Katie Crenshaw, J.D., is the new Chief Risk and Compliance Officer for UAB, effective May 15.
Crenshaw, who now is the associate university risk and compliance officer, will be responsible for oversight of the university wide risk and compliance program. In this role she will coordinate risk assessment, prioritization and mitigation with the President’s Risk Cabinet, college/school Executive Risk Oversight committees and others, and provide assurance to leadership that the elements of an effective compliance program are maintained, including compliance with rules and guidelines of regulatory agencies, observance of UAB policies and procedure and ensuring behavior that meets UAB standards of conduct by management, faculty and employees. Crenshaw also will coordinate university compliance efforts with UAB Medicine Compliance and the University of Alabama System Office director of Risk and Compliance.
Crenshaw’s position has functional accountability to President Ray Watts.
“Ensuring full compliance with all regulatory guidelines and UAB policies and procedures is always critical to the functioning of our university,” Watts said. “It is especially important in these unprecedented times.”
Crenshaw replaces Teresa Bragg, who retired from UAB earlier in 2020 after a decade of service in the role of Chief Risk and Compliance Officer. “This was a robust search process, which has been underway since January, to ensure we have a strong leader for our compliance program at UAB,” said Brian Bates, Chief Compliance Officer for the UAB Health System, who chaired the search committee. “We had many highly qualified external and internal candidates, and Katie distinguished herself. I look forward to working with Katie and her team and continuing the good partnership we have built between the university and the health system.”
A graduate of the University of Louisville, where she also earned a law degree, Crenshaw later earned a master’s degree in college and university administration from Northwestern University.
“I am looking forward to working with leadership, faculty, staff and students to ensure the university pursues its mission and strategic goals in ways consistent with its core values of integrity, respect, collaboration and accountability,” Crenshaw said. “Having been part of the Compliance and Risk Assurance team for the past several years, I know first-hand the team’s breadth and depth of knowledge and dedication to helping the university address risks associated with its research, education and business activities and fulfill its ethical and compliance responsibilities. I am excited to build on this strong foundation and lead the program to grow even more effective as a strategic partner to academic and administrative units across campus.”
Crenshaw points to the UAB Enterprise Code of Conduct as a model for UAB’s Shared Values in action. “Exercising the standards of behavior outlined in the code shows others what UAB’s values are and what UAB and its community members are committed to,” she said. “The code is a fundamental element of our compliance program and is important now more than ever, as the university faces unprecedented challenges in dealing with the global pandemic of COVID-19.”
