MBA student publishes on the art of risk management

deb-saunders

Deb Saunders

Radford University second-year Professional MBA student Deb Saunders recently published an article about her company's risk management strategies.

Saunders, who serves as the chief compliance officer for Goodwill Industries of the Valley Inc. wrote the article for a newsletter published by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF).

CARF International is an independent nonprofit accreditor of health and human services groups and organizations, such as Goodwill.

After CARF's 2014 audit, Saunders was asked to write the article about Goodwill's proactive risk management strategies for CARF's newsletter, Promising Practices. 

Following the article's publication, Saunders received numerous requests, from various organizations, for more information on the risk management strategies she developed.

"Our CEO approved the release of this tool so it may benefit others, and now it's in the hands of many other organizations that may consider incorporating it into their business practice," said Saunders, a longtime Roanoke resident, who, in addition to her MBA studies and full-time position with Goodwill, has worked as a business consultant.

Her report to CARF International earned Goodwill "exemplary" status in risk management, the area she manages. "It's extremely difficult to receive ‘exemplary' in any area," she said. "If you do, it's a big deal."

Saunders risk management tools helped secure re-accreditation for Goodwill for three years. "Goodwill would not be able to provide many of our programs without this accreditation. It is a critical component of our business," Saunders said.

Feb 24, 2015