Behind the scenes of each festival, parade and community celebration in the City of Lake Elsinore, a wide-ranging team works to make it all happen. The team includes members from every city department, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office (RSO), Cal Fire and the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA).
For Assistant City Manager Shannon Buckley, working with the California JPIA has allowed her to build the city’s special events team with confidence and clarity. “Our planning process isn’t solely focused on risk management; it’s rooted in collaboration,” she said. “Our goal is always to put the community first. With the California JPIA’s support, we can ensure events are safe while leaving room for creativity.”
In the early days of the city’s partnership with the Authority, the event management team was much smaller and didn’t include its present-day breadth of perspectives. “When I started at the city, the team consisted of community services and public works—risk management really wasn’t involved,” said Buckley. “Now, we have a representative from every department on the team.”
The city’s dedication to teamwork is felt across its partnerships with local organizations. “The Lake Elsinore special events team excels in collaboration, bringing together skills and ideas to create large and small city events,” said RSO Sergeant Brad Foster. “Their strong communication and shared vision ensure each event runs smoothly and meets the community’s needs. Together, everyone creates events that are well planned and successful.”
Director of Community Services Johnathan O. Skinner emphasized the importance of flexibility to Lake Elsinore’s special events planning process. “We learn and adapt as programs are happening,” he said. “We take proper steps ‘in the back of the house’ so the participants in the ‘front of the house’ can focus on having a great time!”
The Authority and Regional Risk Manager Abraham Han are another integral part of the special events team. They provide an expert perspective on the risk management protocols that shape each event and are equipped to share this expertise beyond the internal special events team. “When individuals push for certain events, we can lean on the Authority to be the ‘bad cop,’” said Buckley. “They’ve got our back when it comes to protecting the city from unnecessary liability.”
Now, Lake Elsinore’s event planning process runs like a well-oiled machine—public works ascertain roadways are safely closed, RSO manages traffic and safety, and planning confirms that events comply with local laws. These tried-and-true processes make sure that annual events like Trunk or Treat, Winterfest, West Coast Thunder, Mariachi Fest and Quack Fest go off without a hitch.
Each new event proposal is thoughtfully evaluated by the city and the California JPIA, making sure that the event can be safely executed. “When we have new events, I always reach out to my regional risk manager,” said Buckley. “It’s great to have a second set of eyes—it ensures we haven’t missed anything.”
Han emphasizes the importance of collaboration and flexibility in his work. “In risk management, it’s not always about saying no; it’s about being a part of the solution,” he said. “Lake Elsinore’s event planning process is so effective because of their willingness to collaborate, listen and bring everyone to the table—I strive to emulate that same spirit of partnership across all of the members I work with.”
By fostering collaboration between a wide range of stakeholders, Lake Elsinore ensures that they cover all their bases, laying the foundation for a successful event roster for years to come. “Be a good listener, communicate and put your community first,” said Buckley. “When you do that, you can always find a way.”
Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 45 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 125 member cities and other governmental agencies. Members actively participate in shaping the organization to provide important coverage for their operations. The California JPIA provides innovative risk management solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services, including liability, workers’ compensation, pollution, property and earthquake coverage, as well as extensive training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.