the National Physician Advisor for Kaiser Permanente’s Integrated Disability Management Program. Dr. Wiesner received his undergraduate and medical training at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed his internship and residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Northwestern University Medical School/Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. Following completion of his residency, Dr. Wiesner continued at Northwestern University, as a faculty member, as well as developing two outpatient musculoskeletal clinics. Dr. Wiesner joined The Permanente Medical Group in 1994 where he provides clinical care to injured and ill workers as well as services requested directly by employers, including preemployment evaluations, medical surveillance, fitness-for-duty assessments and work site evaluations. Dr. Wiesner has a special interest in disability management and is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and the California Medical Association.
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