The RIMS Annual Conference and Exhibition not only affords Sedgwick the opportunity to connect with thousands of risk management professionals, but also provides an important platform for giving back to the community and empowering others to join us in demonstrating that “caring counts.” At the 2017 RIMS conference, held April 23–26 in Philadelphia, Sedgwick participated in three noteworthy charitable projects.
The conference reception, hosted by the Spencer Educational Foundation, served as the perfect venue for us to announce Sedgwick’s $100,000 pledge to endow a scholarship in memory of our late, beloved colleague Steve Penman. The Spencer Foundation is the premier organization funding the education of tomorrow’s risk management and insurance leaders through grants and scholarships. The merit-based Penman scholarship will, beginning in 2018, be awarded annually to one undergraduate college student of risk management, insurance, actuarial science or business who meets the foundation’s eligibility guidelines.
Penman cared deeply about Sedgwick, our colleagues, our clients and the industry, so the establishment of an academic scholarship in his name at the Spencer Foundation is a very fitting tribute to his legacy.
As Sedgwick’s President and CEO Dave North told those at the Spencer reception, Penman worked for Sedgwick from 1978 until his retirement in 2016 and played an integral role in our growth from a small workers’ compensation third party administrator to a leading global provider of innovative business solutions. During his tenure, he served in a variety of leadership roles, including chief information officer, director of casualty operations, executive vice president of specialty operations and chief operating officer.
Penman cared deeply about Sedgwick, our colleagues, our clients and the industry, so the establishment of an academic scholarship in his name at the Spencer Foundation is a very fitting tribute to his legacy. There is a pressing need to attract young talent to the risk management and insurance profession, and programs like the Penman Memorial Scholarship enable the foundation to pave the way for the next generation of industry leaders.
Sedgwick also partnered with Spencer on the 5K FunRun at RIMS by serving as the event’s presenting sponsor. The FunRun launched three years ago as a wellness offering at the conference and Sedgwick has been instrumental in growing the race into a major RIMS attraction. The enthusiasm and support from the broader risk management community has been remarkable; this year’s event drew nearly 250 participants and raised $100,000 for the foundation’s scholarships, internship grants and other experiential learning opportunities.
Sedgwick’s charitable work with Spencer at this year’s RIMS conference will have a positive impact on our industry for years to come, but we also wanted to leave a lasting mark on the local Philadelphia community. During our time in the City of Brotherly Love, we joined forces with the Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI), which provides dynamic professional development opportunities to early literacy teachers to help them cultivate children’s love of reading. Sedgwick donated $10,000 in support of the CLI’s Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN), a free, online knowledge management system that provides early-grade educators and school district partners with training modules, lesson plans, checklists and video demonstrations. Since its inception last year, LEARN has reached more than 7,600 teachers.
Additionally, we collected donations from our colleagues and industry friends to purchase more than 100 books for classrooms in need. More about Sedgwick’s partnership with the CLI is featured on our blog.
As a responsible corporate citizen, Sedgwick is committed to giving back to the community. One of our philanthropic focus areas is enhancing the accessibility of quality educational opportunities. Our partnerships with Spencer and CLI at the 2017 RIMS conference provided the perfect avenues for fulfilling our responsibility to the community during a busy and exciting week in Philadelphia.