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Beth Kigel

Chair

Term: September 16, 2020 – July 15, 2030

Beth Kigel serves as senior vice president and national practice consultant for HNTB. She is a member of HNTB’s Digital Infrastructure Solutions leadership team with a focus on strategy and policy. Kigel is based in HNTB’s Fort Lauderdale office.

Kigel is a global thought-leader in new mobility and smart city ecosystems and is responsible for assisting transportation agencies, cities and regions in developing smart and connected infrastructure solutions.

Previously, she served as Florida Transportation Commissioner from 2012-2019. Kigel also served as president and CEO of the Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce covering a 10-municipality region. Under her leadership, the Chamber took on key strategic initiatives contributing to improved economic prosperity in the region. Prior to this role, Kigel served in various private sector leadership positions, within engineering and other firms, in areas such as finance, business development, quality assurance, and government relations.

Kigel is active on numerous appointed boards and industry associations, including ITS World Congress Board of Directors; Co-Chair, ITS America Advanced Air Mobility Working Group; Chair of Florida Polytechnic University Board of Trustees; Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; chair, Autonomous Florida Program; SelectFlorida Board of Directors; Leadership Florida where she served as Chair, Board of Directors 2017-2018; and more.

Her accolades include the 2018 Leadership and Innovation Award from the Florida Automated Vehicle Summit, the 2021 Florida Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award for her leadership with Autonomous Florida, and the 2024 Above and Beyond recognition from the News Service of Florida for women in government and public service.

Beth Kigel is also honored as one of the Florida 500, recognized by Florida Trend as one of Florida’s most influential executives.

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Session Details

This session will demonstrate that practical risk management is for everyone, regardless of a formal program. Attendees will learn actionable and simple strategies that are easy to implement, enabling them to start immediately by focusing on their top risks to build greater operational resilience and ensure the sustained success of their auxiliary enterprises.

Presenter Profile

Michelle Powell serves as the pioneering Risk Manager at Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s sole 100% STEM-dedicated institution. Having been with the university for nearly 11 years, Michelle transitioned from a leadership role in Admissions in October 2023 to establish and evolve the risk management function from the ground up. In this solo capacity, Michelle builds robust frameworks for our dynamic, young university, overseeing our insurance portfolio, consulting on third-party and event risks, and developing critical campus-wide training programs. Michelle has obtained the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) Enterprise Risk Management certificate and the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) and Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) designations. Her distinct background in mathematics and engineering, combined with extensive higher education leadership, brings an analytical and strategic approach enhancing the institution’s resilience.