DSF: Tell us about yourself.
JS: I grew up in Southern California, LA County, where I stayed throughout my childhood. My Dad was in the aerospace field, so it worked out well. I went to Cal Poly for college, and then went on to earn my master’s degree at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School for Public Administration.
DSF: Why did you decide to go to Cal Poly SLO for your undergraduate degree?
JS: I actually started out studying architecture, and Cal Poly had an excellent school for
that degree. However, after getting there, I realized that the skills needed for architecture weren’t what I already had, nor did I feel I would develop those skills. However, I loved San Luis Obispo, and I wanted to stay, so I decided that I would get a Political Science degree, which was more in line with my skills.
DSF: Tell us about your experience in the Epsilon Rho Chapter, and what the chapter was like while you were there.
JS: I rushed with two of my closest friends, who were roommates of mine during my college career. Delta Sig was the only house we rushed, since among the 8-10 fraternities on campus, it was recognized as the best. I felt like the rush program was respectful and mature, and that I was able to really get to know the guys. Once I got into the chapter, I realized that we were involved in everything, from student government to the WOW week (week of welcome), to Order of Omega and IFC. I served as vice president during my time in the chapter, which really helped me to work with the logistics of people’s schedules as well as develop skills in relationships with people that have very different personalities.
DSF: Tell us about your career thus far, and what the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA) is.
JS: After receiving my master’s degree, I wanted to be a city manager. My career started out as an administrative assistant to the city manager in Cerritos, CA. After a successful time there, I moved on to be the Assistant to the City Manager in Signal Hill, CA. It was a smaller organization, so I had more opportunity to learn, and it was a lot more hands-on for me.
While in Signal Hill, I became very familiar with the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (CJPIA), because the city was a member. An opportunity arose, and I decided to apply to become the Assistant to the Executive Director for the CJPIA. I became executive director in 2002.
CJPIA is a local government entity formed to administer self-insurance for a group of cities, so they can regulate the cost of insurance for themselves. CJPIA has a liability insurance program, workers compensation, property insurance, environmental liability, and more. Really, we are a one stop shop for cities to get risk management services. A big part of what we do is loss control consisting of training and loss prevention. The goal is to prevent claims from happening in the first place, not just helping after a claim is made.
DSF: Tell us about a typical day in your life.
JS: I do a great deal of member relations. A fifth of California’s over 480 cities are
members of the CJPIA, which makes us the largest municipal insurance pool in the state. I talk with a lot of city managers and staffers regarding risk management issues who are either involved in claims or are trying to prevent claims from happening. In addition, I work with internal administrative things such as personnel and budgeting, and I interact frequently with our executive committee, which are the nine elected members of our 111-member board of directors.
DSF: Talk about where you want to end up in the future, or where you see yourself in the future.
JS: I see myself staying with CJPIA for a while, since it’s such an exciting place to work. We are poised for growth in the number of member agencies we have. In addition, there are a number of merger opportunities with smaller groups that may be coming down the pike. I feel as though I’d like to expand our programs, add new lines of coverage, and gain additional members in the future. I really enjoy working here, since I feel like I am doing good work for the public good. I get a lot of satisfaction and see a lot of value in what we’re doing in helping local governments get insurance in a more cost-effective way.
DSF: Who has had the greatest impact on you throughout your life?
JS: My parents have had the greatest impact on me. They’ve shown genuine interest in my life and my work, and they’re respected the decisions I’ve made in my life. In return, I’ve respected their advice and opinions on things. My wife and kids have also had a great impact on my life, but that’s mostly been in the last few years.
DSF: What advice would you give to today’s undergraduates to make them successful?
JS: Don’t be in a hurry to get out school. By that, I mean really try to value the educational opportunities you’re getting while in school. Critically learn about things that are being taught, because you will never be immersed in these things like you are now.
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