HIRMA is led by a dedicated team of talented professionals with a wide range of skills and experience. They love what they do, and they do it with passion.
Damariz Rodriguez
HIRMA Board Officer: President
Damariz Rodriguez is a Founding Member of HIRMA. Damariz is the founder and owner of Real Time Services, Inc., providing court reporting & interpreting services. She has led the transition of Real Time Services from a small startup service provider, to a mid-size company providing a multitude of services. Damariz has successfully completed and obtained her company’s certification as a Women and Minority Business Enterprise. She has been in the workers’ compensation industry for approximately 20 years; her experience in began in the field as a benefit coordinator to injured workers, a position that she held for 5 years. Damariz is a member of various others professional and trade associations. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix in 2011 and completed the Goldman Sachs, 10K Small Business program in 2013. Ms. Rodriguez also completed an interpretation program at the Southern California School of Interpretation in 2006. She enjoys and values spending time with family and friends and loves leisure travel, concerts, theater as well as outdoor activities and authentic quality food and cooking.
Carlos Rodriguez, Ed.D., CIH, CSP
HIRMA Board Officer: Treasurer
Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, CIH, CSP is a Founding Member of HIRMA. He is a HES Professional for Marathon Petroleum with prior safety experience in municipal government and insurance. Dr. Rodriguez holds a doctorate in organizational leadership and is an adjunct instructor for Brandman University teaching courses in strategic planning and leadership and for Waldorf University teaching courses in safety and hazardous materials.
Julio E. Martinez
HIRMA Board of Directors: Vice President
Julio is Managing Partner in the firm’s San Clemente office and handles all aspects of Workers’ Compensation defense. He has been handling Workers’ Compensation claims since becoming an attorney in 2007. He previously worked representing injured workers in Workers’ Compensation and employment-related matters, so Julio is well-versed and understands the applicant’s position to effectuate the best legal defense for his clients.
Julio is a member of the Hispanic Bar Association of Orange County. Julio also received the prestigious designation of Certified Litigation Management Professional (CLMP) from the CLM’s Litigation Management Institute.
EVELYN MEDINA
HIRMA Board of Directors: Secretary
Evelyn Medina is a Senior Associate at AVR Law and started practicing workers’ compensation law in December 2016. She is a product of the workers’ compensation professional community having started her knowledge in this field working as a legal assistant prior to pursuing law school in 2013. She takes pride in her continued pursuit to adopt cutting-edge strategies and innovative litigation tactics. She is well-rounded in this field having previously represented injured workers. In 2023, after gaining insight and experience while working at a premier firm for injured workers, she returned to her defensive roots with a hyper focus on effective razor-sharp litigation handling. Ms. Medina handles all aspects of litigation. She has held key roles in novelty litigation strategies, bringing a unique perspective to bear major victories for her clients.
In 2023, she became a Certified Legal Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law by the State of California.
Ms. Medina also has philanthropic endeavors. She is an avid volunteer with other non-profit organizations, LA Regional Food Bank and Project Angel Food. Ms. Medina believes it vital to give back to our surrounding communities and considers it a privilege to do so. She brings a wealth of knowledge to HIRMA and joins the Board of Directors with a deep desire to contribute to HIRMA’s already strong presence in the risk management and insurance industry.
Karen Jean Fry, WCCP, SIA
HIRMA Board of Directors
Karen Fry has worked with various industries for more than 30 years in the workers’ compensation and risk management arena. Ms. Fry graduated from Woodbury University with a bachelor of science degree in International Business and now has extensive experience in managing multi-line claims administration including Workers’ Compensation, Personal Disability, General Liability, and as well as Special Investigation Units.
Karen enjoys actively contributing to the insurance community and often participates in conferences and conventions.
Al Navarro
HIRMA Board of Directors: Director of Publicity
Al Navarro graduated from Whittier College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Business Administration. He has more than 33 years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry including claims examiner, claims supervisor, lien negotiations, and legal representation of self-insured employers and third-party administrators (TPAs). Al also has 10 years sales experience representing managed care, bill review and other ancillary service firms. As a gifted negotiator, Al has proven to be a great asset for his clients through successful in-house lien negotiations, as well as WCAB appearances throughout the State of California. Al is an avid reader and enjoys being physically active. He believes that organizations like HIRMA afford its community of members opportunities for continued educational development and professional growth through networking.
Kristen Chavez
HIRMA Board of Directors
Kristen Chavez is currently the Account Executive in the Western Region for Gallagher Bassett. Kristen’s primary responsibilities is to focus on Risk Management sales and business development in Southern California. Prior to Gallagher Bassett, Kristen spent 17 years with WorkCompCentral in a variety of roles ranging from Director of Operations to President and CEO.
Kristen also serves as the President of Kids’ Chance of California, which is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization whose mission is to provide college scholarships to children of workers who have been fatally or seriously injured on the job. She looks forward to the opportunity and helping children that are directly impacted by our industry.
Noemi Oliver
HIRMA Board of Directors
Noemi Oliver is a Senior Area Sales Manager at Genex where she is responsible for new account development and expanding existing accounts within established territories. With nearly a decade of experience in the insurance and risk management industry, she has developed expertise in workers’ compensation, catastrophic claims management, and premium auditing.
Prior to joining Genex, Noemi served as a Senior Claims Specialist at Crum & Forster where she handled catastrophic claims oversight including traumatic head injuries, spinal cord paralysis, and fatalities. She previously worked at Broadspire managing their largest client with a premium of fifteen million dollars, handling complex claims and presenting quarterly reports to executives.
Noemi is multilingual, speaking fluent Spanish and conversational French, which enhances her ability to communicate effectively with diverse clients. She holds a BA in Economics from CSU Sacramento and brings analytical skills developed during her time as a Premium Auditor at The Hartford.
She is passionate about the insurance industry and believes in the importance of education and networking within the Hispanic community of insurance professionals.
Hispanic Insurance and Risk Management Association 