Innovation & Risk Solutions

Featuring Katie Durfee, Senior Risk & Emergency Management Consultant, CIS Trust

Not every career in public service happens behind a desk. Through her work with CIS Trust, Katie Durfee helps members navigate emerging risks, strengthen safety programs, and explore innovative solutions that help communities operate more safely and effectively. From wildfire resiliency initiatives to drone technology and member training programs, her work demonstrates how creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning can help communities prepare for the future.

Hear directly from Katie Durfee as she shares her career journey, lessons learned, and how innovation is helping municipal organizations better serve their communities.

Featured Career Story

Moving Forward: Innovation, Mentorship, and Safer Communities 

Katie Durfee’s career shows how risk management can combine public service, problem-solving, and innovation in ways that directly benefit local communities.  

Before joining CIS Trust, Katie worked in local government, where she gained firsthand experience with the responsibilities cities and counties carry every day. That background gave her a strong foundation for her work in municipal risk management, where she now helps members strengthen safety programs, reduce risk, and explore practical solutions to emerging challenges.  

In her role with CIS Trust, Katie supports members through risk management guidance, safety programs, grants, and training opportunities designed to help communities operate more safely and effectively. Her work touches a wide range of local government priorities, from wildfire resiliency and safer public facilities to infrastructure support and new technology.  

One example is CIS Trust’s drone technology training, which helps members explore safer and more efficient ways to inspect property, support emergency response, assist public safety operations, and gather information without placing staff in unnecessary danger. For Katie, innovation is not about using technology for its own sake; it is about giving members tools that help them protect employees, serve residents, and make informed decisions.  

Katie’s path also reflects the growth that can come from saying yes to new opportunities. Through training, professional associations, and leadership roles, she has continued to build her skills and expand her impact. That mindset has helped her grow into a trusted resource for members and a champion for practical, forward-looking risk management.  

For someone considering a career in this field, Katie’s story offers a clear message: municipal risk management is creative, collaborative, and deeply connected to public service. It is a career where curiosity, initiative, and a commitment to helping communities can lead to meaningful work and long-term growth.   

“Give yourself grace. You do not have to know everything—you need the courage to try and the willingness to learn.”  – Katie Durfee