Executive Council

---

 
Ken Collins

Interim Vice President of Information Services
As Interim Vice President of the Information Services Division, Ken Collins ensures that SAIF's information technology investments and resources are aligned with strategic business objectives.

Mr. Collins has over 20 years of experience in the information technology field. As SAIF’s lead network engineer, network services project lead, senior technology architect, and most recently, technology services manager, he has helped develop SAIF’s application development architecture and technology infrastructure. The focus of many of his projects has been improving communication and collaboration.

In addition, he has contributed to important company initiatives, including telecommuting, recruitment and retention, and the customer service component of our Corporate Strategic Plan.

Prior to SAIF, Mr. Collins spent four years as an economic analyst. He earned a degree in economics and computer science from Willamette University.

---

 
Chris Davie

Vice President of Corporate Policy and External Affairs
Chris Davie is Vice President of Corporate Policy and External Affairs. His responsibilities include government and legislative affairs, communication and design, corporate policy development, strategic planning, and research and analysis. Mr. Davie is SAIF's primary contact with members of the Oregon Legislature and the Workers' Compensation Management-Labor Advisory Committee. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Davie served as SAIF's director of government affairs for nearly 14 years.

Mr. Davie has held numerous supervisory and management positions in SAIF's Claims Division, as well as in its branch operations. He began his career at SAIF in the Underwriting Division in 1973.

Mr. Davie is former president of the Oregon Workers' Compensation Claims Association (WCCA) and holds the professional designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). He was born in England, where he graduated from Stockport College of Technology with a degree in business, French, and German.

---

 
Ryan Fleming

Human Resources Director
As Director of Human resources, Ryan Fleming oversees the development, implementation, and management of all human resource functional areas; leads, integrates, and manages all aspects of the Human Resources Division's daily operations; and helps develop the overall division budget.

Mr. Fleming joined SAIF in 2007 after serving as human resources manager for the Oregon State Lottery, where he also served as employee relations and staffing manager and senior HR generalist.

Prior to his service at the lottery, Mr. Fleming worked for over 10 years at State Farm insurance as a human resources representative covering Oregon, Idaho, and Montana, and as communications and public affairs supervisor. His first position at State Farm was senior editor.

During his career Mr. Fleming has been responsible for virtually all human resource functions, including employee relations, diversity, affirmative action, EEO, salary and benefits administration, staff training, employee records, recruitment, field office operations, personnel policy development, career counseling, retirement, HR information systems, and safety and risk management.

A graduate of Oregon State University, Mr. Fleming also is a runner, bicyclist, and motorcycle enthusiast. 

---

 
Kathy Gehring 

Vice President of Claims 
As Vice President of Claims, Kathy Gehring is responsible for all the SAIF geographic teams that manage claims, as well as for the vocational assistance program, claims training, medical programs, and customer support specialists.

Ms. Gehring joined SAIF in 1989 and has more than 21 years experience in the Oregon workers’ compensation system, with a background in claims, return-to-work, and risk management. She also served as the program manager for SAIF’s Return-to-Work and Employer-at-Injury programs. In this position, she provided leadership and technical expertise to consultants and specialists who work with employers throughout the state to create successful return-to-work outcomes for injured workers and their employers.

Since 2009, Ms. Gehring also has served as a member of the team that manages SAIF’s corporate strategic plan, taking a leadership role in tactics focused on injured worker outcomes as well as other areas of the strategic plan.

---

 
John Gilkey

Senior Vice President of Policyholder Services and Programs 
As Senior Vice President of Policyholder Services and Programs, John Gilkey coordinates the delivery of service to all our customers. He is responsible for marketing, distribution, regional operations, loss control, return-to-work programs, and SAIF's group program.

Mr. Gilkey joined SAIF in 1980, and served in several managerial positions in the Underwriting Division before assuming management of SAIF's marketing activities in 1993.

Mr. Gilkey is a 1979 graduate of the University of Oregon's College of Business, and has completed executive development programs at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business and the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. He has held the professional designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) since 1989.

---

 
Michelle Graham 

Vice President of Policyholder Services
As Vice President of Policyholder Services, Michelle Graham is responsible for managing the seven regional offices located throughout the state, thereby ensuring our customers’ service expectations are met. She also is responsible for marketing SAIF’s claims service and expertise to new prospects.

Since joining SAIF in 1979, Ms. Graham spent most of her career in claims operations, including positions of claims adjuster, paralegal, and claims supervisor. When SAIF reorganized in 1989 she assisted with the design and supervision of the Critical Claims Unit.

In 1991 Ms. Graham began serving as director of SAIF's southern claims unit, which was followed by time as the manager of the specialty claims units. From 2003 to 2008 she served as the regional operations director for the Eugene/North Bend Region, and most recently she served as Vice President of Claims.

---

 
Michael Hartman

Vice President of Policyholder Programs
As Vice President of Policyholder Programs, Michael Hartman is responsible for the Marketing, Loss Control, and Return-to-Work divisions of the company. He also is in charge of the Other States Coverage Program and development of customized products that meet the needs of specialized customers.

