HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV), today announced the continuation of its Risk. Regulation. Resilience. Responsibility.℠ education initiative, with a series of events planned this October in four new cities. The multiyear effort brings together policymakers, insurance professionals and consumers to address insurance availability and affordability challenges and build more resilient communities – those better able to prepare for and recover from severe weather and other natural disasters.
The new events are scheduled for Oct. 21 in Seattle, Washington; Oct. 22 in Phoenix, Arizona; Oct. 28 in Arlington, Virginia; and Oct. 29 in Birmingham, Alabama, a city that will be highlighted for its leadership in resilience. Each session will feature a keynote address from Rick Keegan, Executive Vice President and Enterprise Chief Underwriting Officer at Travelers, followed by a panel discussion with industry experts moderated by Joan Woodward, President of the Travelers Institute and Executive Vice President of Public Policy at Travelers.
“Weather, economic inflation, aging infrastructure and other trends are putting pressure on the insurance marketplace,” said Woodward. “Alabama has shown how preparedness can ease that pressure, and its approach offers a blueprint other communities can learn from and adapt. Through these events, we aim to share the strategies behind Alabama’s success and advance resilience on a national scale.”
During the Birmingham event, the Travelers Institute will present a $50,000 grant to Smart Home America, an Alabama-based nonprofit that works to create more resilient communities by promoting FORTIFIED construction standards, educating homeowners about disaster mitigation, and advocating for stronger building codes and policies. The grant will supplement state funding to help Smart Home America provide FORTIFIED roofs for income-constrained families in Birmingham.
Woodward added, “The more we invest in resilience today, the more prepared we will be for the risks tomorrow. A strong roof is one of the most effective ways to safeguard a family’s most important asset, and we’re pleased to support Smart Home America in bringing that protection to more homes.”
Since launching in 2025, Risk. Regulation. Resilience. Responsibility. has brought candid conversations about strengthening the insurance marketplace to communities across the country. Birmingham will mark the 21st city to join the discussion.
For additional information and to register for an upcoming event, please visit the Travelers Institute website.
About the Travelers Institute
The Travelers Institute, the public policy division of The Travelers Companies, Inc., engages in discussion and analysis of public policy topics of importance to the insurance marketplace and to the financial services industry more broadly. The Travelers Institute draws upon the industry expertise of Travelers’ senior management as well as the technical expertise of many of Travelers’ underwriters, risk managers and other experts to provide information, analysis and solutions to public policymakers and regulators. Travelers is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. For more information, visit Travelers.com.