About Us
VBR is a business enterprise comprised of independent risk management professionals with a combined risk management portfolio spanning three decades in public, private and higher education business sectors. Our value-based risk management approach is based upon proven solutions that meet increasingly challenging yet rewarding business environments. We support you by designing and implementing new programs and strategies, but also leverage the framework you have in place.
We have experience in highly specialized industries and government services, such as insurance companies, rental vehicle agencies, universities, cities, counties, state government, prison industries, retirement benefit industries, port authorities, bridge authorities, water treatment special districts, joint powers risk pooling authorities, and captive insurance programs. Our consultants and expert industry partners form a wealth of knowledge that reinforces VBR’s ability to provide competitive and innovative solutions.
We also have strategic partnerships with third-party claims administrators, insurance brokers, reinsurance brokers, medical management firms, carve-out specialists, insurance carriers, law firms, environmental health and safety experts, as well as safety and security providers.
For more information about working with us, please send us a message.
Meet the Consultants
Grace Crickette
Principal ConsultantGrace is an accomplished Administrator and Financial Executive, Chief Risk Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, and Captive Insurance Officer, with an exceptional record of success leading institutional strategic business planning, finance and budgeting, administration and operations management, investment and business growth, large scale information technology implementations, and governance and risk management for a variety of industries, ranging from not-for-profit to Fortune 500, and domestic and foreign operations, and Public Universities and Health Systems in the United States. She is passionate about creating innovative programs that elevate the reputation of the organization, provide a positive employee experience, and result in lasting change and sustainable savings.
Grace was chosen in 2011 as one of Business Insurance’s Women to Watch. Grace was also selected by Business Insurance magazine for their 2011 Risk Management Honor Roll. Also in 2011, Treasury and Risk magazine named Grace as one of the “100 Most Influential People in Finance”, and she was recipient if the West & North America Awards in 2011 and the Information Security Executive (ISE) of the Decade Award in 2012. In 2017, PHI Protection Network (PPN) recognized her for her dedication to protecting health information awarding her the PHI Hero’s Award. Grace is an alum of the University of Redlands and Harvard Business School.
Bonnie Kolesar
Principal ConsultantAfter an impressive 25-year public service career as a risk manager for California local, state and higher ed organizations, Bonnie’s focus shifted to independent risk management consulting in 2017. She now serves a broad range of public entities by helping to optimize their risk management strategies and solutions. Bonnie also presents national workshops on a variety of risk-related topics for educational organizations, including PRIMA, PARMA, and IWCF.
Among her board and committee assignments, Bonnie has served as president for the California Public Agency Risk Management Association (PARMA), Advisor to the California Division of Industrial Relations’ Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, and as Chair of the CSAC-EIA Finance Committee.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College, a certificate in control self-assessment from the Institute of Internal Auditors and an Associate in Risk Management designation from the Insurance Institute of America.