Libsyn Directory

007: How to Overcome the Challenges of Meeting Urgent Needs Post-Disaster While Building Future Resilience with Michael Morter

How to Disaster

Release Date: 11/21/2023

032: Day 3: Closing Remarks with Jennifer Gray Thompson

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “We are not hopeless against mega-fires. We are not hopeless against the era of climate change. We can do these things together because we are daring to hope and to help each other.” —Jennifer Gray Thompson As we bring this transformative event to a close, we are filled with an overwhelming sense of gratitude. Each and every one of you has played a vital role in making this summit a resounding success. Whether you traveled from near or far, volunteered tirelessly behind the scenes, or tuned in from your homes and...

031: Day 3: KEYNOTE: Aloha, Hello and Goodbye with Kuʻuleinani Maunupau

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “Aloha does not mean hello and goodbye. Aloha has a much deeper meaning of love and respect. Hello to the return of our Indigenous kupuna knowledge and goodbye to the profit-making capitalistic colonization types of thinking that put profit over people.” —Ku’uleinani Maunupau Colonization has disrupted the deep connection between the land and its indigenous people in Hawaii. The once-thriving Hawaiian land management practice that fostered a harmonious relationship between the people and the environment, has been...

030: Day 3: TALK STORY: IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home Program: The Road to Implementation with Amanda West and Mark Vaughn

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “We're not powerless. We are not powerless against wildfire. We know what we need to do.” —Amanda West “I try not to use the word remove. Just move them. You can have plants. You can have a beautiful landscape. We want that five feet for the fire break.” —Mark Vaughn Wildfires pose a serious threat to homes and communities, but we don't have to be helpless in the face of these disasters. By implementing proven mitigation strategies, homeowners can take proactive steps to protect their properties and create...

029: Day 3: KEYNOTE: Funding Disaster Recovery Through a CDFI with Emily Nilsen

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “As the recovery process continues, you have to continue to adapt.” —Emily Nilsen Disaster recovery is a complex challenge, but innovative lenders are stepping up to the plate. Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) like Impact Development Fund are providing flexible financing, coordinating resources, and creating tailored programs to support communities in rebuilding and becoming more resilient. In this talk, we hear from Emily Nilsen, the Chief Program Officer of . Listen in as Emily shares IDF’s...

028: Day 3: KEYNOTE: Empowering Heirs: Fannie Mae's Program for Retaining Ownership and Returning Home After Disaster with Tim Carpenter

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “Home ownership is about stability. Homeownership is about building wealth. Homeownership is about families. But if you don't have a clear title, you don't know if that stability is going to be there.” —Tim Carpenter Disaster strikes, but for some, the real battle is just beginning. Millions of homes across the US are caught in a tangled web of heirs property— families without clear title to their generational land. This legal limbo leaves them vulnerable to losing everything. Thus, understanding the challenges of...

027: Day 3: PANEL: Federal Advocacy: Championing Megafire Communities and Raising Awareness in DC

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “How you frame your argument is how you get them to listen.” —Jeff Okrepkie “We're willing to help anybody out that is going through this now or in the future.” —Steve Crowder “There's no playbook when it comes to a wildfire… Be ready, because you know this is going to impact you at some point, maybe not directly but you will be.” —Kevin Goss “There is a next step, and we just have to keep moving forward.” —Jenn Kaaoush Disaster can strike anyone, even those sworn to...

026: Day 3: TALK STORY: State-Level Perspectives: Future-Proofing Recovery Senator Angus McKelvey and Senator Troy Hashimoto

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: This recovery is slow, it's painful, and it's costly. We need patience, and aloha, and support because we're all in this together.” —Angus McKelvey “We have a lot of challenges moving forward, and it's figuring out the strategy of how we're going to approach it. And once you get that strategy, you have to figure out how do we get it to implementation.” —Troy Hashimoto Disaster recovery is not just about the visible on-the-ground efforts - it also involves complex state-level decisions and...

025: Day 3: WORKSHOP: Paying It Forward: Creating a Community of Practice for Long-Term Fire Recovery

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “Trust is so important to building a community of practice. And part of that trust comes from understanding where people are and where they stand.” —Michael McCormick “Once the scene is stabilized and we start to clean things up, and then there comes a point where we start rebuilding things… and that's when the long-term recovery begins.” —Matt McRae “There are simultaneous disasters occurring at the same time everywhere, and you never know what's going to hit you at that time, and you have to be...

024: DAY 3! From Flames to Futures: Navigating Wildfire Leadership with Hope and Resilience with Jennifer Gray Thompson

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “It's not enough just to give, you have to always receive as well with the same grace and gratitude and aloha.” —Jennifer Gray Thompson “Aloha is boundless, and we know that Aloha reaches all shores and all states. Even in the most trying of times together, we are one team.” —Mahina Martin Welcome to the final day of the 2024 Wildfire Leadership Summit. We're so glad you could join us for this last session— it's been an incredible few days filled with insightful discussions, powerful...

023: Day 2: KEYNOTE: Ohana Means More Than Family: Maui's Response Through the Lens of Cultural Values with Kainoa Horcajo

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT Episode Description: “Indigenous values can shift how we deal with disasters.” —Kainoa Horcajo Disaster recovery isn't just about rebuilding infrastructure— it's about honoring the deep connections between people and place. Principles like reciprocity, collective responsibility, and deep connection to the land can shape a more compassionate and community-centered approach to rebuilding after crises. By honoring these time-tested philosophies, we unlock powerful pathways to healing and resilience. Kainoa Horcajo is a cultural...

More Episodes

“You have to have some structure so that when that event happens, there's a trusted grassroots network in place.” —Michael Morter

Episode Description:

It is said that disaster recovery is part problem-solving and part relationship-building. It recognizes that both practical solutions and social connections are vital to restoring what was lost and building resilience for the future.

In this episode, Jennifer sits with former Wildfire Recovery Ombudsman for Oregon, Michael Morter. Michael helped communities navigate rebuilding challenges after the devastating 2020 wildfires and worked to address barriers that were impeding recovery efforts. Drawing on his experience in state government and insurance, he now advises communities through his consulting firm on navigating disaster recovery.

Listen in as Jennifer and Michael offer a behind-the-scenes look at disaster recovery coordination and insights directly from someone who has navigated these challenges first-hand.

They also discuss the importance of engaging local builders and navigating complex debris removal processes, innovative programs that increase access to recovery resources, as well as valuable lessons on community engagement, building social capital before disasters strike, and establishing trusted roles like an Ombudsman to cut through bureaucracy.

Connect with After the Fire: Recover. Rebuild. Reimagine.

Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

03:23 Building Social Capital in Disaster Response

10:03 Identifying Barriers Impeding Recovery Efforts

15:02 The Wildfire Ombudsman Project

19:19 Engaging Local Builders