As spring arrives, we’re energized by the season of new ideas and fresh connections. To our RIMS Washington Chapter members and supporters—thank you for being part of this great community. We remain committed to bringing risk professionals together through meaningful learning opportunities and engaging networking experiences that help you stay informed, connected, and supported throughout the year.

Looking Back

APRIL – Thank you to everyone who joined our recent virtual session, “Litigation Trends & the Cost of Claims.” It was a valuable conversation on the growing impact of litigated liability claims and the factors driving increased costs across organizations.  Our 54 attendees were fortunate to hear from K Max Koonce II, Chief Claims Officer at Sedgwick and Harlan Stientjes, CPCU, SCLA, Claims Manager – Washington Cities Insurance Authority, who shared expert perspectives on the evolving litigation landscape from attorney advertising and third-party funding to social inflation and nuclear verdicts.

We appreciated learning a key takeaway from this session: while litigated claims may be relatively few, they continue to account for a disproportionate share of costs. Proactive strategies — including early investigation within the first two weeks, along with the use of data analytics, technology, and predictive modeling — are critical to improving outcomes and managing risk effectively.

MARCH – Our March Spring Social Mixer, Bloom. Connect. Grow., inspired our 65 guests at Miller Nash LLP’s office to enjoy a vibrant evening of engaging discussions, plenty of laughter, and of course, delicious food and beverages.  The night truly captured the spirit of our chapter – growing together and strengthening our network.  It was inspiring to see so many professionals come together to share ideas, build relationships, and celebrate the season.  Cheers to everyone who joined us – and we are looking forward to seeing you at our next outing!

FEBRUARY – We hope you were one of the 41 attendees who enjoyed our webinar, One Year Later: Geopolitical Updates and Their Impact on the Economy and Business Environment.  The global landscape continues to shift, and our dynamic and informative webinar broke down the latest geopolitical developments and their real-world impacts on the economy, businesses, and consumers.  Our discussion covered the emerging geopolitical risks, U.S. economic policy updates, the impact of tariffs, imports, and trade considerations and how to help risk and business professionals stay informed, anticipate change, and make smarter decisions in an evolving environment.

What’s Next

• Join fellow risk managers on May 19^th for a morning Risk Manager Roundtable, where you’ll have the opportunity to engage in candid discussions with your peers in a closed-session format. This forum is designed to explore the issues that matter most to you, exchange insights, and share best practices in a collaborative setting.

• Educational Webinar on June 2^nd hosted by Liberty Mutual. Details and sign-up information to be published soon.

• 2026 RIMS Western Regional Conference will be in Seattle October 4^th – 7th! RIMSWRC is the way to educate, connect and network with an exclusive group of industry professionals. The mission is to provide actionable content to risk and safety managers from medium and large companies, insurance professionals from both public and private sectors, financial professionals, and auditors.

• Under 35 or younger, and/or less than seven years in the industry? Get added to our Rising Risk Professional (RRP) mailing list to enjoy opportunities to socialize and learn in the company of your fellow RRPs.

Explore more opportunities to learn, connect, and get involved by visiting our Meetings & Events page. We’re excited to continue bringing timely, valuable programming to our members and welcome your ideas for future sessions that matter to you.

Get Involved

Thank you to our 2026 sponsors, their partnership supports our programs and member experiences.  To sustain and expand these high‑value offerings for our members, we invite organizations to join us as Chapter Sponsors. Partner with us and play a direct role in shaping meaningful programming for Washington’s risk and insurance community!

Want to contribute personally? Discover ways to volunteer with the chapter or participate on a committee here, or email us at president@warims.org

Thanks for being such an important part of our chapter—until next time!

Kristine Costanza and Megan Henshaw

RIMS WA Chapter Co-Presidents