Oji Alexander, Chief Executive Officer, People’s Housing+, Inc

Oji Alexander is the CEO of People’s Housing+, where he leads a bold, community-driven vision for housing equity and neighborhood revitalization in New Orleans. A visionary in the field of affordable housing, Oji was instrumental in merging three New Orleans based affordable housing CDCs to form People’s Housing+, creating a more unified and impactful entity.

Prior to this role, Oji co-founded and served as Executive Director of Home by Hand, where he oversaw the development and sale of more than 200 energy-efficient, storm-resilient affordable homes, and helped return over 300 blighted properties to productive use across the city.

Isabel Barrios, Director of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Isabel Barrios joined the Greater New Orleans Foundation in 2009 and leads its short and long-term disaster response and recovery work. She co-designed the Foundation’s strategic framework for equitable disaster response, and coordinates with philanthropic, public, and nonprofit partners in the region to get millions of disaster recovery dollars to where they can be most impactful. Since 2023, she has co-led the implementation of the Foundation’s Next 100 Years Challenge, a regional competition designed to inspire and attract plans for community-centered and cost-effective infrastructure improvements, in 13 parishes of Southeast Louisiana.

Bart Beavers, Business Development Manager, NEC

Bart Beavers is the Business Development Manager for NEC in Hawaii, an industry- leading provider of Communications Technology, AI Analytics, Digital ID, and integrator of IT solutions. In this role Mr. Beavers is responsible for development of NEC solutions in Hawaii that encompass NEC’s portfolio of companies including NEC of America, NEC Labs of America, NEC-X, and NEC Global.

Mr. Beavers has more than 25 of technology experience in sales, marketing, management, product development, and program capture. Prior to NEC, Mr. Beavers was with World Wide Technology leading the a $200M IT deployment in the State of Hawaii before moving to a Business Development/Program Capture role targeting large IT programs across the United States. With Ion Systems, (Berkeley, CA) Mr. Beavers led the new electrostatics solution development for technology manufacturing markets including semiconductor foundry and TAP, flat panel displays, storage devices and contract manufacturing globally.

Thomas Chandler, Managing Director, NCDP, Columbia University

Thomas Chandler, Ph.D., is the Managing Director and Research Scientist at the National Center for Disaster Preparedness and an Associate Member of the Columbia Climate School faculty, Columbia University. He focuses on post-disaster housing and economic recovery, mass care, pandemic preparedness, and rural / Tribal Nation resilience. He is the Principal Investigator of NCDP’s FEMA training projects, managing more than $14 million in funding since 2016.

He has also been the Principal Investigator of a U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) research study, “Evaluation of the Public Health System Response to Hurricane Sandy in the NY Metro Area”; Principal Investigator of a U.S. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) research/training project, “Visualizing Social Media: New Tools for Research and Practice”; Co-Principal Investigator of a research grant funded by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative, “Understanding Resilience Attributes for Children, Youth, and Communities in the Wake of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill”; Investigator for a grant funded by GSK: “Resilient Children/Resilient Communities Initiative”; and Co-Principal Investigator of a grant from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: “Performance Measure Development Project”. His work has appeared in Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, The Journal of Social Studies Research, and Interactive Learning Environments.

Matt Cowles, Deputy Director, National Emergency Management Association

Matt Cowles currently serves as the Deputy Director of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) where he also served as Director of Government Relations from 2009 to 2015. In this role, he works with the Executive Director on the strategic priorities and management of the association while maintaining direct responsibility for the staff, budget, and priorities of the Washington, D.C. office where he is the liaison between State emergency management directors, Members of Congress, Federal agencies, and partner organizations. During his tenure, Cowles coordinated significant progress on national emergency management priorities including increased funding for critical grant programs, the allocation of the D-Block radio spectrum to public safety, support for the nationwide mutual aid system, and Congressional support for critical emergency management programs.

Ben Duncan, Chief Resilience Officer, South Carolina

Benjamin I. Duncan II serves as South Carolina’s inaugural Chief Resilience Officer, a testament to his decades of distinguished public service. Appointed by Governor Henry McMaster and confirmed by the South Carolina General Assembly, Ben leads the South Carolina Office of Resilience (SCOR), a cabinet-level agency he shaped into a national model for effective disaster response and long-term preparedness.

