During disasters, disruptions rarely affect just one system. A power outage can shut down water pumps. Flooded roads can delay emergency response. Communications failures can slow down recovery. What begins as a localized incident can quickly cascade across multiple lifelines.

This reality underscores a critical shift in how we must think about infrastructure. Power, water, transportation, communications and buildings are not independent assets. They are community lifelines — deeply interconnected systems that sustain public safety, economic activity, healthcare and daily life.

To effectively protect communities, we must move beyond siloed infrastructure management and adopt a whole-systems approach — one that integrates reliability, resilience, and service continuity into planning and investment decisions.

Power, water, transportation, communications and buildings aren’t just technical systems. Since these lifelines keep communities functioning, the operators managing them face a host of complex challenges, including aging assets, frequent weather-related risks, regulatory scrutiny and budget constraints.

The good news is that there’s a growing shift in the approach to infrastructure management. Organizations are moving away from reactive repairs after failure to proactive planning that enables continuity through disruptions. The question is no longer whether to invest in resilience, but how to translate the value of prioritizing these investments for regulators, customers and communities.

Infrastructure planning has historically focused on individual assets or sectors. In practice, however, no lifeline operates alone.

• Power feeds water and wastewater systems
• Transportation enables emergency response and repair crews
• Communications connect first responders and public services
• Buildings house critical operations and healthcare facilities

When one system fails, the impacts rarely stay contained. The most severe losses from disaster often aren’t from the initial event, but from the chain reaction of failures that follow.

Reliability and resilience: Why both matter

Infrastructure performance has long been measured by reliability — keeping services running under normal conditions. Reliability investments focus on asset condition, routine maintenance and preventing predictable failures. They improve baseline performance and customer satisfaction.

But reliability alone is not enough.

A system can perform flawlessly every day and still fail catastrophically during extreme events. This is where resilience becomes essential.

Resilience determines how systems perform under stress — during wildfires, floods, extreme heat, cyber disruptions, or other high-impact events. It shapes whether outages last hours or weeks and whether communities can stabilize quickly.

The strongest infrastructure programs integrate both:

• Reliability keeps services running on good days
• Resilience means communities can function on their worst days

A reliable system without resilience can still collapse under stress. A resilient system without reliability creates unnecessary daily disruption. Communities need both.

Three practical ways to strengthen reliability and resilience:

1. Prioritize the service outcomes that matter most

Focus on protecting the services with the highest consequences if disrupted: public safety, health, economic continuity and essential operations.

This means identifying and reinforcing critical interdependencies such as:

• Electrical supply to water and wastewater pump stations
• Power and access routes to hospitals and emergency operations centers
• Transportation corridors that enable repair crews and supply chains

By prioritizing these crucial service nodes, decision makers invest where failure would cause the greatest harm. This reduces both everyday disruption and the risk of cascading failures during crises.

2. Translate resilience into measurable performance outcomes

Resilience can sound abstract. To gain support from regulators, governing boards and stakeholders, it must be framed in terms they already use. Instead of presenting a project as “resilience,” operators can describe concrete outcomes, such as:

• Reducing service restoration times from weeks to days
• Protecting power supply to critical facilities (e.g., hospitals or water utilities)
• Maintaining water quality during extreme weather
• Improving recovery time for essential services

When resilience is tied to measurable performance metrics — like outage duration, time to restore critical customers, or continuity of essential services — it becomes an accountability-driven investment, not a discretionary upgrade.

3. Embed resilience into routine capital planning

Resilience should not compete as a standalone initiative. It should be integrated into regular maintenance, modernization and lifecycle planning.

Practical examples include:

• Elevating or hardening equipment already scheduled for replacement
• Incorporating future hazard projections into standard design criteria
• Updating asset management strategies to reflect intensifying risks

Embedding resilience into planned upgrades reduces incremental costs and avoids creating isolated projects that are harder to fund or approve.

Build resilience before disaster strikes

Communities often coordinate effectively during emergencies. The larger opportunity lies before disasters by integrating whole-systems thinking into long-term planning and capital investment.

Formal frameworks and emergency management structures support cross-sector coordination. The next step is connecting those frameworks directly to investment decisions, so communities are not just responding better but investing smarter. Infrastructure is more than steel and concrete. It is the foundation of public safety, economic vitality and daily life. By adopting a whole-systems approach and investing in both reliability and resilience, communities can reduce cascading risk, accelerate recovery and strengthen the systems we rely on every day. This way we are not just coordinating during a crisis but investing ahead of time.

