Industry Professionals Coming Together to Manage Risk Better
About Us
American Association of Water Distribution & Management [501c3] is the premier risk management educational resource for water professionals, board members, and supporting stakeholders. If you work for a water-related entity, or your work supports these entities, AAWD&M is here to help. We provide risk management education and resources specifically tailored to your business needs. AAWD&M works closely with Appalachian State University and the California Association of Mutual Water Companies (CalMutuals) in offering meaningful educational resources for the water sector.
AAWD&M is a nonprofit charitable organization with the express mission of providing risk management educational support to public water systems and publicly owned wastewater treatment systems throughout the United States. As an Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 501c3 nonprofit corporation domiciled in the state of Wyoming, AAWD&M is exempt from federal income tax. Donors can deduct contributions under IRC Section 170.
Whether you need to solve a distinct set of risk management problems, want to develop professionally or just desire to enhance your value to your organization, we have resources to assist you.
Advisory Committee
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AAWD&M Founder, Director & Executive Officer
Paul Fuller is an insurance professional specializing in public water & wastewater systems. He serves as the executive officer of the American Association of Water Distribution & Management (AAWD&M), CEO of Allied Public Risk, LLC (a national managing general underwriter exclusively focused on public entities and public water & wastewater systems), and Insurance Administrator for the California Association of Mutual Water Companies Joint Powers Risk & Insurance Management Authority (CalMutuals JPRIMA).
Throughout his 30-year career, Paul has underwritten thousands of public water & wastewater systems. He has also overseen tens of thousands of their claims, with emphasis on inverse condemnation, water quality, coverage disputes, and property valuations.
Certifications & Designations
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation
Certified Public Risk Officer-Water & Wastewater (CPRO-W2) designation
California Water Operator license (D2/T1)
California Qualified Claims Manager license
Nationally licensed as a Property & Casualty Agent and Surplus Lines Broker
Bachelor, Business Administration, University of San Diego
Master of Science, Risk Management & Insurance, Georgia State University
Juris Doctor, Northwestern California University School of Law (expected graduation date, 2025)
Publications
Law Journal
Defense Counsel Journal
Co-author of Handbook of Risk and Insurance Strategies for Certified Public Risk Officers and other Water Professionals
Co-author of Practitioner’s Handbook of Risk Management for Water & Wastewater Systems
Author, Whitepaper: Water Utilities and Forward Risk Management, Best Practices to Counter Climate Change
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AAWD&M Director & Academic Advisor
Dr. Lorilee A. Medders serves as the Joseph F. Freeman Distinguished Professor of Insurance within the Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University. Immediately prior to assuming her current role, she served on the risk and insurance faculty at Florida State University, and as Director of the Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Center.
She received her Bachelor of Science in Commerce and Business, magna cum laude, from The University of Alabama in 1990 and her Ph.D. in Business Administration – Risk and Insurance from Georgia State University in 1995. She has presented and published numerous papers on these subjects and others in academic and industry forums.
Certifications & Designations
Certified Public Risk Officer-Water & Wastewater (CPRO-W2) designation
Boards & Committees
President (Current) of the Southern Risk and Insurance Association, the premier research organization in the Southern United States for risk and insurance academics
Chair (2012-2017) of the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology,
CFO (2009-2017) as the Statistics Expert Member by appointment from the State of Florida
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Committee Member
Gary Meggs retired in August 2015 as Director, Risk Management, Southern Company, where he provides ongoing consulting services. From 1987, he had overall responsibility for risk financing, administering property/casualty insurance coverages and for providing other risk management services to Southern Company and its regulated and non-regulated business units.
Gary received his undergraduate degree (BBA,’74) as well as dual Master’s degrees in Business Administration (‘78) and in Insurance (‘83) from Georgia State University and holds the CPCU and ARM professional designations. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the GSU Foundation and on the Risk Advisory Committee of the Metro Atlanta YMCA.
Certifications & Designations
Certified Public Risk Officer-Water & Wastewater (CPRO-W2) designation
Boards & Committees
Aegis Risk Management Advisory Committee
Board and Executive committee of the Y-Mutual Insurance Company
Energy Insurance Mutual (EIM) Strategic Planning Committee
(Chair) EIM Insurance Advisory Committee
(Chair) EEI Risk Management Committee
(Chair) GSU Risk Management Foundation and President of RIMs and CPCU Atlanta Chapters
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Committee Member
A 35-year veteran as a Commercial Risk Management Consultant and currently the Principal at EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants. David specializes in US Infrastructure, High Tech and Manufacturing within the Water Sector as well as development of risk management stewardship plans and facility physical and logical penetration testing. Mr. McNeil represents scores of prominent public water systems throughout the Western United States and serves on numerous water advisory committees, think tanks, and risk management boards.
Certifications & Designations
Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation
Member: FBI InfraGuard
Infrastructure Liaison Officer
SIG Cyber, Dams, Water, Wastewater, and EMP
Situational Awareness Specialist (SAS) Level I and Advanced Level 2
Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, California State University, Northridge
Boards & Committees
Member: Orange County Homeland Security Advisory Council (OCHSAC)
Member: Orange County Sherriff/Coroner’s Technology Advisory Council (T.A.C. Team)
Member: Anaheim Police Department, Chief’s Technology Advisory Council
Member: Mensa Think Tank, Mensa International, American Mensa Society
Member: Technology Innovation Institute (TII) Think Tank
Member: Cybersecurity Assessment Training
Instructor: Kidnap Prevention, Safe House Anti-Terrorism, and Force Protection
CPRO -W2: AAWD&M’s Premier Designation for Water & Wastewater Professionals
Module 1 —
Public Water System
Operations
Learn the background of how public water systems operate, and, understand water itself, as well as the basics of water management, infrastructure, distribution, conservation, and safety.
Module 2 —
Public Water Treatment Operations
Explore the basics of the operations of a wastewater facility, including treatment, ecology, and security issues.
Module 3 —
Enterprise
Risk Management
A pragmatic guide to acknowledging, prioritizing, and treating risks in the context of a public water and wastewater system.
Module 4 —
Insurance
Essentials
A deep dive into some critical insurance policies for public water and wastewater systems, with an approach focusing on appropriate design and customization.
