"Revenge is a dish best served cold" - Khan Noonien Singh
My more than 20 years of professional experience in the male-dominated career of emergency management has not exactly been a walk in the park. As less worn as the "path less traveled" may be, it is neither laced with ease nor filled with treasure. I have found it to be paved with judgment and spite. This was my experience as a pregnant teenager who insisted she would not be defined by the state of her body but forge ahead in life anyway. Although this was perhaps the lowest point of my life, I was able to find solace in cooking (particularly baking) and still decided to continue the path. And today, I can say that has made all the difference-which is the name of the chocolate truffles recipe I open with, along with the genesis of my difference-making choices.On my career journey, I have encountered all dimensions of characters-the Cretin, the Quintessential Douche Bag, and the "Special Place in Hell" Vipers (made up of the Queen Bee and the BFF)-who have all attempted to rock the boat of my career advancement with their various strategies.However, I have also encountered mentors who not only let me know I am not alone and provided astounding support but also stood by me and for me before others in the face of adversity. A combination of all these factors and the decisions I make along the way (some good, others, admittedly hasty and improperly reasoned) have culminated in the person I have become, both personally and professionally, and of course, a lot of recipes specially tailored to the various seasons I have had to go through.
Davis, Andrea E.: - Andrea E. Davis has been in the field of crisis management since 1999, starting in the non-profit sector by developing Y2K crisis response plans. Andrea went on to serve in the city and county of San Francisco and in the US Federal Government as the emergency manager for the 12th District Federal Reserve Bank and as the external affairs director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Louisiana Recovery Office for Hurricane Katrina. While at FEMA, Andrea oversaw all media, intergovernmental and congressional activities for one of the U.S.' largest disaster recovery efforts, with a total recovery portfolio of over $25 billion.
For the past ten years, Andrea has led global, enterprise-wide crisis management departments for multi-national, Fortune 500 companies, the Walt Disney Company and the Walmart Corporation. Currently, she is the President and CEO of an SBA-certified, woman-owned, crisis management consulting firm, The Resiliency Initiative.
Andrea's passion is volunteer service which led to her selection as the Inaugural Emergency Manager of the Year by the International Association of Emergency Managers in 2018 and her induction into the Women's Hall of Fame for Emergency Management in 2013.