With over 35 years of experience across six gubernatorial administrations, Ben’s leadership has transformed SCOR. Under his guidance, the agency has not only achieved remarkable success in disaster recovery but has also pioneered innovative approaches to resilience planning, mitigation, and land conservation.

Ben’s leadership extends beyond his current role. His extensive professional development includes participation in prestigious programs at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business. This commitment to continuous learning, combined with years of experience in state government, equips him uniquely to navigate the challenges of building a more resilient South Carolina.

Manuela Ekowo, Public Policy Associate, IBHS

Manuela Ekowo is a Public Policy Associate at IBHS where she helps to shape and execute IBHS’s public policy goals and advance IBHS solutions for making families, businesses, and communities more resilient to severe weather. Manuela has a decade of experience advancing policies at the federal, state, and local levels on a range of public policy issues including housing affordability and energy assistance. Manuela has a bachelor’s degree in government from Bowdoin College and is based in the DC metro area.

Jennifer Pepson Elwood, ENV SP, Senior Resilience Planner, Dewberry

Jennifer Pepson Elwood, ENV SP is a Senior Resilience Planner with Dewberry. She is an infrastructure resilience professional with 15 years of experience helping communities, agencies, and partners plan for a safer, more sustainable future. Ms. Pepson Elwood works at the intersection of policy, planning, and implementation, supporting the planning and design of infrastructure that can withstand, adapt to, and recover from current and future climate, environmental, and operational risks. From local projects to statewide strategies, she helps turn risk into opportunity and support resilience across the disaster cycle, from mitigation and preparedness to response and recovery.

Natalie F. Enclade, Ph.D., Executive Director, BuildStrong America

Natalie F. Enclade, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of BuildStrong America, the preeminent organization uniting a diverse coalition of dedicated stakeholders with a shared commitment to reducing disaster costs and fostering a more resilient America. Prior to joining BuildStrong, she ran the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) cornerstone Financial Well-Being Program and was the Director of Individual and Community Preparedness for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As Director, she oversaw programs that partner at all levels of government, the private sector, and community organizations to increase individual and community preparedness while encouraging the development of disaster resilience across the nation.

Natalie has an established career in emergency management and national security, serving as a Chief Policy Advisor and Senior Program Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and as a Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Legislature. Additionally, she has served as a subject-matter expert in homeland security, cybersecurity, and emergency management for the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). In this role, she was responsible for advising the Committee and Senate leadership on general emergency management issues, FEMA, Stafford Act, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure policy. This included major pieces of legislation, such as the game-changing Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), fire grants reauthorization, and various programmatic mandates.

Alexander Falcone, Partnership and Program Supervisor, Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, United States Small Business Administration

Alexander Falcone serves the United States Small Business Administration as the Partnership and Program Supervisor with the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience. In this role he is responsible for leading a team of professionals responsible for partnerships, interagency affairs, public affairs, social media, community engagement, and mitigation. He has been instrumental in the SBA’s response to several large-scale disasters including the Maui Wildfires, Hurricane’s Helene/Milton, and the LA County Wildfires. Prior to joining the
Federal Government Alex served as the Senior Response and Recovery Coordination specialist with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Office of Emergency Preparedness.

He joined the authority after serving for six years as the Director of Emergency Management, Special Events and City Security for the City of Coral Springs, Florida. As Director, he oversaw the Office of Emergency Management, directed the security strategies for city facilities and developed safety operational plans for large-scale, city-run events. Amongst his greatest accomplishments, he successfully implemented the state’s first ALERT technology system, connecting area schools to the Real Time Crime Center and City’s Dispatch. This project was later featured on National media, and Coral Springs was ranked as one of Florida’s safest cities.

Dan Favre, Director of Environmental Programs, Greater New Orleans Foundation

Dan serves as the Director of Environmental Programs at the Greater New Orleans Foundation driving positive impact through philanthropy, leadership, and action to ensure equitable climate change adaptation and mitigation. He’s excited to be working throughout the region to reduce flooding with innovative green infrastructure, support community engagement in coastal restoration and protection, and expand the Foundation’s work on creating more equitable and sustainable transportation options.

