Disaster Recovery Journal Fall 2023

CAREER SPOTLIGHT

involve myself in the emergency manage ment field. Tell us about some of the challenges you have encountered in your career? Throughout my career, I have always found it frustrating to receive conflict ing guidance from external organizations involved in the same project. Being able to delineate what needs to be done while ensuring it meets the intent of other orga nizations involved is a challenge. Next, when something goes awry during a proj ect, it is important to take a step back and reassess the scope of the situation now that something has changed. Acting impul sively in an attempt to resolve a conflict is done with good intentions but can lead to less than desirable results due to a lack of consideration. As a leader, it is impera tive to remain calm when approaching a “speed bump.” Have you had any mentors? Describe the effect they have had on your career. During my transition from the Army, I participated in the American Corporate Partners (ACP) program where I am paired with a mentor who is a leader in a field which is similar to a field I am interested in pursuing. ACP connected me with Cary Jasgur, the first vice president in enterprise resilience for Amalgamated Bank, who is well experienced in business continu ity. Cary helped create a roadmap for me throughout my transition, teaching me how to properly network with employers and how to prepare for civilian life. As a fellow veteran, it was easy making the connection with him because he continues to serve as my mentor through the ACP program. What are some lessons learned you still leverage today? It is imperative to be proactive when engaging in any project or mission-set. The military has taught me to plan backward from the end result of a project, as this enables an individual to create a timeline which is both feasible and obtainable. One of my old sergeants told me to “be proac tive, not reactive.” This is a phrase which I attempt to abide by daily. Reacting impul sively to something which was not care fully planned or accounted for will, more

Career Spotlight: Dom Fortino By CARY JASGUR

nity to engage with multinational partners through extensive collaboration in order to manage equipment and personnel move ment operations throughout the continent. How did you get into the business continuity industry? During childhood, I always had an interest in the concept of resilience. In the years which followed 9/11, my hometown hosted an event where first responders stood in formation to honor those affected by the 9/11 attacks. I was just old enough at the time to understand the scope of what had happened that day. Seeing first responders stand in front of the American flag in unity, acting as the safeguard to my livelihood, is an expression of resilience which I had always found to be admirable. Throughout high school, I began taking online courses in emergency manage ment to understand what first responders are trained to do in order to “safeguard” local communities. Being the individual responsible for performing such functions was something I had believed to be an honorable way to live, which is what led me to serve my country in the Army and

Tell us about yourself – your name, company, title, and responsibilities? My name is Dom Fortino. I am a tran sitioning Army veteran who served as a field artillery officer in the U.S. Army. Throughout my transition from the Army, I was given the fortunate opportunity to participate in a Career Skills Program (CSP) which enables transitioning service members to receive formal training in a field they are interested in pursuing. I did my CSP with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) as a strategic planning intern where I was able to apply the knowledge acquired from my graduate studies in a concrete setting. I am a service-oriented individual who finds both extrinsic and intrinsic value in help ing others during times of need. During my time in service, I served in various capacities. Most notably, I was a program manager where I was responsible for deploying more than $300 million worth of equipment and 600 personnel to the European Theater and throughout Europe in support of Operation Atlantic Resolve. While in theater, I was given the opportu

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