Free | Virtual | Thursday, November 6, 2025
The 7th Annual
Risk Management Conference
This free, virtual, one-day event brings together housing leaders, risk professionals, and safety champions from across the country for a day of timely, actionable content. Whether you’re managing day-to-day risk or preparing for the unexpected, you’ll walk away with practical insights to strengthen your organization’s preparedness, response, and resilience.
What’s new for 2025
Following a record turnout of nearly 700 registrants in 2024, this year’s conference builds on that momentum with a fresh focus on business continuity and crisis response.
Topics on the 2025 agenda include:
> Natural disaster statistics and scenarios
> Business continuity planning basics
> A business continuity plan in action (panel discussion)
> Post-event recovery and strategy
> Responding to a cyber incident
Scroll for more details.
What attendees are saying
“I signed up with an eye toward the cybersecurity risk management session but found myself really enjoying all of the topics that were covered. There were several pearls of wisdom I was able to share with my team… Let’s be honest, sometimes virtual meetings can be noise in the background—this has never been the case with the HAI Group virtual risk management conferences!”
— Adam Ragsdale, 2024 Attendee, Missoula Housing Authority
Agenda
|
SESSION & PRESENTER |
OVERVIEW |
KEY TAKEAWAYS |
WHO SHOULD ATTEND |
|---|---|---|---|
|
11–12 p.m. ET Session Title:
|
Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and intensity, posing significant challenges to housing providers and the communities they serve. This session examines national and regional trends in natural disasters, explores how these events affect public and affordable housing, and highlights data-driven insights that can help organizations prepare for future risks. |
Interpret current data and trends on natural disaster frequency and impact.
|
Ideal for housing executives, risk managers, property managers, maintenance and facilities professionals, insurance agents and brokers, and others involved in emergency preparedness, planning, or policy development across the public and affordable housing industry. |
|
12–1:30 p.m. ET Session Title: Panel Discussion: A Business Continuity Plan in Action
Vince Pearson, HAI Group Board Member, Risk Manager, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (California) |
This session offers a high-level overview of the purpose, value, and essential aspects of a business continuity plan (BCP). Participants will gain an understanding of why a BCP is key to building operational resilience within a housing agency and how to avoid common pitfalls that leaders often encounter when starting to draft their plans. The session will also introduce a free online tool created for HAI Group that can be used to develop a customized BCP. |
Understand the core purpose and value of a business continuity plan. Identify key components that make a BCP effective and actionable. Recognize and avoid common challenges when developing a plan. Strengthen organizational resilience through proactive planning. Utilize a free online tool to create and maintain a business continuity plan. |
Ideal for organizational leaders, risk managers, property managers, maintenance and facilities professionals, insurance agents and brokers, and others responsible for operational planning and risk management within the multifamily housing industry. |
|
1:30–2:30 p.m. ET Session Title: Expert Talk: Post-Event Recovery and Strategy |
When disaster strikes, multifamily housing organizations are on the front lines of response and recovery. This session explores how to navigate the critical post-event period to restore operations, assist affected communities, and build long-term resilience. |
Execute key steps in post-event response and recovery. Avoid common mistakes that slow or complicate recovery efforts. Coordinate effectively with emergency services, external partners, and insurance carriers. Strengthen organizational readiness and Apply lessons learned from past events to |
Ideal for organizational leaders, |
|
2:30–3:30 p.m. ET Session Title: Cybersecurity Spotlight: Responding to a Cyber Incident David Anderson, Principal and Cybersecurity Consultant at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) David Nowacki, Director of CLA |
Cyber incidents are an ever-growing threat requiring true resilience. This session explores how to build a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy that integrates prevention, detection, response, and recovery to minimize disruption and protect critical operations. Participants will learn best practices for strengthening system resilience, coordinating effective response efforts, and aligning business continuity and disaster recovery planning with cybersecurity objectives. |
Identify essential components of a resilient cybersecurity strategy. |
Ideal for IT leaders, cybersecurity professionals, risk managers, executive teams, and others responsible for safeguarding organizational systems, data, and operations against cyber incidents. |
Meet Our Presenters
Kelly McElwain
Director of Research, Public and Affordable Housing Research Corporation (PAHRC), HAI Group
Kelly manages PAHRC’s data tools, research, and webinars on affordable housing programs. Her research focuses on affordable housing preservation and the initiatives housing providers undertake to improve resident outcomes. Before joining PAHRC in 2014, she assisted nonprofits with research projects, donor stewardship, and grant writing as an intern and consultant.