Prior to joining the Foundation in 2022, Dan spent many years in the region’s non-profit sector as Executive Director of Bike Easy, the Greater New Orleans bicycle education and advocacy organization, after working as the Campaign Organizer then Communications Director at Healthy Gulf (previously called Gulf Restoration Network), an environmental advocacy organization focused on clean water, coastal restoration, healthy fisheries, and climate justice. He serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Krewe, the local non-profit that manages the Blue Bikes bike share system, and the Committee for Better New Orleans.

Mr. Kem R. Fleming, Director, Office of Field Operations & Disaster Recovery, United States Small Business Administration

Mr. Kem R. Fleming was selected to the senior executive services in 2024 and serves as the Director, Office of Field Operations & Disaster Recovery. Mr. Fleming leads the SBA’s field operations for its national disaster recovery program and oversee the Recovery Division and two Field Operations Centers which oversee all disaster field operations for their designated half of the country. Mr. Fleming also oversees situational awareness of postincident issues, disaster field coordination across SBA program offices postincident, and establishes mission priorities for consistent application nationwide. Mr. Fleming has over 30 years of operational and leadership experience while serving in several key leadership positions throughout his career. His extensive operational experience includes his participation in multiple operational deployments to Iraq, several National Level Homeland Defense exercises, and several real- world disaster response missions.

During his time with SBA, Kem has managed disaster response operations for over 300 Presidential and Agency Disaster Declarations. These disaster declarations include the 3rd, 4th and the 5th costliest hurricanes in United States history; Hurricanes Maria (2017), Sandy (2012) and Irma (2017), respectively.

Gina Hardy, Chief Executive Officer, NCJUA and NCIUA

Gina Hardy serves as Chief Executive Officer of two insurance companies: the North Carolina Joint Underwriting Association (NCJUA) and the North Carolina Insurance Underwriting Association (NCIUA). Together, they insure $236 billion in property exposure across 592,461 risks and are recognized as leaders in promoting resilient construction.

Under Ms. Hardy’s leadership, the Associations have allocated more than $217 million to four residential pre-disaster mitigation programs: Strengthen Your Roof (SYR), Strengthen Your Coastal Roof (SYCR), Stronger Roof Grant, and the Stronger Roof Endorsement Program, helping homeowners reduce vulnerability to hurricane damage.

Greg Hettrick, Senior Vice President and Director of Community Investment, Federal Home Bank of Dallas

Greg leads the Bank’s Community Investment team that provides grants to fund gaps in the financial structure of affordable housing, resilient housing and community revitalization projects throughout the Bank’s five-state District. Over the last three years, Greg’s team at FHLB Dallas has underwritten & awarded over $180 million in competitive Affordable Housing Program (AHP) General Fund grants to support the development of thousands of affordable housing units. Under his leadership, the Bank has also created multiple programs for non-depository Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), created the Bank’s Fortified Fund programs for disaster resilient housing, a grant program to support the educational efforts of State Housing Finance Authorities and a program to fund housing for Native American populations in the FHLB Dallas five state district. He also leads several other grant programs for first time homebuyers, heirs’ property rights issues, owner-occupied rehab for special needs homeowners, disaster recovery, disabled veterans, and community-based organizations.

Prior to joining the FHLB Dallas in 2008, Greg spent 17 years with Bank of America, including 10 years with its Community Development Corporation (BACDC) and Real Estate Development Group in Dallas, Texas. During his tenure at Bank of America, Greg acquired, redeveloped and delivered more than 2,700 affordable multifamily rental units and over 225 single family homes. Prior to his time at BACDC, Greg also led Bank of America’s Community Investment team for the Carolinas and Delaware.

Kristiane Huber, Officer, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Kristiane Huber works to advance state-level climate resilience planning with Pew’s U.S. conservation project. She engages with state and local leaders to develop and enact policy and resilience planning to address disaster risk from flooding, wildfire, drought, and extreme heat. Huber also manages the State Resilience Planning Group, a forum for collaboration among government officials leading statewide resilience initiatives.

Before joining Pew, Huber led the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions’ resilience program. She researched climate risks to the private sector and fostered business and community collaboration on climate preparedness. In prior positions, she consulted on flood risk management for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and managed training and mentorship programs for beginning farmers and sustainable landscapers in Connecticut

Thad Huguley, Director of Government Affairs, International Association of Emergency Managers

Thad Huguley is the Director of Government Affairs for the International Association of Emergency Managers, an advocacy organization for the profession of emergency management.

