Director, Emergency Preparedness Office Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania, United States
When disasters impact agricultural communities and disrupt food systems, whether through wildfire, animal disease outbreaks, cyber incidents, radiological contamination, supply chain failures, or terror attacks, the consequences cascade rapidly across public health, economic stability, and community confidence.
This panel brings together ESF-11 leaders from across the United States to examine how agriculture and food system preparedness anchors whole-community resilience during high-impact incidents. Panelists will share operational lessons learned from managing real-world disruptions, building cross-sector partnerships, integrating agriculture into emergency operations centers, and sustaining continuity of critical agricultural functions.
Participants will explore practical strategies for aligning ESF-11 planning with emergency management frameworks, strengthening public-private coordination, managing risk communication, and prioritizing critical infrastructure protection. The session provides actionable approaches and prompts good discussion for emergency managers seeking to strengthen their jurisdiction's food & ag sector resilience as a foundational element of disaster readiness.
