Speakers
Paul Atchley
Professor, University of Kansas
Dr. Atchley has been conducting research and teaching about cognitive factors related to driving for over 25 years. He is currently on faculty at the University of Kansas. Dr. Atchley received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in 1996 and completed postdoctoral training at the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois in 1998.
Dr. Atchley has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and chapters on issues of vision and attention including their relationship to driving. He has also received awards for his service, research, teaching and student advising.
Dr. Atchley’s work has been highlighted by national and international press such as the BBC, NPR, and the New York Times. He is part of efforts and the state and national level to reduce distracted driving.
Dr. Atchley works with groups including the National Safety Council, LifeSavers, FocusDriven and We Save Lives to provide clear, compelling and consistently well-received talks about the science of distracted driving.
Dr. Elizabeth Baker
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Beth Baker joined NHTSA as the Regional Administrator for the Region 3 office in Baltimore in May of 1998 after serving as Maryland’s Highway Safety Coordinator for four years. Beth has been involved with highway safety since 1980, when she began teaching driver education while pursuing a Master’s Degree at The Ohio State University. After several white-knuckle years of teaching, she moved on to the University of Maryland, teaching health and safety education courses while continuing her graduate studies. After receiving a doctorate in Health and Safety Education in 1989, she joined Maryland’s State Highway Safety Office.
During her tenure with the Maryland DOT, Beth held several positions, finally serving as Traffic Safety Division Chief and Maryland’s Highway Safety Coordinator. As Highway Safety Coordinator, Beth set out to expand the program, create new partnerships, and vigorously support efforts to enact highway safety legislation in Maryland. During this time, she also held an adjunct faculty position with the University of Maryland, remaining active in ignition interlock research. Beth has done extensive teaching for NHTSA and was active in the National Association of Governor’s Highway Safety Representatives (now GHSA).
As Regional Administrator, Beth focuses on NHTSA’s mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing traffic-related health care costs by promoting her philosophy that people make this program work. Implementing effective and efficient highway safety programs through a close partnership with the states in Region 3 is the cornerstone of her work. Beth promotes the participation of all seven jurisdictions in NHTSA’s “Click It Or Ticket” safety belt program and she conceived and continues to promote the Region-wide “Checkpoint Strikeforce” sobriety checkpoint program.
Beth lives in College Park, Maryland and includes home improvement, letterboxing, and cheering on The Ohio State Buckeyes and Baltimore Orioles among her interests.
Carol Emory
AVP of Compliance, PCI
Carol Emory is Assistant Vice President of Compliance Information at Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, a trade association for insurance companies. With her team, Carol and her team publish bulletins summarizing new laws and regulations that affect the insurance industry, and develop compliance charts and other compliance publications. She previously served as a legislative analyst at Navigators Insurance Company and as a staff attorney at Allstate Insurance Company. Carol earned her JD from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.
Lorie Graham
Chief Risk Officer & Senior Manager of Insurance Services, American Agricultural Insurance Company
Lorie has been in the insurance industry almost 30 years in various underwriting, risk management and research positions. In 2008 she joined American Agricultural Insurance Company (AAIC), a direct reinsurer to the Farm Bureau insurance companies and international and domestic broker assumed reinsurer. As Chief Risk Officer she is responsible for leadership, innovation, governance, and management of the Enterprise Risk Management program at AAIC.
In a rapidly evolving discipline, she is passionate for learning new enterprise risk management techniques and providing tools for risk owners. In her role she researches and monitors emerging trends that may impact our industry. Lorie presents on emerging trends at insurance industry events and provides a framework in which companies can analyze, prepare for, and respond to these issues.
Lorie is an active member of the RIMS, “the risk management society” ERM Committee and the PCI ERM and Emerging Risks Committee. She has earned several industry designations including: CPCU, ARe, ALCM, ARM, ARM-P, ARC, ARP, AU, AIM, AIAF and AFIS.
Matt Moore
Senior Vice President, Highway Loss Data Institute
Matt Moore is senior vice president of the Highway Loss Data Institute, where he oversees much of HLDI's research. He also supervises loss data processing, collection of vehicle information and data services for member companies.
Mr. Moore joined HLDI in 1999 as a programmer. He is the author of numerous research papers published by HLDI on topics such as crash avoidance technologies, vehicle horsepower, motorcycles and distracted driving.
