AUGUSTA – An independent panel of 10 judges has named Joan Conner, director of Risk Management Services for the Maine Municipal Association, to the 2004 Risk Management Honor Roll.

The Risk Management Honor Roll was created in 1981 to complement the Risk Manager of the Year Award. The Risk Manager of the Year award was created in 1977 by Business Insurance magazine to recognize outstanding risk managers and risk management programs. In 1981, the honor roll was created to recognize exemplary risk managers in other fields. The Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc., the world’s leading association for risk managers, now co-sponsors the awards with Business Insurance.

Conner was cited for expanding and enhancing workers compensation and other property/casualty services to Maine municipalities, and improving MMA’s Workers Compensation Fund by establishing an in-house claims department, acquiring a third-party administrator license and employing a nurse case manager to improve oversight of worker injuries and return to work.

She also improved the Property and Casualty Pool by increasing membership to improve its financial viability and incorporating pool members’ liability coverages on public officials and employment practices on an occurrence basis. She also developed forest fire suppression coverage to help small towns meet state-imposed assessments for forest firefighting services.

Conner will receive her award at a luncheon ceremony in San Diego in conjunction with the annual RIMS conference there, April 18-22. Business Insurance announced the award and profiled Ms. Conner’s program in the magazine’s April 19 issue.