During a crisis all eyes look to community leaders for information, guidance, action and hope. Suddenly senior executives and elected officials find themselves in the spotlight being asked tough questions about a topic they may not fully understand, and as community members, they may be survivors as well as leaders. This course is designed to help elected officials and senior executives understand their role as leaders during the response and through the long process of recovery. From a high level the course will look at how the pieces of emergency management fit together and then dig into what leaders should be doing and how they can contribute value towards resolving the crisis. The course will offer practical ideas and insights. Examples and case studies from real events such as San Bernardino and other communities will set the stage for candid discussions about what works, what doesn’t, and how to help without hindering. Once the smoke clears and the responders go home the community needs leaders that were an integral part of the resolution to lead the way back to ‘normal.’ 

Instructor:  Rob Dudgeon is the former deputy director of the City & County of San Francisco Department of Emergency Management and now a global consultant on leadership in crisis situations.

Sacramento