Huguley worked as a Congressional staffer and campaign operative for 15 years.  He began his career as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Howell Heflin of Alabama.  After Heflin retired from the Senate, he served U.S. Congressman Vic Snyder of Arkansas as his Legislative Director and Campaign Manager.  From 1999 to 2006, he served as Chief of Staff and directed the re-election campaigns of U.S. Congressman Marion Berry of Arkansas. 

In 2006, he founded Huguley LLC, a public affairs and government relations practice with expertise in managing coalitions, Congressional process, navigating Executive branch bureaucracy, and public policy advocacy.  The roster of past and current clients at Huguley LLC includes big corporations, small businesses, advocacy groups, and non-profit organizations. 

Karl Kim, National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, University of Hawaii

Dr. Karl Kim is a Planning Professor with the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Kim directs the graduate certificate in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (DMHA) program and is the Executive Director of the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC).

NDPTC is a congressionally authorized FEMA training center that develops and delivers FEMA-certified training to first responders and emergency management personnel nationwide. NDPTC focuses on natural hazard preparedness, mitigation, response, resilience, and recovery. Dr. Kim also directs the University of Hawaii’s member center of the Pacific Southwest Region University Transportation Center.

Eric Letvin, Vice President and Regional Resilience & Mitigation Director, Tidal Basin Group

Eric Letvin is Vice President and Regional Resilience & Mitigation Director at Tidal Basin Group, where he spearheads innovative strategies to bolster community resilience and reduce vulnerability to hazards. He is a recognized leader in disaster resilience and hazard mitigation, bringing over 30 years of expertise to Tidal Basin.

Before joining Tidal Basin, Eric served in several high-profile roles across the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the White House National Security Council, and led hazard mitigation committees across the federal government and with international partners. During his recent nine-year tenure as the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Mitigation Directorate at FEMA, Eric supervised over 290 full-time staff, was responsible for all FEMA mitigation grant programs, led floodplain management nationwide, reduced barriers to communities’ access to federal funding, and helped execute the National Flood Insurance Program. He served as the program executive for the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) grant program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), and the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant program, and led the implementation of the Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation (STORM) Act.

Joseph Mascali, Founder and Principle, Frame

Mr. Mascali has extensive experience in large property losses, especially complex losses arising from Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Harvey, Irma, Maria, and Ian. His experience includes preparing, documenting, and quantifying insurance and FEMA claims on behalf of clients. Mr. Mascali’s additional expertise includes COVID-19 recovery engagements, grants management support, litigation support, contract monitoring and invoice review, and appraisal services. In 2022, following over a decade of experience in the insurance and FEMA disaster recovery industry, Mr. Mascali co-founded Frame.

Reese May, Chief Executive Officer, SBP

Reese May serves as Chief Operating Officer at SBP, leading national efforts to build resilience in the nation’s most at-risk communities. A two-time combat U.S. Marine veteran, Reese brings more than 14 years of experience in disaster resilience, community recovery, and systems change.

Since joining SBP in 2011, Reese has helped shape the organization’s strategy, innovation, and government advisory work, driving policy and partnerships that strengthen local capacity before and after disasters. His leadership is grounded in his conviction: If we care about survivors after disasters, we must invest in resilience before they occur.

Daniel Mencher, Senior Vice President, Alpine Group

Daniel Mencher joins Alpine Group as a Senior Vice President with more than 15 years of senior leadership experience shaping federal appropriations, budget policy, and executive branch funding decisions across homeland security, agriculture, environment, and foreign affairs.

Prior to joining Alpine, Daniel served simultaneously as Staff Director for the Homeland Security and Interior & Environment Subcommittees on the Senate Committee on Appropriations, leading bipartisan negotiations and overseeing development and enactment of multi-billion-dollar annual and supplemental funding bills. He advised Subcommittee Chairs, the Full Committee, and Senate leadership on funding levels, policy riders, and operational priorities affecting the Department of Homeland Security, Department of the Interior, EPA, the Forest Service, and related agencies. He directed bicameral negotiations, managed hearings and markups, and helped secure passage of major appropriations and supplemental funding packages.

