In Memoriam: Chris Rogers

Chris Rogers

IAVM member and longtime Academy for Venue Safety & Security (AVSS) instructor Chris Rogers passed away earlier this month. We’ve been receiving tributes from members and friends and would like to share them with you.

Steven A. Adelman
Chris Rogers, a longtime member of the faculty of IAVM’s Academy for Venue Safety & Security, passed away on May 5, 2016.

Chris joined AVSS back in 2005. He was one of its early innovators, developing the Risk Management curriculum, writing significant portions of the AVSS textbook, and creating the Individual Discussion Groups and “war games” that give students a safe space to discuss and apply the material they learn with their peers. For nearly all of the longtime AVSS faculty, Chris Rogers was one of the first instructors we met and was certainly one to leave a lasting impression.

As a teacher, Chris could sometimes be gruff when he felt that that was necessary to get his point across, but that was only a thin façade over his warm and generous personality and great sense of humor.

Chris was a big man with a bigger heart, particularly for his family. His face never failed to light up when he talked about his beloved wife Stacey, his daughter, and especially his grandchildren. Several years ago, he made the smart decision to step away from his other commitments, retiring from AON Risk Solutions, where he was Director of Risk Control for their National Entertainment Practice, and leaving AVSS, in order to spend more time with his family. Chris and Stacey even moved from southern to northern California to be full-time grandparents.

In an article for the cover of Facility Manager in December 2012, Chris explained that “all business decisions are risk acceptance decisions.” He fearlessly accepted the risk of putting his entire self into his relationships with his students, and with his many friends among the AVSS faculty. Chris was a leader, both in word and in deed. We miss him.

Kevin Mattingly, CFE
Chris was an Allied member of IAVM and a faculty member at AVSS. The Chris I knew approached everything with a laugh and a smile. He loved his family with his whole heart. He worked hard, but loved it. He shared his experience and knowledge with passion and urgency. He was always quick to compliment others. Chris could wear hats and looked good doing so! Chris never met a stranger. When Chris Rogers retired, we immediately missed him. I suspect we always will.

John Siehl, CFE
Chris Rogers was a true friend of AVSS. His dedication and tenacious approach to teaching were second to none, that, combined with his passion for Risk Assessments and the safety of our patrons, created the consummate professional at AVSS for many years. We will miss his jovial demeanor and serious approach.