Executive Director’s Message
To the WCRP Board of Directors:
The saying “drill your well before you’re thirsty” seems to be fitting as we look back at ourselves over the past several
years. The WCRP spent its first 30 years cultivating a stable and effective risk management resource for counties
throughout Washington. During that time, we grew in membership, grew financially, and grew in expertise.
At just the right time, the entire Board and membership made the intentional decision to start gearing up for what
the next 30 years might look like. We all felt a change was coming for counties. Staffing shortages, risk management
concerns, exploding litigation costs and rising insurance prices were all on our minds as we looked toward the future.
And collectively, we took action.
The vision: An organization providing focused, knowledgeable, and effective services to counties that would begin to
rely more and more on the Pool as their own staffing shortages and their own resources became depleted. It was by
no means an overnight success, but much like a farmer who sows a seed and tends to it over the course of time, the
WCRP never lost sight of the vision of what we had set out to become.
The result: A risk management team with experience in law enforcement, insurance and claims, focusing on both
known and unknown liability, property and cyber risks facing counties. Our risk team saw every member this past year,
reviewing contracts and looking closely at law enforcement, jail, cyber and other exposures.
A claims team that balances the needs of the county with the needs of the WCRP and the needs of the reinsurers. We
make early efforts to resolve claims that we know we have an exposure on and watch our costs closely as we defend
cases we feel are not owed.
A member services team that has re-invented what a risk pool’s training and education program can look like.
Managing the WCRP Member Programs, planning fun and educational conferences, and providing training that our
members actually need and that will actually drive down costs.
A finance team that has never lost sight of one of the most important reasons for the WCRP’s existence – financial and
member rating stability. Our finance team works every single day making sure the WCRP’s finances are well-managed,
that our bills - and staff - are paid, and that our own receivables are recovered. Our exceptional state audits year-after-
year are proof of the great work they do.
The WCRP is now ready for whatever comes our way and is prepared to support ourselves and our member counties
through the challenges we will no doubt face. A special thanks to our fantastic staff, our dedicated Executive and
Standing Committees, and our thoughtful and steadfast Board of Directors for guiding the WCRP through the changes
and challenges we faced these past few years. While there is still work to do, it feels great to see the results of our
hard work!
Best wishes,
Derek Bryan
WCRP Executive Director