Before coming to HLDI, Mr. Moore worked in higher education, conducting institutional research, designing data systems and creating web sites. He holds an M.B.A. and a bachelor's degree from Saint Francis University in Pennsylvania.
Sr. Special Agent W. A. (Tony) Royall
Virginia State Police
William A. (Tony) Royall, a native of Nottoway County, Virginia, has been employed by the Virginia State Police since 1986. Upon graduation from the VSP Basic School, Royall was assigned to the Norfolk/ Virginia Beach area, patrolling the interstate highway system. During his time in uniform, he received training and was certified as an expert in Accident Investigation and Reconstruction. In 1995 he was assigned to the VSP K-9 unit as an Explosive/ Weapons Canine Handler, responding to numerous bomb threats, school searches and dignitary protection details.
In 1999 Royall was promoted as a Special Agent to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations Drug Enforcement Division and assigned as the Task Force Coordinator with the Meherrin Drug Task Force. He was responsible for conducting drug investigations along with investigators of 5 local jurisdictions to curtail the drug trafficking in the Emporia and Southampton County area.
In 2000 Royall transferred to the newly created Insurance Fraud Division, where he remains today. He was assigned to the Chesapeake Field Office from March 2000 to April 2011. During that time he was awarded the U.S. Attorney’s Award on two occasions for investigations into organized crime rings staging car crashed in the Tidewater, Virginia area. Royall transferred to the Northern Virginia Fairfax Field Office in April 2011, and then returned to his home area in June 2015 to the Richmond Field Office.
Royall’s wife, Theresa J. Royall, was elected in 2012 as the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Nottoway County.
Paul Schlegel
Director, Congressional Relations, American Farm Bureau Federation
Paul Schlegel joined the American Farm Bureau Federation's public policy team on January 3, 2005, as director of public policy. He manages the team responsible for environment, energy, labor and transportation policy.
Schlegel most recently served as a senior legislative assistant to former Rep. Jennifer Dunn (R-Wash.), where he was in charge of taxes, financial services, pensions and budget issues. Schlegel was previously employed by Weyerhaeuser Co. as a senior federal affairs manager. He also worked for former Rep. Matthew Rinaldo (R-N.J.) as chief of staff and staff director of the Aging Committee, among many other duties.
Schlegel lives in Alexandria, Va., with his wife, Nancy, director of international affairs for Lockheed-Martin Corp., and their two children, Alexander and Iain.
Tim Smith
Senior Vice President Claims and Underwriting
Tim is the Senior Vice President of Claims and Underwriting at American Agricultural Insurance Company. He was named Vice President of Underwriting in September of 2008, Senior Vice President of Underwriting in May of 2012, and Senior Vice President of Claims and Underwriting effective April 1, 2016.
He joined American Agricultural Insurance Company in 2004 as Property Underwriting Manager. In August of 2008 he became Senior Underwriting Manager. Prior to joining American Ag, worked for COUNTRY Financial for 26 years and held various positions in Personal and Commercial Lines Underwriting.
Tim was raised in a small town in central Illinois. He joined COUNTRY after two years at Parkland Jr. College in Champaign and completed his BA in Management from the University of Phoenix in 1996. Tim completed his formal education in 2003 earning his MBA from Bradley University.
Tim has earned his CPCU, ARe, API, AIS and AFIS designations. He is a member of the Chicago Northwest Suburban Society of CPCU and serves as Chair of the RAA Underwriting Committee.
Tim was named to the IBHS Board of Directors in January of 2010.
He and his wife, Lori, reside in Lake Barrington, Illinois. They have two sons, one daughter and two grandchildren.
Darlene P. Wells
CEO and General Manager VFBMIC
Darlene Wells has more than 29 years’ experience in the property
and casualty insurance industry and currently serves as Executive Vice
President and General Manager of Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance
Companies and CEO of Countryway Insurance Co.
After starting her insurance career at Aetna Life and Casualty, she
spent six years at the Virginia Bureau of Insurance as a Market Conduct
Examiner. Darlene joined Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance in April 1995
in the company’s Underwriting Department and was named Department
Director in 1998. She was promoted to Senior Vice President of
Operations in January 2009 and assumed her current role in April 2013.
She also serves as a board member of Drive Smart Virginia and
FBAlliance Insurance Company.
Darlene earned a B.A. in economics and communications studies
from the University of Virginia and also holds the CPCU and CIC
designations. She lives in Midlothian, Virginia with her husband Kevin
and has two adult step-sons.