Mr. Hartman began his SAIF career in 1989 in the Claims Division. He served as a return-to-work consultant on a field service team before becoming a group insurance manager in the early 1990s. Later, he assumed full responsibility for SAIF's group programs and was closely involved with the underwriting, pricing, acquisition, and retention of group business for over 15 years. Most recently he has served as Vice President of Underwriting Services.

Mr. Hartman earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Oregon and has held the professional designation of Associate in Risk Management since 1992.

---

 
Bruce Hoffman

Vice President of Underwriting
Bruce Hoffman, CPCU, ARM, joined SAIF as underwriting manager in 2003 after working for several national and international insurance carriers. He was promoted to Director of Underwriting in 2009.

Mr. Hoffman started his insurance career 33 years ago, underwriting Oregon and multistate workers’ compensation insurance, but he also has extensive experience in wrap-up programs, general liability, hospital professional liability, and package programs. In addition to his underwriting management experience, he was the western region wrap-up manager for Argonaut; resident vice president and branch manager for Allianz’ Orange, Riverside, and San Diego county operations; and regional director of underwriting and territorial marketing manager for Industrial Indemnity. He received the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation in 1990 and the Associate in Risk Management Designation in 2000.

---

 
Theresa McHugh

Vice President of Financial Services 
Theresa McHugh is Vice President of Financial Services, responsible for the corporate accounting division and the actuarial division. She joined SAIF in September 2007.

Prior to SAIF, Ms. McHugh served as the Deputy Director of the Department of Administrative Services for the State of Oregon for 10 years, where her responsibilities included the state's risk management and self-insurance program.

Ms. McHugh also served as Oregon's state budget director under three governors, managing the state's multibillion dollar budget, served as chief of staff to Governor Ted Kulongoski, and served as acting director of the Department of Administrative Services. Most recently, she played a leading role in guiding the legislative adoption of the State budget as deputy legislative fiscal officer.

Ms. McHugh earned her bachelor's degree from the College of Public Programs at Arizona State University.

---

 
Michael A. Mueller

Senior Vice President of Claims
Michael Mueller oversees the Claims Division. He is responsible for claims operations, including accepting and processing claims filed by injured workers, investigating questionable claims, and providing technical support to medical providers.

Prior to joining SAIF, Mr. Mueller was vice president, home office claims counsel for Fremont Compensation Insurance Group in Glendale, CA., where he was responsible for overall litigation management. He managed Fremont's outside legal panel in 30 states and assisted in the researching and writing of proposed workers' compensation statutes.

Mr. Mueller has over 20 years of experience handling civil and workers' compensation litigation, coupled with law office management in private and corporate practice. Mr. Mueller is a graduate of the College of Business Administration at Bowling Green State University and of the University of Toledo College of Law. He was admitted to the Ohio State Bar in 1984, the California State Bar in 1986, and the Oregon State Bar in April 2002.

---

 
Shannon Rickard

Legal Services Director 
Shannon Rickard is the Director of the Legal Services Division. Ms. Rickard manages legal services for the corporation and the attorneys and support staff that provide claims defense services to SAIF policyholders. She is the corporation’s principal liaison with the Oregon Department of Justice.

Prior to joining SAIF, Ms. Rickard was in private practice in Chicago from 1999 to 2001. In 2001, she joined the Oregon Department of Justice, where she worked in the General Counsel Division, serving as SAIF’s general counsel attorney for a portion of that time. In 2007, Ms. Rickard joined SAIF as the appellate team manager and in 2011 was promoted to the director position.

Ms. Rickard is a graduate of The College of Idaho and Chicago-Kent College of Law. She has been a member of the Illinois State Bar since 1999 and the Oregon State Bar since 2001. 

---

 
Colleen Sealock

Vice President of Operations and Human Resources
Colleen Sealock is Vice President of Operations and Human Resources. In this position, she assists the CEO in managing day-to-day operations and leads other special projects as assigned. She oversees employment and personnel matters, recruiting and retention, compensation and benefits, payroll, and corporate training and development.

Prior to coming to SAIF, Ms. Sealock worked as an executive for the State of Oregon for 18 years. She has held positions at the Department of Administrative Services, the Office of the Secretary of State (Elections Division), the Department of Justice, and the Oregon Lottery. Ms. Sealock holds a bachelor's degree in history from Wartburg College and a master's degree in criminal justice from Arizona State University.

---

 
Pam Woods

Vice President of Claims
As Vice President of our Claims Division, Pam Woods is responsible for critical claims, vocational assistance and claims training programs, medical and specialty services, and our Service Center claims unit, which manages claims for SAIF’s small business customers. Ms. Woods has been a claims director since joining SAIF in 1992, during that time managing the compensability unit, the Portland east unit, the northern claim unit, claims services, and finally, the Service Center/tech teams unit. She also was instrumental in planning, organizing, and overseeing the formation of the Service Center claims teams.

Prior to coming to SAIF, Ms. Woods worked in several posts for Continental Insurance. She started her career at Safeco as a multiline adjuster trainee.

Ms. Woods earned a degree in sociology from the University of Portland, and holds a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) designation.