Written by Bloom Magazine
I had the pleasure of meeting with Baunie over a decade ago when we put a program together in central Florida. The moment I had the chance to work with Baunie, I knew this was a pioneer of hands-on, get things done type of executive. Baunie is an innovative leader in technology and she is not afraid to take risks.
Baunie is a graduate of Smith College in Northampton Massachusetts. She earned her Juris Doctorate at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School of Law. Baunie is now the Director of Risk Management at Miami-Dade County for five years, one of the largest counties on the East Coast of the USA. Baunie is an active leader of 84 staff.
Her coaching style of management has inspired the team to grow and think independently. Her very unique approach and style of management consider all are capable.
Baunie takes on extra initiatives near and dear to her heart and her passion shines. She is a leading advocate for the awareness of diversity in the workforce. Baunie propels any committee, challenge and campaign that brings to the table awareness of African American equal rights with enthusiasm. It is no wonder she often finds herself nominated to spearhead initiatives.
I had the opportunity to work side by side with her on a Black History month project and witnessed firsthand her approach to the event. I was inspired and witnessed her relentless effort to detail. Her project would be exceptional and the audience walked away inspired, aware, enthusiastic and educated.
Tell me a bit about what sparked you to go into Risk as a career?
I got my start in claims management and was not satisfied with negotiations and paying claims. Although, I enjoyed handling different types of claims; I knew there was something more. There must be a way to diminish the need for insurance, so I decided to be a part of loss prevention and loss mitigation. Claims are absolute, but in Risk, I could achieve the happy medium between negotiating, comparative negligence, and imperfect human participation.
What experiences do you draw on from your past that fuels your passion to coach people and not manage people?
Coming from a Liberal Arts College, we were taught to think for ourselves and be responsible for our actions and reactions. Coaching allows individuals to take responsibility and allows them to reason through everyday and complex situations. I give people the opportunity to solve problems for themselves and be accountable for the resolution. This encourages strategic thinking and ownership of their contribution to the team.
Tell us a bit about what you see yourself doing as a future goal?
The goal I envision for myself - concerning the future - is to maintain consistent and accountable ease of process and communication. I am motivated to keep County employees and constituents informed and safe by preparing readiness plans and anticipating focused needs in tune with the evolution of the current climate of terrorism, pandemics, weather, and technological and geopolitical disasters. I am currently working on establishing an Enterprise Risk Management Program. I want the County to rise to be the world-class flagship risk management model.
What do you want to see in the future for us as a workforce?
Diversity, diversity, diversity I want a workforce where people are not judged by their skin color, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or disabilities. Where everyone’s evaluated on the merit of their skillset or expertise.
Any other words of inspiration you would like to elaborate on?
I want to inspire people to rise to the challenge of doing their jobs for the sake of becoming the best they can be, to seek the driving force within to maintain their strive for excellence.
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