Digital Event:

 

Essentials of Disaster Preparedness 

Never Too Soon or Too Late to Plan

 

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Get in on the action

The Webinar

 

While every disaster must be addressed with a unique set of solutions, across the industry there are a variety of best practices applicable to multiple circumstances, including those derived from the emerging field of disaster intelligence.

Whether bracing for impact in a few weeks or looking to increase resilience in years to come, join Merit’s panel of experts to discuss what practical steps state and local governments can take to prepare for the challenges lurking just out of sight.

  • What steps emergency stakeholders can take at every stage of the preparation cycle
  • How preparedness may change in a post-coronavirus world
  • How to cross-apply disaster intelligence from other regions and circumstances
Thought Leaders

Our Panelists

Rich Serino

Distinguished Senior Fellow at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The Hon. Richard Serino provided extensive leadership on emergency management, emergency medical, and homeland security at local, state, federal, and international levels in his 40+ years of public service. Mr. Serino is currently a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative. From 2009-2014, he served as FEMA's 8th Deputy Administrator, as appointed by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate. In this role, he also served as the COO of the agency with more than a $25 billion budget. Before his appointment, he spent 36 years at Boston EMS, where he rose to become Chief and Assistant Director of the Boston Public Health Commission. He responded to over 60 national disasters at FEMA, and during Superstorm Sandy, he was the lead federal area commander for New York and New Jersey. Serino was also on the scene at the Boston Marathon bombings as the Department of Homeland Security senior official.

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Karen Baker

Architect and Co-Chair of Listos California Emergency Preparedness Campaign and
Senior Advisor of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES)

Karen Baker, a nationally recognized leader, strategist, and community problem solver, currently addresses California's most pressing issues by leveraging service, partnerships, and innovative program design. Having held cabinet posts under three governors-Schwarzenegger, Brown, and Newsom, Karen has built efforts that continue to show great impact to this day. Governor Newsom tapped her as the architect and co-chair of the Listos California Emergency Preparedness campaign-an effort aimed at educating vulnerable and diverse Californians with a people-centered approach that has already prepared nearly 4 million Californians. Karen has served as a Senior Advisor in the governor’s Office of Emergency Services and as a Cabinet Secretary at California Volunteers.

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Jared Moskowitz

Moderator, Former Director of Florida’s Division of Emergency Management

Jared Moskowitz was appointed as Director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2019, where he led Florida's response to the COVID-19 Global Pandemic. Jared has more than a decade of experience in disaster recovery and response. In that role, Jared supported response and recovery efforts in Florida after Hurricanes Irma, Matthew, Michael, and Hermine. He also responded to the 2017 California wildfires, Superstorm Sandy, Maryland’s “Snowmageddon,” and the BP Oil Spill. Before being named the Director, Jared served in the Florida House of Representatives and on the Parkland City Commission.

 
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Stan Ledbetter

SLS Division President, Response

With more than 20 years of experience in disaster and emergency response, construction management, development, health, and infrastructure services, Mr. Ledbetter has a rich history of leading critical assignments throughout the United States and Caribbean Basin. As Division President for SLS Response, Mr. Ledbetter and his team has responded to the call for assistance from hurricane-impacted communities, pandemic-impacted states, and expansive humanitarian relief missions, both domestically and overseas. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Texas A&M University. In his spare time, Mr. Ledbetter enjoys spending time with his wife and three children.

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Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Awarded State IT Innovation of the Year

Merit partner, FDEM has been recognized for the technology-forward approach to disaster response and mitigation.

Read the Article
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Partners

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