Disaster Recovery Journal Spring 2023

them with very little time to test concepts. Looking back, I wish I would have kept a journal during those 840 days because people would not believe the stories I could tell and the things we faced. Have you had any mentors? Describe the effect they have had on your career. I recently connected with my first offi cial mentor, David Halford, at Fusion through DRJ’s mentoring program and know it’ll be mutually educational for both of us. However, I have had two notable role models whose work ethic and curious mindset have propelled me in my career today. First, my maternal

along the way and being a leader others can rely on and admire. What are some lessons learned you still leverage today? Networking has been integral in creat ing a robust BC program. The first confer ence I attended professionally was a DRJ conference. I am grateful to those I have met along the way, and especially those in healthcare systems who still answer my emails or phone calls when I am stumped and seek advice on how to best approach something. The relationships I have built through networking and open informa tion sharing help provide

Froman emergency preparedness stand point, I’ve attended several free week long courses through FEMA’s Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Ala., on topics such as mass casualty incident management and healthcare facility emer gency management. Although their course offerings are tailored to incident response specifically, they are entirely free (airfare and lodging included), and you’ll play varied roles in numerous exercises during the week. I’ve also taken a whole host of other online FEMA courses to support my command center role. I’m also looking to start sharing my stories and lessons learned at conferences and webinars this year, especially with new practitioners who are looking to make connections and get started in BC. What gets you excited about your career? At this point in my career, I am excited for the next 12 months. I have worked to put all the intricate pieces together (creating tiering methodology, a steer ing committee, roadmaps, templates, risk assessments, and the hefty task of onboarding BC software). Now the puzzle is coming together in a thoughtful yet flex ible way. Building a BC program from a shell of a few plans to its state today has been a massive undertaking of which I am proud. What advice would you give to those embarking on a career in this industry? Just get started. The first plans you create do not need to be complicated or capture every detail. Start with captur ing the most critical details in your plans: key stakeholders, downtime steps, time thresholds for example, and build from there. No plan is ever going to be perfectly polished and all-encompassing because plans are working documents and need to be nimble. Every time you write, exercise, and use your plan in incidents, you will learn something new you can use in other plans, too. v

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a sense of belonging and togetherness which other wise can be hard to find. What aspects of working in this industry would you like to see change or evolve? I would like to see more free resources available to new BC practitioners who have little funding and formal education in the profession. Especially in healthcare, it is hard to decipher how to build a BC program [continu ity of operations (COOP), and emergency response is generally the extent of leader knowledge around resiliency] when you are

grandfather strategically climbed the ranks within the banking industry before retiring in his 50s as the bank’s president. As a child, I remember hearing his career sto ries and being proud of how he connected with employees and custom ers through intentional relationship building and humility. He consistently made integrity-driven change which benefited customers most rather than the bank’s own bottom line. My mother is the second role model I’d like

However, it seemed like I was continually responding to eerily similar technological incidents, and it was clear we needed to get more proactive in our planning and approach.

to highlight. My mom became a single parent around the time I was in kinder garten and has always had an unshakable vision for her career in environmental science. Similar to my grandfather, she’s consistently grown her way to the high est leadership level and done it while continuing to work alongside her teams. As a child, I can recall a few weekends spent in the corporate boardroom, watch ing VHS tapes on the boardroom TV with my brother so she could make sure they hit critical turnaround time deadlines. As a kid, we always thought those days were so fun, but as an adult, I realize the sacrifices she had to make. Ultimately, she’s taught me the importance of coaching others

missing resources. It can be daunting and discouraging, so I would love to see read ily accessible, easily digestible guides or templates to get people started. What types of formal training and certifications have you pursued, and what kinds of learning and networking opportunities are you seeking to continue your professional development? Today, most of my BC training comes from real world experience and learning through conferences, webinars, and net working. However, in support of career growth and overall marketability, I will be obtaining a BC certification through DRI in Q1 of 2023. “

David Halford is VP continuity solutions, product management at Fusion Risk Management. He is also a member of the DRJ Editorial Advisory Board.

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