Kipp Nelson, Owner & Managing Director, Emergent Risk Solutions

Kipp founded Emergent Risk Solutions after Hurricane Sandy in 2013. He served as a key contributor to the infrastructure and disaster recovery industries since 1994, to date accumulating over 30 years of expertise to support clients in services the firm provides.

Kipp’s background spans infrastructure, housing, debris management, response management, temporary repairs, long term recovery management and resiliency. He specializes in delivering custom fit solutions for clients, optimizing program delivery and enhancing the efficiency of the overall recovery operation.

Jason Neville, Executive Director, Lafitte Greenway Partnership

Jason Nevilleis an urban planner and affordable housing innovator whose mission is working with people to make cities better. For over fifteen years, Jason has led neighborhood revitalization projects with an emphasis on inclusivity—working to ensure that new investments in housing, retail, open space, and infrastructure benefit all residents. His experience includes planning and project management at the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Innovation Team, and the nonprofit affordable housing organization Restore Neighborhoods Los Angeles. In those capacities Jason has led the development of affordable housing, stormwater management infrastructure projects, arts-driven community events, and small business support programs. Jason is a native New Orleanian and holds an undergraduate degree in urban planning and studies from University of New Orleans and a graduate degree in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California. Jason lives near the Lafitte Greenway with his wife and two young daughters.

Amelia Pellegrin, Director of Planning and City Development, City of Gretna

Amelia Pellegrin is the Director of Planning and Development for the City of Gretna. She is an energetic leader whose dedication to land and environmental resources management is driven by passion and a commitment to excellence and equality. Amelia leads interdisciplinary teams to implement public resource management solutions that incorporate environment, social and economic benefits, and has previously served as the Director of Sustainable Development at the Port of New Orleans and a Principal Planner with CDM Smith. She has superb communication and collaborative facilitation skills; demonstrated success working with diverse interests to implement complex programs and deliver community-scale benefits; and a unique combination of knowledge and skills in environmental science, urban planning and economic development, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement.

Manny Perotin, Vice President; Civil Engineer, CDM Smith

Manny Perotin is a Vice President at CDM Smith with over two decades of experience in civil engineering, hazard mitigation, and disaster resilience. Based in Tampa, Florida, he leads complex projects focused on flood risk reduction, benefit-cost analysis, and emergency planning for federal, state, and local agencies. Mr.  has been instrumental in supporting FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) programs, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) initiatives. His work encompasses technical reviews, grant application development, and post-disaster assessments

John L. Renne, Ph.D., AICP, Henry Shane Professor of Real Estate and Urban Planning, Director, Real Estate Development Program, Tulane University

Dr. John L. Renne is the Henry Shane Professor of Real Estate and Urban Planning and Director of the Real Estate Development Program at Tulane University, where he is recognized globally for his leadership in advancing resilient, transit-oriented, technology-driven, and sustainable real estate development.

With over two decades of experience at the intersection of real estate, transportation, housing, policy, and artificial intelligence, he has authored four influential books and numerous peer-reviewed publications, shaping the discourse on climate adaptation, resilient communities, and innovative urban design. His work following Hurricane Katrina pioneered the concept of “carless evacuation,” and he continues to guide communities, agencies, and nonprofits in building long-term resilience.

Dr. Renne also co-leads Priority Funds, a private investment firm advancing walkable, sustainable real estate strategies, and is at the forefront of integrating artificial intelligence into smart cities through advanced studies in computer science and data analytics.

Melissa Robertson, Property and Casualty Bureau Chief, New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance

Melissa Robertson has been in the insurance industry since 2001. She has served as a Licensed Sales Agent and Agency Owner. For the last 6 years Robertson has been a regulator for the NM Office of Superintendent of Insurance. She started as a State Investigator and is now a Bureau Chief for Property and Casualty. Robertson has been the forefront of Wildfire risk loss along with response and recovery efforts. Acting as a liaison between government agencies, fire and emergency management officials, Insurance companies, private sector.

Andrew Rumbach, Senior Fellow, Housing and Communities Division, Urban Institute.

