UNC Charlotte has a reputation for providing a quality educational experience, and more students are making the University their first choice. Betty Coulter’s goal is to help the University guard its reputation through systematic and collaborative risk methods.
As director of risk management and insurance in the Department of Risk Management, Safety and Security, Coulter evaluates institutional risks, safety policies, business continuity plans and studies how University processes can be improved to better protect students, faculty, staff and visitors. To carry out these responsibilities, Coulter works closely with a number of academic and administrative units across campus, such as the Office of Legal Affairs, Office of Environmental Health and Safety, athletics, police and public safety, and academic and student affairs.
Prior to joining UNC Charlotte, Coulter worked for the City of Asheville, Catawba County and the City of Hickory.
“I have been on campus only about 18 months, so I’m still learning the community. I do have nearly 30 years of experience in the risk management field. I’ve built a number of programs from the ground up and have evaluated a variety of insurance programs,” said Coulter. “I’ve supervised legal, claims adjusting and financial functions and have a history of working closely with human resources.”
While the majority of Coulter’s experience has been in municipal settings, she noted UNC Charlotte has many similarities to a local government. “We have many of the same operations of a city. We have citizens, which are our students. We have employees, which are our faculty and staff. We have housing, sanitation, construction, police, recreation and utilities – the same dynamics of a city. During the academic year, our population swells to that of a small town.”
Coulter holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Gardner-Webb University and a Risk Management Public Entity designation from the Insurance Institutes of America.
A recognized leader in her field, Coulter currently is president of the national Public Risk and Insurance Management Association (PRIMA). In this high-profile position, Coulter will be able to expose PRIMA members to UNC Charlotte, which will raise the institution’s profile across the country. She stated the challenge will be to balance her UNC Charlotte and PRIMA responsibilities.
“I do a lot of my PRIMA work at home; often, I’m here late in the evening to balance the two. The University has expectations, and I want to meet them. People in PRIMA are noticing UNC Charlotte based upon my serving as president,” said Coulter.
As she continues to acclimate to campus, Coulter explained her main focus will be to protect the organizational reputation of the University. “We’re a growing university, and people want to come here. To maintain our reputation and attract students, we must be fiscally sound in how we’re using funding entrusted to us by the state, and we must provide a safe environment for students, faculty, staff and the greater public. We must be ready to respond to situations, and we must meet the needs of the public.”
Beyond the University, Coulter is completing a second term on the Newton-Conover City Schools board. She and her husband Marshall, a retiree from the Catawba County Schools system, have two sons Garrett and Matthew, who are attending UNC Charlotte and Wingate University, respectively. Coulter also is passionate about fighting poverty. She works with her church, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and community partners to provide young people two hot meals each day during the summer. In addition, she enjoys singing and has performed at various government functions, ball games and other special events.