A standing home survivor of the Waldo Canyon Wildfire of 2012, Kerri Waite began her work with UP as a volunteer assisting in her own community’s long-term recovery then transitioned into the role of UP’s Colorado Coordinator one year later when a second major wildfire broke out in El Paso County. Kerri was intricately involved in lobbying for the Colorado Homeowners Insurance Reform Act of 2013, and helped craft the language and lobby for securing new rights and protections for policyholders around post disaster claim practices with CO HB22-1111 in 2022. (Advocacy Win! New Rights for Colorado Insurance Consumers (HB 22-1111) – United Policyholders.)

Kerri has served as the Colorado Coordinator of the 2013, 2015, and 2020 wildfire and flood Roadmap to Recovery Programs as well as many Roadmap to Preparedness Programs in 13 counties.  An experienced advocate helping survivors navigate the insurance claim process, Kerri has been a contributing writer in many of the UP claim guidance forums including the Ask an Expert Forum, Survivors Speak, Partial Loss Section of the Claim Guidance Library, and Disaster Tax Tips publications.

In April of 2014, The Mountain Shadows Community Association, representing the neighborhood that took the brunt of the Waldo Canyon Firestorm, awarded Kerri their “Good Neighbor Award” for her advocacy and recovery work in the community. Kerri holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Management and Administration from The University of New Orleans.

While Kerri technically retired from UP in 2022, she has continued to volunteer her time and expertise in mentoring new survivors and volunteers, follow up advocacy by helping draft consumer focused regulatory measures birthed from the Colorado legislation, and representing United Policyholders in various settings.