Oct. 29, 2009 (Business Wire) -- To address financial threats posed to coastal areas by potential changing climate trends, The Travelers Institute will host its first coastal risk symposium tomorrow, October 30th, at the Maritime Center in Charleston, S.C., in partnership with the City of Charleston, the South Carolina Department of Insurance, H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment (The Heinz Center), Ceres and the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of South Carolina. The policy discussion will bring together business, government and community leaders to identify strategies and solutions to protect and insure the coastal region, an economic driver in South Carolina that supports recreation, tourism and industry, as well as real estate with an insured value of more than $190 billion, according to AIR Worldwide.

“We are pleased to host the first of a series of coastal strategy symposiums in South Carolina, a state that has demonstrated a strong commitment to public-private partnerships to protect its coast as well as a dedication to coastal mitigation through the S.C. Safe Home Program and a stable insurance regulatory environment,” said Joan Woodward, Travelers Executive Vice President, Public Policy, and head of The Travelers Institute, who will serve as moderator of the lunchtime panel at the Charleston Maritime Center.

“Effective and sustainable solutions for protecting the country’s coasts will come from the coordinated efforts of many and we in South Carolina are pleased to help lead this important call for action,” said Joseph P. Riley Jr., Mayor, City of Charleston, S.C.

Panelists for the Coastal Risk Symposium include:

• The Honorable Joseph P. Riley Jr., Mayor, City of Charleston, S.C.;
• Leslie Jones, Deputy Director for Actuarial, Market and Alternative Risk Transfer Services, South Carolina Department of Insurance;
• Deb Callahan, President, The Heinz Center;
• Sharlene Leurig, Manager of Insurance Program, Ceres; and
• Eric Nelson, Vice President of Risk Management, Personal Insurance, Travelers.

The symposium will address concepts from the recently completed Resilient Coasts Blueprint, developed by The Heinz Center and Ceres, and endorsed by The Travelers Institute, Mayor Riley and other leaders in insurance, government, non-governmental organizations and academia.