See Jordanna discuss this topic with other panelists at the Building for Tomorrow Conference:

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Environmental Business Journal Awards

Strategic undergrounding program
Won by: San Diego Gas & Electric
Award: EBJ Industry Leadership – Strategic Undergrounding Program

The team delivered industry-leading results on a Southern California utility’s Strategic Undergrounding Program, addressing escalating wildfire risks driven by drought, extreme heat and high winds. By placing the environmental team at the center of delivery alongside engineering and construction, ArchTam cut cost per mile, accelerated permitting and significantly increased the pace of undergrounding. The program managed 18 service categories, maintained strong safety and quality, and enabled 112 miles of powerline undergrounding — a 53 percent annual increase and 23 percent cost per mile reduction. Sustainability and equity were embedded throughout, achieving 38 percent Diverse Business Enterprise participation, minimizing environmental impacts, engaging nine Tribes through 37 meetings, and securing more than 500 permits and easements. This integrated model sets a new benchmark for wildfire mitigation and resilient infrastructure.

Realigning the Lower San Acacia Reach: A model for sustainable river management in the Rio Grande watershed
Won by: ArchTam
Award: EBJ Project Merit – Sustainability Model for Rio Grande Watershed

The Rio Grande watershed is critical for water users, ecosystems, and recreation, but its highly dynamic channel has shifted significantly over the past century. To address challenges in the Lower San Acacia Reach — such as channel perching, conveyance losses, and declining habitat — the Bureau of Reclamation is planning a 20‑mile river realignment south of Socorro, NM that works with natural geomorphic trends to improve water delivery, enhance ecosystem health, and reduce long‑term maintenance. ArchTam is supporting a four‑year environmental program with robust stakeholder engagement and regulatory compliance, producing key analyses including a 2024 geomorphology and alternatives report and a 2025 Draft Environmental Impact Statement. This forward‑looking effort integrates engineering, science, and collaboration to strengthen river resilience.

Closing the loop on PFAS: Advanced technology for ARFF vehicle decontamination
Won by: ArchTam, TRS Group, Inc., Denver International Airport
Award: EBJ Technology Merit Awards – PFAS Decontamination

Airports face growing PFAS contamination challenges from decades of AFFF use, intensified by the EPA’s 2024 designation of PFOA and PFOS as CERCLA hazardous substances. Denver International Airport, with ArchTam and TRS Group, implemented a groundbreaking closed-loop cleaning system to decontaminate ARFF vehicles, circulating heated water and cleaning agents through foam systems on each vehicle. After three to five cycles, PFAS levels dropped an average of 98.72 percent, enabling safe conversion to fluorine-free foam without replacing vehicles and saving millions in equipment costs. A total of 20 firefighting vehicles were cleaned, supported by SOP development, rigorous sampling, and validation of analytical results. This innovative, repeatable approach sets a national precedent for cost-effective PFAS remediation and regulatory compliance.

Leading the charge in post-wildfire environmental recovery
Won by: ArchTam and ECC for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Award: EBJ Industry Leadership – Post-Wildfire Rapid Environmental Recovery

After the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers led a six-month recovery effort that cleared more than 12,000 parcels, enabling communities to rebuild while safely managing hazards such as asbestos, lead and lithium batteries without harming wildlife or cultural resources. The team’s custom mobile and GIS-enabled apps streamlined more than 27,000 biological and archaeological monitoring forms, reducing errors and accelerating clearance through real-time digital reporting. Working long hours, crews recovered artifacts and documented historic structures, preserving cultural heritage, while the program also provided hands-on training for recent graduates through mentorship with senior experts. This effort set a national standard for innovative, coordinated and resilience-focused disaster recovery.

Klamath Dam removal project
Won by: RES
Award: EBJ Project Merit – Large-Scale River Restoration

When four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River were deemed environmentally and economically unsustainable, a diverse coalition — led by Tribes — advanced the landmark 2016 Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement, creating the Klamath River Renewal Corporation to deliver the largest dam removal project in history. The final dam came down in October 2024, and by fall 2025 over 10,000 Chinook salmon had returned to the upper basin. The project restored habitat, reconnected floodplains, improved tribal subsistence resources, created public access to world‑class whitewater, and will return 2,000 acres to the Shasta Indian Nation. ArchTam facilitated federal cultural resource compliance, protected cultural sites, and supported listing part of Kikacéki on the National Register.

