Preparedness Leadership Council, Executive Briefing

The collective cost that the COVID-19 Pandemic had on the country was enormous — incalculable. By not following prescribed plans, not having access to known and needed supplies, and allowing untrained political leaders to make (or not make) key decisions has changed the fabric of society. Everything has been affected, especially and importantly, citizens’ faith and trust in the capability, reliability and worthiness of government, at all levels.

Surprisingly, in spite of that high cost, the lessons learned from unpreparedness have not been taken seriously and, may not have been incorporated adequately into planning, training and exercises at the very institutions created to protect the public. To spotlight awareness of this issue, the Preparedness Leadership Council (PLC) has hosted two workshops and gathered important information from senior executives with hands on operational experience.

Key findings from those workshops and recommendations are being published as a white paper. That paper will be presented at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Wednesday, November 13 from 0800 to 1100 ET.

Robert Kadlec, served as Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services (Preparedness and Response) from August 2017 until January 2021. He is responsible for the creation of the COVID-19 vaccine development program Operation Warp Speed. He spent 26 years as a career officer and physician in the United States Air Force. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for service in Iraq. In the White House Homeland Security Council, Kadlec was Director for Biodefense and Special Assistant to President George W. Bush for Biodefense Policy from 2007 to 2009. Bob was Deputy Staff Director for the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence when he was nominated by President Donald Trump to become Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), an office within Health and Human Services.

Donald Boyce, System Vice President for Emergency Management, joined Mount Sinai Health System in 2018. Led the Emergency Management Department as they played an integral role during the Mount Sinai response to the COVID pandemic impacting NYC and worldwide. Previously, Mr. Boyce served as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the Office of Emergency Management at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Laura Iavicoli, MD, Chief Medical Officer for New York City Health + Hospitals/ Elmhurst and Senior Assistant Vice President for Emergency Management for New York City Health and Hospital System. Dr. Iavicoli interfaced at the local, regional, national, and international level to assist with crafting and implementing Covid-19 response protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic response. She has served on numerous national, regional, and local committees devoted to emergency management.

Kelly McKinney, Former Deputy Commissioner at the New York City Office of Emergency Management and Chief Disaster Officer for the American Red Cross in Greater New York. Currently, Assistant Vice President of Emergency Management and Enterprise Resilience at NYU Langone Health in New York City. He teaches crisis management at NYU and was recently appointed to FEMA's National Advisory Council.

Tim Rice, Battalion Chief and 30-year veteran of the FDNY. His current role is WMD Chief, a position he has held for over seven years. Chief Rice specializes in High Threat emergency planning, response, and coordination.

John Scrivani, Thirty year Emergency Response / Management community veteran, currently the Director of Safety, Security & Emergency Management for the Virginia Department of Transportation. He also serves as an instructor for hazardous materials/WMD response for DHS and DOE. In 2021, John was appointed to the be the Emergency Management Commissioner for New York City.

Adam Thiel, The city of Philadelphia’s managing director with responsibility for being the City’s chief operating officer. From 2016 to 2024, Managing Director Thiel was the uniformed fire commissioner for the Philadelphia Fire Department (PFD), with a concurrent appointment as a deputy managing director, and also served as the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management (OEM) director from 2019 to 2022.
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This Executive Briefing is underwritten by L2 Defense.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The National Press Club, Holeman Lounge, 13th Floor, 529 14th Street Northwest, Washington, United States