About Blue Ridge Risk Services
We believe that every company can and should operate like the Fortune 100.
A Committment to Excellence
Blue Ridge Risk Services is an innovative consulting firm that is implementing state-of-the-industry methodology and operational practices. Blue Ridge works with large and small businesses to help them reduce the cost of workers’ compensation, insurance premiums and achieve Excellence in Workers’ Compensation. Blue Ridge Risk Services is revolutionizing the way companies view the cost of workers’ compensation. They are demonstrating that these costs are not fixed but actually an opportunity to improve the bottom line. Founded in 2000 and based in Davidson, N.C., Blue Ridge is committed to helping every company think and operate with the efficiency of the Fortune 100.
Timothy W. Cummings, CPCU, Managing Partner
Tim established Blue Ridge Risk Services, a worker’s compensation consulting firm, in 2000 for the purpose of helping employers achieve best-in-industry standards. Seeing the success companies were having with Six Sigma, Tim developed a system to adopt Six Sigma methodology into workers’ compensation. Through Tim’s practiced leadership, companies who thought there was no fat left in their worker’s compensation program have achieved cost reductions exceeding 30%, improved productivity, and now have a program in place that will continuously generate ongoing improvements.
Prior to establishing Blue Ridge Risk Services, Tim had 35 years of property and casualty risk management experience. For 26 years he held several positions in risk management at Allied-Signal (now Honeywell), a Fortune 100 company. He served as Director of Workers’ Compensation, which had a cost of risk that exceeded $35M with 6,000 annual claims. Tim was responsible for all aspects of the program, including risk financing and managing programs and personnel in claims, medical and legal. The CEO, Larry Bossidy, awarded Tim special recognition for implementing programs that achieved savings when other employers were having increased cost.
Prior to this role, Tim had served as a claims manager and operated a self-insured and self-managed workers’ compensation program.
Tim’s education and professional certifications include, Black Belt (Six Sigma), Total Quality Leadership, Team Facilitator Leader, and Charter Property Casualty Underwriter. Tim has a BS Degree from Western Kentucky University. On a personal note Tim enjoys fly-fishing and golf.
Tim is a member of local business groups and professional associations. He is a member of Risk Management Society (RIMS) and Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). He speaks at seminars and writes articles for industry journals.
Paula H. Harvey, SPHR, GPHR, ASC, Associate
Paula H. Harvey is an in safety and human resource management professional with over 20 years of experience.
As a safety consultant Paula has helped employers' reduce their cost of workers' compensation, up to 25%, by lowering their experience modification factor. She has conducted many safety vulnerability analysis and performed the duties of a loss control specialist for clients. She has established safety programs and conducted training. For her clients she has taught safety courses such as: OSHA 10 and 30 hour, Hazardous Communication, Blood borne Pathogens, Hazardous Energy (Lock out/Tag out), Forklift certification, Fleet training, etc. She has also completed at the top of her class the OSHA 501 train-the-trainer course and is an authorized OSHA trainer. She achieved the Manager of Environmental Safety and Health Programs (MESH) certification in July 2005 and the Advanced Safety Certification (ASC) from the National Safety Council in December 2005.
Mrs. Harvey has also served many position in Human Resources. She earned her Bachelor’s of Business Administration in International Marketing and Operations Management from the University of Texas at Austin. She has also earned her Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She is a Senior Professional of Human Resources (SPHR) and a Global Professional of Human Resources (GPHR) certified HR professional.
Using her SPHR and MBA she teaches the HRCI (Human Resources Certification Institute) and CPCC (Central Piedmont Community College) Human Resources certification classes and other HR related courses. She is also currently an adjunct professor at Winthrop University. She has also taught classes at UNC Charlotte and Gaston College.
She is an active member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) currently serving as her local chapter conference chair and Past-President and State Certification Director. She also serves on SHRM’s Health, Safety and Security Panel and the Disaster Response Panel. She was awarded the North Carolina SHRM “HR Professional of the Year” for 2004-2005.
As a volunteer for the American Red Cross, she serves on a local disaster team and instructs health and safety courses. She has instructed courses on CPR/First Aid, Blood borne Pathogens, Professional Rescuer, and Disaster Response. She has also been a NC certified medical responder.