Sara Hays, Executive Director
Sara Hays joined SORM in November 2025. Prior to joining SORM, Ms. Hays served as Deputy Director of Operations with the Office of Injured Employee Counsel. She joins the Office after many years of state service, including Chief of Staff for two state representatives and Budget and Policy Advisor for Governor Greg Abbott.
Todd Holt, Deputy Executive Director
L. Todd Holt joined SORM in January 2015 and currently serves as Deputy Executive Director. Prior to joining SORM, Mr. Holt held several executive management positions such as the Division Director of Claims Administration for the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB) and as the Assistant Vice President of Industry Training for the Texas Mutual Insurance Company (formally known as the Texas Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund). His background includes managing operations that handle workers’ compensation, commercial property, errors and omissions, general liability, and auto. During his 19+ year tenure at TASB, he developed expertise in the Texas Tort Claims Act, was involved in the placement of property stop loss insurance (including international Lloyds markets) and actively participated in the executive leadership of a large risk pool.
Mr. Holt holds bachelor and master’s degrees from Texas Tech University and is a licensed multi-line adjuster (Type 08). He holds several professional designations, which include Associate in Claims (AIC) and Associate in Claims Management (AIC-M) from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. He also holds a Casualty Claims Profession (CCP) designation from the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance, and is certified as a Professional Continuity Practitioner (PCP) by the Emergency Management Institute, FEMA.
Deea L. Western, J.D., Division Chief and General Counsel, Legal Services Division
Deea Western joined SORM as General Counsel and Division Chief for Legal Services in April 2015. The Legal Services Division is comprised of three departments including Litigation Management, Special Investigations, and Compliance and Practices.
Ms. Western was born in Arkansas and attended Arkansas State University. After receiving a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, she moved to Bell County, Texas and taught elementary school on Fort Hood before going to law school.
Deea Western obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has been licensed to practice law in Arkansas and Texas since 1992. Ms. Western served as an Assistant Attorney General for the Texas Office of the Attorney General. Following that, she was a solo practitioner. In 1996, she accepted a position with the Texas Department of Insurance Enforcement Section where she directed a team of attorneys and investigators and supervised litigation for 18 years. In addition to her legal career, Ms. Western also taught college courses at Central Texas College in Killeen.
Lydia Scranton, Chief of Internal Operations
Lydia Scranton serves as Chief of Internal Operations for the State Office of Risk Management overseeing the daily operations of the Intake Management, Information Technology, and Financial Management departments. Before transitioning to the Chief of Internal Operations in December 2022, Ms. Scranton served as the Director of Claims Operations since 2016 and has served with the Office since August 2006.
Ms. Scranton holds an Associate of Science in Business Administration from Austin Community College (ACC), a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB). She also obtained a TX Adjuster All Lines License, as well as a designation of Professional Continuity Practitioner from the Emergency Management Institute (EMI), and an Associates in Claims from The Institute.