Climate Change Business Journal awards

Innovating energy and carbon management for the world’s largest chemical company
Won by: ArchTam and BASF
Award: CCBJ Consulting & Engineering – Sustainability Target Architecture Solution Implementation

ArchTam partnered with BASF to deliver a global energy and carbon management solution that provides transparent, asset‑management GHG estimation to support Product Carbon Footprints. Using BASF’s STArS architecture for data collection on Enablon, ArchTam created a scalable, assurance-ready approach to automize data collection for CO2 emissions that can be rapidly deployed plant by plant. Three proof-of‑concept sites validated the method, enabling expansion across 550 plants worldwide, including Ludwigshafen, Germany. The solution automates significant parts of the data collection for GHG reporting, supports sustainable product design, reduces energy use and lowers operating costs. By combining advanced technology with strategic consulting, ArchTam helped BASF to significantly increase efficiency in the processes and transform complex environmental data into actionable insights.

Building Brazil’s carbon future: A transformative national carbon certification program
Won by: ArchTam, BNDES, Bradesco Bank and Ecogreen Fund
Award: CCBJ Consulting & Engineering – Carbon Certification Program for Brazil

ECORA is a national carbon credit certification program positioned to become a reference for Brazil and the Global South, strengthening trust and transparency while enabling market-wide growth. Structured through ArchTam’s advisory program and formally launched in partnership with BNDES, Bradesco and the Ecogreen Fund at COP30, it enhances security and scalability in a sector that must grow 400 percent by 2030. Integrated with the Conservare Digital Platform, ECORA digitizes the full credit generation lifecycle — from feasibility to retirement — using geospatial analytics, predictive modeling and automated traceability. The solution reduces transaction costs, accelerates certification, and aligns methodologies and safeguards with Brazil’s diverse biomes, regulatory frameworks and socioenvironmental realities. By delivering high-integrity, locally tailored certification and expanding market access, ECORA attracts global investment and supports Brazil’s low carbon transition, demonstrating ArchTam’s leadership in scaling climate solutions.

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Stephen Munro is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered Water and Environmental Manager with over 30 years of experience delivering complex infrastructure projects. Prior to joining ArchTam through the acquisition of Allen Gordon, where he served as Senior Partner, Stephen led multidisciplinary teams across water, renewables, transport and education sectors. Based in Inverness, he has a strong track record across Scotland and the wider UK, and has also contributed internationally, including post-disaster recovery work in Christchurch, New Zealand following the 2011 earthquake. Stephen’s current role includes leading ArchTam design teams working on a range of water sector projects across Scotland as well as working directly in client teams on major projects in the water and energy sectors.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

I’ve always had a natural interest in physics and engineering, even back in my school days. But what truly drew me to civil engineering was the idea of creating infrastructure that genuinely benefits people — bridges that connect communities, dams that protect resources. That sense of purpose has stayed with me throughout my career. Whilst my journey through my career was with a relatively small firm, I have been lucky to work across a diverse variety of major projects and programmes and have taken inspiration from the outcomes the projects deliver.

What is your favorite project that you’ve worked on and why?

One of the most defining projects in my career was the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, which I worked on through the Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA) while still at Allen Gordon, in collaboration with ArchTam. The project involved constructing a major bypass around Aberdeen, which required the diversion of critical water and wastewater infrastructure to allow for the construction of the new road. This road was designed to alleviate congestion in the center of Aberdeen and significantly improve journey times for those traveling around or across the city.

I led a collaborative team that included Scottish Water, CWA, and our supply chain, navigating a five-year program of high-risk, technically demanding works. The complexity of the project was matched only by the pressure we faced. We were responsible for relocating major aqueducts and strategic water mains, and in some cases, failure would have meant cutting off the water supply to the entire city. This work involved complex designs, frequently including connections whilst existing water mains remained live, and construction of diversions often in constrained locations within live existing roads and during construction of the new road, including major bridges.

