Chantal Cortes joined Florida Polytechnic University in August 2023, bringing with her a wealth of experience from over 16 years in higher education. Before arriving at Florida Poly, she worked at institutions such as Florida Gulf Coast University and Polk State College, gaining extensive knowledge across various departments and institutional operations.
Originally from New York, Cortes has called Florida home for over a decade. Her move to Florida followed her service in the United States Marine Corps, where she served as a contracting and fiscal clerk.
In her spare time, Cortes enjoys visiting Walt Disney World, relaxing at the beach, working out, and getting lost in a good book.
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.
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.