Kelly holds a master’s degree in public policy and a certificate in survey research from the University of Connecticut, and a bachelor’s degree in policy studies from Syracuse University.
Melanie Lockwood Herman, Esq.
Executive Director, Nonprofit Risk Management Center
Melanie has served as executive director of the Nonprofit Risk Management Center since 1996 and has held senior management positions in the nonprofit sector since 1987. She is the principal author of more than 20 books on risk management topics, including her latest, Possibilities: A Risk Management Guide for Nonprofit Teams, published in September 2025.
She is a 15-time member of The NonProfit Times “Power and Influence Top 50.” The publication once described her as “one of the most prolific writers and lecturers on the topic of nonprofit risk” and “the architect of the risk plans of some of the nation’s largest nonprofits.”
Melanie earned a bachelor’s degree in urban affairs from American University in Washington, D.C., and a juris doctor from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Va. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar Association and serves on the boards of the American Foundation for the Blind and the National Human Services Assembly.
Vince Pearson
Risk Manager, Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (California)
Vince has served as a member of HAI Group’s Board of Directors since 2016 and is the risk manager for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency in California, a position he has held since 2003. He brings extensive experience in risk management, safety, and environmental health across both public and private sectors.
Before joining the agency, Vince served as environmental health and safety director for the western region at Citizens/Frontier Communications and as a risk manager for the California Association of Park and Recreation Insurance (CAPRI). He is also an active member of the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA).
Nicklaus Mayo
Senior Risk Control Consultant,
HAI Group
Nick joined HAI Group as a Risk Control Consultant In February of 2014. He provides Risk Control services to policy holders and currently handles all accounts in New Jersey, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Nick graduated from the University of New Haven with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science Administration, minoring in Criminal Justice in 2008. He also received a Master of Public Administration degree from UNH as well, graduating in 2009. When Nick is not in the office, he serves a career Firefighter for the City of Middletown, Connecticut. His work experience includes prior work for HAI Group as a Risk Control Associate, as well as holding various roles within the Fire Service both volunteer and career.
David Anderson, OSCP
Principal and Cybersecurity Consultant, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) National Digital Group
David is a principal and cybersecurity consultant in the CLA National Digital Group with a strong focus on offensive cybersecurity. He has more than 13 years of experience performing penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and social engineering engagements. His expertise also includes project management for cybersecurity engagements across a diverse range of industries.
David Nowacki, CISA, CIA
Director, CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen LLP) National Digital Group
Dave is a director with the CLA Cybersecurity team, part of the National Digital Group. He has more than 23 years of combined experience in cybersecurity, IT controls, enterprise risk management, internal audit, and management consulting. He has worked with government entities, higher education institutions, financial services organizations, and other private businesses to set strategies; review and assess operations, governance, and enterprise risk management practices; manage projects and programs; strengthen information security programs; and identify process improvement opportunities.
Reserve your spot
Registration is free and open to all HAI Group members and policyholders. Don’t miss your chance to connect with peers, gain fresh perspectives, and take home actionable strategies for managing risk in housing.
Want to get a feel for the content, speakers, and format?
Watch the 2024 Risk Management Conference recordings to see why nearly 700 housing professionals registered last year.
To learn more, visit our website at www.haigroup.com.
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