Yet, through strong teamwork and a shared commitment to delivery, we successfully completed the infrastructure works. What stood out most was the spirit of collaboration — even with the main contractor, where despite challenges, we built relationships that lasted beyond the project. It was a true testament to what can be achieved when everyone pulls together.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

One of the most profound and personally impactful experiences in my career was the work I undertook in Christchurch, New Zealand, following the devastating series of earthquakes in 2011.

I spent several months leading efforts to re-establish essential water and wastewater services in a city still grappling with ongoing aftershocks and widespread infrastructure damage. The environment was incredibly challenging, not only from a technical standpoint but also emotionally. Many of the team members and residents were still living without basic services and dealing with the trauma of repeated seismic events. I was Program Manager leading a multidisciplinary design team working alongside construction teams and some were themselves directly affected by the disaster.

Our work went beyond restoring infrastructure; it was about supporting a community in recovery. We had to approach every task with empathy and heightened awareness with project teams partnering with communities, understanding that even minor issues could become emotionally charged in such a fragile context. This involved working closely with contractors and council teams in engaging with communities and minimizing the impact of initial service re-establishment and longer terms solutions. The experience taught me the importance of balancing technical delivery with human sensitivity, and it remains a powerful example of how engineering can play a vital role in healing and rebuilding communities.

Share a piece of career advice

Success comes down to two key traits: aspiration and application. If you have the drive to achieve and the commitment to put in the work, there isn’t just one path — you can carve your own.

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A study from the University of Washington found that predominately Black, Hispanic or Native American communities are 50 percent more vulnerable to disasters than communities overall. Native Americans have even greater levels of vulnerability due to socioeconomic barriers, making recovery especially difficult.¹ After Hurricane Ian, people with limited mobility and chronic health conditions were especially vulnerable, with nearly all the fatalities being people aged 50 or older. The devastating Maui wildfires of 2023 imposed unequal burdens on people of color and indigenous communities, many now facing long-term environmental and public health impacts.

To support the most vulnerable, disaster planners, emergency managers and recovery professionals must prioritize equitable strategies covering pre- and post-disaster response and recovery. These strategies shorten the disaster cycle for all survivors, reduce disproportionate impacts, promote community resilience, and enhance social justice. Failing to address equity has serious consequences and impacts on our most vulnerable communities.

A Federal priority

At the beginning of President Joe Biden’s term, racial equity was identified as a top Federal priority. In January 2021, the administration passed Executive Order 13985: “Advancing Racial Justice and Support for Underserved Communities through the Federal Government” and Executive Order 14091: “Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities”.  As a result, the Justice40 social Equity Initiative was created (Executive Order 14008). Justice40 is a whole-of-government effort to ensure that Federal agencies work with states and local communities to deliver at least 40 percent of the overall benefits from Federal investment in climate and clean energy to disadvantaged communities. More than 14 Federal Agencies are implementing and advancing the Justice40 Initiative from clean energy projects to floodwater protections.²

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is working to deliver better services to marginalized and vulnerable populations and has identified initiatives to address equity in its programs. FEMA’s equitable strategies include leveraging resources to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, consulting underserved communities in FEMA policy and program implementation, and providing training and tools to FEMA staff and partners to advance equitable programs. This approach can be a foundation or guiding principle for local emergency managers to design an equitable disaster response and recovery program.

Designing an equity framework for local emergency managers and disaster professionals

With FEMA’s approach as a guide, the following key steps can be used as a framework to build and implement an effective equitable approach to disaster response and recovery:

1. Gather data and analyze disparities: Tools including SoVI, SVI, EJ Screen, National Risk Index (NRI), and census data can help identify and map communities that will most likely need support before, during and after a hazardous event. During data collection, “ground truthing community” data may be required with key stakeholders, community-based organizations or faith-based organizations to make sure you have the right data, it is complete and accurate, and that you understand it. Using your data, identify inequalities in access to critical services including, housing, healthcare, education or employment and consider the intersectionality of such factors with race, gender, socio-economic or other factors that interact and exacerbate disparities.

2. Identify the desired intent, goals and objectives: Determine what you are working to achieve in an equitable response and recovery program and recognize this will be specific to your community. Reducing disparities allows access to resources and services, promoting greater trust in institutions responsible for providing them. Creating systemic change can help avoid or reduce disparities in post-event resources and support, fostering equitable distribution and appropriate differentiation of services.