Andrew Rumbach is a senior fellow in the Housing and Communities Division at the Urban Institute, where he coleads the Climate and Communities practice area. He is a leading expert on the impacts of natural hazards, disasters, and climate change on US communities and the federal, state, and local policies aimed at reducing risk and increasing resilience. His areas of research emphasis include affordable housing, land-use policy, and postdisaster recovery.

Rumbach has published dozens of peer-reviewed studies on disaster and climate-related topics in venues such as Natural Hazards, Natural Hazards Review, Housing Studies, Urban Studies, the Journal of Urban Affairs, and Habitat International, and he sits on the editorial boards of the Journal of the American Planning Association and the Journal of Planning Literature. Before joining Urban, Rumbach was a tenured professor of urban planning at Texas A&M University and previously at the University of Colorado Denver. He earned a BA in political science from Reed College and a PhD and MRP in city and regional planning from Cornell University.

Lance Slater, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Mobile, AL

Lance Slater serves as the Chief Resilience Officer for the City of Mobile, where he leads the City’s efforts to strengthen community resilience, advance climate adaptation strategies, and support long-term sustainability initiatives. In this role, Lance oversees cross-departmental coordination and works closely with regional partners, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and community stakeholders to develop strategies that reduce risk, improve preparedness, and enhance quality of life for residents.

As Chief Resilience Officer, Lance has played a key role in shaping resilience planning across the City, guiding efforts that support equitable growth, strengthen critical systems, and prepare the community for future hazards. He is committed to responsible stewardship of public resources, transparent communication, and ensuring that resilience strategies reflect the needs and strengths of Mobile’s neighborhoods.

Daniele Spirandeli, Senior Associate, Haley Adrich

Daniele is a strategic, systems-oriented resilience planner who enjoys working with a diverse range of clients and stakeholders to address their concerns about climate change. She actively listens to understand her clients’ needs and values, then integrates those needs and values with the most up-to-date climate science to identify vulnerabilities and develop resilient strategies. She has worked with a variety of communities and institutions across the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, including utility companies, real-estate developers, county planners, and community-based organizations, and she is a member of the ASTM International subcommittee focused on standard guidance for property resilience assessments.

With over a decade of experience applying climate science and adaptation considerations across private and public sector operations, assets, and hazard mitigation and planning, Daniele is most passionate about approaching climate resilience holistically. She uses a full range of scientific tools, including quantitative and qualitative methods, community and traditional ecological knowledge, and collaboration among the sciences to co-produce knowledge and prioritize solutions. She draws inspiration for her work from communities living on the frontlines of climate change that are determined to preserve the places they love through a collective vision of a sustainable and resilient future.

Joey Sylvester, Area Senior Vice President and Southeast Regional Cyber Practice Leader, Gallagher

Joey Sylvester is Area Senior Vice President and the Southeast Regional Cyber Practice Leader at Gallagher. Joey focuses his time on bringing Cyber risk management and risk transfer solutions to Gallagher clients across the US. His particular area of expertise is related to emerging Cyber risks in critical infrastructure and delivering risk management advice and services to support and bolster clients’ cyber defenses. He has certifications in the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and uses that expertise to support clients in assessing and improving overall cybersecurity maturity as well as using assessment results to improve results in the insurance market.

Additionally, Joey is an Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional with expertise in ensuring safety and trust in the development and deployment of ethical AI systems.

Joey was named a Risk & Insurance Power Broker for Cyber in 2020 and again in 2022. He holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and recently obtained a second Master’s degree in Cybersecurity Risk and Strategy from New York University.

Hannah Trautwein, Director, Resilience and Recovery Fellows Program, SBP

Hannah Trautwein is the Director of SBP’s Resilience and Recovery Fellows Program and
oversees Advisory and Advocacy projects for the organization. Hannah works directly with
Fellows, local partners, donors, and a team of subject matter experts to support Fellows and
the communities they serve.

Before joining SBP, Hannah was part of the team that recovered a failed CDBG-DR grant with the West Virginia Department of Economic Development following the severe storms of 2016. She oversaw substantial amendments, policies, and procedures in addition to her main roles as Multifamily and Historical Buildings Project Manager.

Previously, she served as a Community Partnership Coordinator immediately following the storms of 2016 and oversaw immediate and long-term recovery efforts, consulting with state and local agencies to direct the efforts of over 3,000 volunteers in the years following the historic floods.