In this NPS-CHDS Viewpoints, Heather Issvoran talks with CHDS alum Ed Lowery, who served 25 years in government service with the US Secret Service and is now in the private sector. Ed uses the response to the 2017 hurricane in Puerto Rico to discuss the role that private sector companies can play in responding to disasters in their communities. The private sector is often positioned to fill relief gaps that government can’t address, but getting them involved in the midst of a chaotic Black Swan event can be challenging. Ed stresses the need to establish and develop relationships in advance of emergencies so that all groups are better situated to respond and recover. He also notes that those who have left government careers and moved to the private sector can and use their operational experience to help their companies become disaster support assets.
