Abbie Hudgens Named President of National Association's Board
TN Bureau of Workers' Compensation Administrator New President of IAIABC Board
NASHVILLE - Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation Administrator Abbie Hudgens has been named president of a prestigious national association. Members of the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions (IAIABC) recently elected their 2018-2019 board of directors and welcomed Hudgens as the board's new president.
The IAIABC board of directors is the governing body of the IAIABC, the largest association of workers' compensation jurisdictional agencies in North America.
"The IAIABC is an industry leader in providing information, strategies, and solutions which works collaboratively to find the best ways to reduce harm and aid recovery from occupational injuries and illnesses," Hudgens said.
The 2018-2019 board of directors is comprised of leaders from 13 jurisdictional agencies and two ex-officio members.
“The sense of community is strong among the IAIABC members, and I am excited to work with the membership to continue to find ways to improve recovery from occupational injuries and illnesses as we move forward into the future,” Hudgens said.
Hudgens has served as Administrator of Tennessee's Workers' Compensation program since September 2011. In 2013, following restructuring of the state's Workers' Compensation system, Governor Bill Haslam officially appointed Hudgens as Administrator of the newly formed Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
Before working for the state of Tennessee, Hudgens served the city of Knoxville, and later Davidson County, as the risk and benefits manager. She then spent six years as the public sector representative on the Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council.
Hudgens left government for a brief time and provided consulting services through a private practice, The Hudgens Group.
Long active in professional organizations, she has been the president of the Southern Association of Workers’ Compensation Administrators, national president of the Public Risk Management Association, and the vice president of the International Association of Industrial Accidents Boards and Commissions.