3. Engage and empower stakeholders: To address a community’s unique needs, it is important to involve the community in policy and program decision-making, listen to their needs and work with them to develop a plan that meets those needs. Conduct listening sessions to collect information about the community’s specific experience and provide opportunities for stakeholders to take on appropriate leadership roles in emergency management programs. Involving community members throughout the disaster lifecycle will support an equitable emergency and disaster management approach.

4. Develop tactics and strategies: Design flexible tactics and strategies since community members have differing abilities to access recovery programs. For example, consider emergency management personnel and teams – are they multilingual? Do they have a shared vision for equity? Are you designing programs with a ‘survivor first’ mentality? Do your spaces and resources meet accessibility and functional mobility needs?

5. Evaluate and adjust: Once designed and implemented, it is important to continuously measure the success of your program and determine if you are meeting your program objectives. Evaluation metrics should help you understand access, use, and quality of services and time to recovery.

As you implement, continue to monitor and evaluate your strategies. Maintain transparency and consider feedback methods to understand program outputs such as participation rates and near- and mid-term outcomes.

At the local level, full integration of equitable principles into all phases of emergency and disaster management will help managers understand the unique needs of their communities and support the most impactful approach to response and recovery. Such a framework is essential to supporting vulnerable populations with disaster recovery because it ensures fairness, addresses disparities, reduces vulnerability, builds trust and resilience, promotes social justice, and provides a path for sustainable recovery.

¹ https://www.washington.edu/news/2018/11/02/racial-ethnic-minorities-face-greater-vulnerability-to-wildfires/

² https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Justice40-Initiative-Covered-Programs-List_v2.0_11.23_FINAL.pdf

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Elizabeth Levitz has more than 26 years’ experience in the consulting profession, with close to two decades of her career focused on water resources. During her 24 years with ArchTam, she has worked on various projects involving flood risk analysis and mitigation, civil design, shoreline restoration, project management and disaster recovery.  

Elizabeth is passionate about community flood resilience — working with stakeholders to recover from disasters and planning and mitigating for future events. She specializes in complex projects that require cross-discipline collaboration and innovative approaches to long-term floodplain management. Currently, she is a project and program manager for several flood resilience projects in Texas.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry.

My father was an instrumentation engineer at a chemical plant in Texas, so I have always been drawn to STEM fields. I entered this industry because I wanted to make a positive impact on the world and those around me using my engineering talents.  

I’m a native Houstonian and I have lived through many extreme flood events resulting in federal disaster declarations (Hurricane Alicia, Tropical Storm Allison, Hurricane Ike, and Hurricane Harvey to name a few). Each time these events happen, I am moved to help my community not only in the recovery efforts, but also to educate the public about flood risks and help them on their flood resilience journey to lessen the impacts of similar events in the future. 

The flood studies and mitigation designs we develop at ArchTam help communities become more flood resilient. Many of the communities we help are socially vulnerable populations who deserve our help. 

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why? 

I have worked with some amazing team members and clients on very impactful projects, so selecting a favorite is difficult. However, the program I’m currently managing — the River Basin Flood Study — is one of my favorites.  

The program is a 4-6-year effort to determine flood risk, develop flood mitigation strategies and, ultimately, recommend preferred flood mitigation projects to communities within a 25-county region impacted by Hurricane Harvey. We are one of the consultant teams and delivery partners working with the Texas General Land Office (GLO) to complete the Study. With over $100 million in investment from the U.S. Department of Housing Community Development Block Grants, the project will empower Texans with information and tools to reduce flood risk and become more flood resilient.  

The project is huge, including over 50 counties and over 50 team members. It’s fast paced and involves many people passionate about the project’s mission. It can be stressful at times, but also very rewarding. In addition to ArchTam, there are three other large consultants on the team, whom we would usually view as competitors. However, for this project we are all so motivated to see the Study succeed that we work as a unified team with a common mission: to collect, analyze and communicate disaster-related data to assist decision makers to better protect Texans from future disasters. 

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

Many years back, we worked with the GLO and the City of La Porte, Texas on a shoreline protection and beach nourishment project. The design included a shoreline armoring system comprising articulated concrete mattresses and a two-cell sand beach stabilized by four riprap armor stone groins. The project’s main goal was to protect 1,700 feet of shoreline that had significantly retreated over time; however, a co-benefit was increased recreation and tourism. The beach pockets and stone groins also provided habitat for migratory birds, such as the threatened piping plover and Rufa red knot.  

