National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI)

?? ?????????? ?????????????? ????????????????????????! At the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) at Harvard University, we’re excited to welcome Lisa Reshaur, Ph.D., Microsoft’s Vice President of Risk and Resilience, to our online AI & Leadership course starting May 13. Here’s a sneak peek: ?????? ????. ?????????????? ???? Dr. Reshaur leads a global team focused on Enterprise Resilience, Crisis Management, and Security Risk Management & Compliance, including supplier security. In the past few years, she has led Microsoft’s crisis response to COVID-19 and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, ensuring a globally consistent strategy across 90+ countries. Her team is focused on driving efficiency in risk and resilience through better data analytics and automation. Prior to joining Microsoft, Lisa worked for PwC where she spent 14 years designing and building risk and controls programs for companies around the globe. ? She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Delaware where she studied at the Disaster Research Center and focused on group and organizational behavior in disasters. ???????? ??????’???? ?????????? ?? Dr. Reshaur will share emerging AI advances and explore how they are transforming disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. ?? You’ll also learn how Microsoft leverages AI to mitigate risk and boost resilience at a global scale. ?? We’ll conclude with a debrief to exchange insights and network with colleagues. ?????? ???? ?????????????? ? Disasters are unpredictable, but preparedness isn’t. AI is changing how organizations anticipate, adapt, and respond to crises. ? The future of crisis leadership depends on integrating AI-driven insights into decision-making for faster, more effective responses. ? Leaders increasingly need to harness AI to enhance resilience and security at scale. ?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ?? Integrate AI-driven risk assessment into your crisis planning to move from reactive to proactive decision-making. ?? Leverage real-time AI analytics to identify emerging threats and adapt faster in high-stakes situations. ?? Apply AI automation to streamline responses, reduce human error, and enhance coordination across teams. We can’t wait to dive into these critical insights with Dr. Reshaur! Stay tuned for more updates! __________________________________________________ A link to the program details and registration is in the comments.

FEMA's future was the focus of a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing with fellow emergency managers Jeffrey Smitherman, Carrie Speranza, and Tim Manning. We offered proposals to strengthen the nation's approach to emergency management. Thanks to all those who provided input, including so many of you who answered the call for ideas on LinkedIn. Hopefully you see your fingerprints in the testimony. Hearing website with video (starts at 23:00): https://lnkd.in/exskuf9x Written testimony: https://lnkd.in/eYkwSsyp These are the points I addressed in my opening statement: * Today’s hearing presents an opportunity to engage in long-overdue conversations about potential reforms to FEMA and, more broadly, appropriate levels of burden-sharing between federal, state, and local governments, and with the private sector. * FEMA is most often associated with its disaster response and recovery mission. Recent major disasters, such as Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the LA wildfires, demonstrate why. That is when the spotlight is on FEMA, and when what FEMA does matters most in the moment. But I strongly believe that what FEMA does before disaster strikes is equally important. * Just like FEMA, the #insurance industry is at a crossroads. Given the deluge of recent disasters—from #flooding to #hurricanes to #wildfires —there is a pressing need for proactive measures to mitigate risks and safeguard the well-being of our communities. * Resilience must be our collective North Star, whereby we reduce the physical and financial impacts of disasters and transfer risks off the backs of disaster survivors and the federal balance sheet. But to do so, we must be prepared to match the magnitude of risks we face with the magnitude of effort required to manage them. * FEMA, through its various grant programs, both disincentivizes and incentivizes resilience investments by state and local governments. The FEMA Public Assistance program largely disincentivizes resilience because it amounts to a de facto insurance policy for state and local governments. In contrast, FEMA pre-disaster programs such as the BRIC hazard mitigation program encourage resilience investments by providing funding for projects that save taxpayer dollars and reduce disaster suffering. * The private sector can also incentivize resilience, particularly in the finance, insurance, and real estate industries. These sectors should view themselves as "co-beneficiaries" of resilience investments and, therefore, should find ways to encourage individuals, businesses, and governments to make these investments. -- Special thanks to Jennifer McPhillips and all my Marsh McLennan colleagues for their support. Photo credits Corina Scheuren, Kristin Cormier Robinson, International Association of Emergency Managers. #emergencymanagement