Her Story
About Patti
Patti Williams is a respected workers' compensation and risk management consultant with more than 30 years of experience serving public agencies throughout California. Her career began while working part-time as a young mother processing group medical claims, where she quickly discovered a passion for helping others navigate complex workers' compensation issues. Through dedication, continuous learning, and the pursuit of numerous professional accreditations and certifications, Patti built a distinguished career that ultimately led her to become a Risk Manager for the City of Huntington Beach.
During her 27-year tenure with the City of Huntington Beach, Patti developed extensive expertise in workers' compensation administration, litigation management, fraud investigations, return-to-work programs, industrial disability retirement matters, and organizational risk management. Known for her collaborative leadership style, active listening skills, and ability to build strong partnerships, she consistently worked to improve efficiencies, resolve complex challenges, and strengthen operational outcomes for the organizations she served.
Following her retirement from public service, Patti continued her commitment to the profession as an independent consultant specializing in workers' compensation and risk management for public agencies. She currently serves as an Accreditation Consultant for the California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA), evaluating risk-sharing pools to ensure excellence in financial stability and operational performance. Patti also serves as a General Manager and educational leader with the Council of Self-Insured Public Agencies (COSIPA), where she helps guide statewide training initiatives, industry updates, compliance strategies, and professional development programs for workers' compensation professionals across California.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Patti
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell her that you probably need to start talking to others in our field, such as me. There's some classes that you can take through the Insurance Educational Association, or the Associates of Insurance and Education Associates. And, do start like that, and then just start listening to the conversations that the adjusters are having with their injured workers. To me, it's all about advocacy for your injured workers, treating people with dignity and respect, to provide some collaborative issues so that you can get through things that are challenging and can be very difficult together, and do it in the best way possible. You know, I think knowledge is power, and I think also empathy is power. So I think by emphasizing those, it's how you say things sometimes more than what you're saying. And emphasizing some of those key points of how to communicate clearly and knowing your audience, I think that's very important to have a good outcome, especially in work comp cases.
02What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, in particular, and for the last few years anyway, the public agency risk management profession is losing a lot of folks due to retirements and such, and the New Age folks are not really that interested or engaged. This creates both a challenge in maintaining experienced professionals and an opportunity to mentor and develop new talent in the field.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
To me, it's all about advocacy for your injured workers, treating people with dignity and respect, to provide some collaborative issues so that you can get through things that are challenging and can be very difficult together, and do it in the best way possible. I think knowledge is power, and I think also empathy is power. By emphasizing those, it's how you say things sometimes more than what you're saying. Emphasizing some of those key points of how to communicate clearly and knowing your audience, I think that's very important to have a good outcome, especially in work comp cases.
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