Upon reopening Sylvan Beach after construction was complete, the City received a heartwarming letter from a citizen regarding the project’s positive impact on the community. The sender thanked all those involved in the project for delivering an open space for all to enjoy, especially the children of the La Porte community. We finished the project over a decade ago, but I will always remember that letter and greatly appreciate that citizen for sharing their appreciation to us, the GLO and the City. 

Share a piece of career advice.

Be open to change and understand that it is the only constant in our evolving world. Early in my career, I was given an opportunity to learn about flood risk analyses through hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and mapping from experts at ArchTam. Initially, I was anxious about accepting this training opportunity because it required working with a team out-of-state for several months and being away from my family. However, this opportunity changed the trajectory of my career and put me on the path I was intended to walk down for my own personal growth.  

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Karisma has specialized experience in community outreach, wraparound services for unaccompanied minors and community health initiatives. After Hurricanes Irma and Maria struck St. Croix and St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2016, she played a key role as disaster recovery specialist, helping to renew and restore neighborhoods across the islands. This effort involved helping a quarter of the territory’s population to return to safe and stable housing, and over a thousand households to access code-compliant roof repairs. Currently, Karisma is part of ArchTam’s program management and grant administration team helping the City of Detroit manage $826 million in appropriated American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds for over 100 programs and projects directed at public safety and community health.

Tell us about what inspired you to join the industry

My parents would say I was inspired to join the industry “at the tender age of seven,” by the Architectural Digest magazine. I was drawn to the structure and design of buildings, and how people worked within spaces. From an early age I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the design and planning field, and I was interested in creating social change through my job. However, my path into our industry was a winding one.

I studied conservation, marine science and biology during my undergraduate years and then worked for a local nonprofit organization (St. Croix Environmental) as the conservation director, defining short- and long-term conservation program goals and objectives for the St. Croix, USVI, Marine Protected Area. Next, I pursued a doctorate in traditional Chinese medicine in Shenyang, in northeast China. After completing my doctoral degree, I moved back home to St. Croix to help reinvigorate the community’s focus on preventative health care and was engaged in that work in 2016 when hurricanes Irma and Maria struck as category 5 storms.

I was hired by ArchTam to provide community outreach and case management under the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Step Emergency Home Repair of the Virgin Islands (EHRVI) program as part of the restoration work after the storms to bring the voice of the community back to the design and program management team. This opportunity to work alongside ArchTam’s architects and engineers, who were all focused on designing buildings and infrastructure in a way that would better our community, renewed my childhood love for structures and design.

What is your favorite ArchTam project that you’ve worked on and why?

The FEMA Sheltering and Temporary Essential Power (STEP) EHRVI program provided the opportunity to work in my own community, connecting with people and helping them find a path after these catastrophic disasters. Working alongside our team, I led the community outreach component for St. Thomas and St. Croix. FEMA and the ArchTam team were initially tasked with providing repair assistance for 5,500 homes in the territory. This included completing damage assessments and making basic repairs, so individuals were able to shelter at home. As part of the first team on the ground, we conducted fast-track assessments and administered the FEMA application process to secure the funds needed to carry out the restoration program.

The outreach component involved collecting documentation from more than 5,000 applicants, managing individual cases and maintaining communications with the community throughout the life of the program. Nearing final closeout this year, the EHRVI/STEP program has provided temporary repairs to 8,000 homes and permanent roofing repairs to 1,648 homes. Working as part of this team to help my own community recover from natural disasters was inspirational and it has shaped my career.

Tell us a story of how your work positively impacted the community.

On the Pomona Emergency Intake Site (EIS) project in California, my team and I made immediate, positive impacts to the lives of people in need. Through the Office of Refugee Resettlement’s Unaccompanied Children program, we provided facility design and wraparound services, including direct care and supervision, intake processing, clothing, hygiene kits, interior security, case management and medical services.

As part of the logistics and procurement team on the ground in Pomona, I was able to help provide children with clean and safe shelter along with food and clothing after they’d completed their journey to the U.S. Something as simple as procurement of shoes and socks was extremely rewarding.

Share a piece of career advice

Remain open to possibilities. Stay versatile and keep learning.

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