007: Day 1: PANEL: Enduring the Crisis: Ensuring Personal Sustainability for Leaders in Disaster Management
Release Date: 10/14/2024
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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
info_outline2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
Episode Description:
“Allow yourself the best you can to just release into all things in due time.” —Jacqui Jorgeson
“It's important as leaders that we show those who we are leading that we also need breaks. We are not gods.” —Matt Henderson
“Whatever people needed, everybody stepped up to make sure that needs were met to the best of our capability under horrific and insane conditions. And we can do it. There's no reason not to. It's not rocket science. It's just Aloha.” —Noelani Ahia
Disaster recovery is a grueling work that can quickly lead to burnout for even the most dedicated leaders. Taking regular breaks is crucial to avoid mental and physical exhaustion, yet many struggle to prioritize self-care amidst the pressing needs of their communities. Therefore, maintaining resilience requires intentional strategies to recharge and prevent compassion fatigue.
In this discussion, Jollie sits with three bold disaster recovery leaders, Jacqui Jorgeson, Matt Henderson, and Noelani Ahia. Dive in as they share powerful stories, practical tips, and holistic approaches to help disaster leaders avoid burnout and foster post-traumatic growth within their teams and within themselves and their families.
- Connect with After The Fire USA:
- Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
- X: 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:
- 00:29 Meet the Panel: Matt, Jacqui, and Noelani
- 05:50 Origin Story: Volunteer Fire Foundation
- 09:21 Change Your Socks
- 12:11 How Trauma Gets Stored In Our Bodies
- 20:37 All In Due Time
- 23:50 Take a Break
- 26:24 It’s Just Aloha
Meet the Moderator:
👩🏻💼Meet Jolie Wills, CEO of Hummingly
Jolie has a Master of Science in Cognitive Psychology and is a leading psychosocial expert in disaster and disruption. Jolie has studied how the mind works under prolonged pressure, how we make decisions and how our reactions and behaviors are impacted by stress. Jolie is a survivor of the Christchurch earthquakes and has lived disaster recovery with her family first-hand. She led the psychosocial recovery program for New Zealand Red Cross in response to the earthquakes and has supported those working in disasters around the world. Jolie is a Winston Churchill fellowship recipient, a Leadership New Zealand alumna, an Edmund Hillary Fellow, and is an advising member to the global Counter Terrorism Prevention Network. She is primary author of New Zealand's Psychological First Aid Guide and is a co-author of Leading in Disaster Recovery: A Companion through the Chaos.
- Website: https://hummingly.co/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hummingly/
Meet the Panel
👩🏻💼Meet Jacqui Jorgeson, Founder and Executive Director, Volunteer Fire Foundation
Jacqui Jorgeson is a writer and fourth-generation Californian. A trip to Greece at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis propelled her into grassroots nonprofit work. In the spring of 2016, Jacqui became the first Associate Director of Schoolbox Project, which delivers trauma-informed care to the littlest victims of disasters around the world. Now a mother, Jacqui feels deeply called to serve her community at home. She lives in Santa Rosa with her husband Kevin and their young son Edsel.
- Website: https://www.volunteerfire.org/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/volfireorg/
- X: https://twitter.com/volfireorg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/volunteerfirefoundation/
👨🏻💼 Meet Matt Henderson, NorCal Communications Lead, Team Rubicon
Matt Henderson is a United States Navy veteran, wildlife photographer, and Team Rubicon leader. He has been a dedicated volunteer with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led disaster response organization, serving as the NorCal communications lead and often stepping up as incident commander on operations. Matt has been instrumental in organizing and executing several disaster response projects, including a significant operation in Grizzly Flats that saw 70 volunteers working daily for a month to support a community devastated by wildfires. In addition to his work with Team Rubicon, Matt has 17 years of experience covering wildfires as a photojournalist and has consistently been at the forefront of relief efforts, offering his time, skills, and compassion to support affected communities.
- Connect with Team Rubicon: https://teamrubiconusa.org/
👩🏻💼 Meet Noelani Ahia, Founder, Maui Medic Healers Hui
Noelani Ahia is a healer/activist who works to protect what we love: ‘āina, kai, wai, iwi and each other. Trained in Traditional East Asian Medicine, she has been delivering acupuncture and herbal medicine to the Maui community for 15 years. In 2017 she co-founded the Mauna Medic Healers Hui with Dr. Kalama and in 2019, spent 8 months on Mauna Kea tending to our lāhui.
- Website: https://mauimedichealershui.org/