The Center’s signature event is the annual Senior Leaders Seminar (SLS). The SLS brings over 150 government, military, and private sector leaders from around the world for two days of sharing best practices through panel discussions, exercise reviews, and presentations. Additionally, emergency responders and military leaders convene for tabletop and live joint civilian/military exercises, urban search and rescue training, and public education programs. The Center’s SLS is currently apart of New York Fleet Week (21 May 2019) and San Francisco (9-10 October 2019) Fleet Week. This event is invitation only.

The Center for Humanitarian Assistance
New York Senior Leaders Seminar
21 May 2019 | New York Yacht Club
Agenda
1230: Registration
1300: Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Introduction, Mr. Lewis Loeven, Executive Director, Center for Humanitarian Assistance
- Welcome to the New York Yacht Club, Mr. Peter Sweetser
- Welcome to New York City, Ms. Laura Anglin, Deputy Mayor for Operations
- Welcome to Fleet Week, RDML Charles W. Rock, Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic
1315: Defense Support of Civil Authorities – Beyond DSCA 101
In an all threats/all hazards (ATAH) response environment what are the rules of engagement under DSCA, how is Command and Control established, and what is the potential “maxed out” point where DoD may be called for assistance. Once DoD is engaged, then what capabilities might be provided, and how would those be employed. How is Command and Control established and executed? This discussion seeks to touch upon the authorities, roles, responsibilities, and capabilities; as well the implications under the evolving changes to the Stafford Act.
Moderator: MG Peter Aylward, USARNG (ret.) – Confirmed
Moderated DSCA Discussion Participants:
- City – Mr. Frank McCarton, Deputy Commissioner – Confirmed
- NYS DHSES – Mr. Terry Hastings, Senior Policy Advisor, NYS DHSES – Confirmed
- FEMA – Mr. JB Cuartas, Chief, Operational Planning FEMA Region II – Confirmed
- DoD – COL Thomas Pike, DCO FEMA Region II – Confirmed
- US National Guard – COL Peter Riley, Commander, Empire Shield – Confirmed
Questions and Integrated Audience Discussion
1430: Session closing speaker:
RDML Andrew Tiongson, USCG 1st District Commander – Confirmed
1445: Break
1500: Session Introduction: Commissioner Loree Sutton, MD, BrigGen USA (ret.), NYC Veterans Services
1505: Session Keynote:
Captain Kathryn Elliott, Force Surgeon, Military Sealift Command – Confirmed
1530: Session Introduction, Commissioner Loree Sutton, NYC Veterans Services
Cybersecurity – The Nation-State Threat and the Cyber Command Center Response
The session will focus on the nation-state threat landscape facing federal and local urban governments, what a cyber-attack could look like and how a cyber command center fits into a national and urban response. The participants will discuss how cyber command centers enable a proactive response to these threats – how to define the mission, what does success look like, what skills and tools are needed, ways key stakeholders and entities could be integrated into a collaborative and coordinated response, etc.
Moderator: John Payne, Technical Advisor to New York Fleet Week Senior Leaders Seminar
Speakers: Geoff Brown, Head of New York City Cyber Command (confirmed)
COL Bill Morrow, USAF (ret) Chief Information Security Officer, Smartronix (confirmed)
1645: Closing Keynote and Final Remarks:
Mr. Robert Salesses, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Homeland Defense, (confirmed)
1715: Closing Remarks
Adjourn to Networking Mixer

2019 San Francisco Fleet Week
The Center for Humanitarian Assistance
Senior Leaders Seminar
3-4 October 2018|San Francisco Marines’ Memorial Club
Day One – 3 October: The 100th Anniversary of the End of the Great War
1130: Executive Working Luncheon: LtGen Dana Hessheimer, The California National Guard (invitation only) Crystal Lounge
1200: Registration Outside Marines’ Memorial Theater
1300: Welcome and Opening Remarks
- Lewis Loeven, Executive Director, SFFW Center for Humanitarian Assistance
- LtGen Jan Huly, USMC (Ret.), President & CEO, Marines’ Memorial Club
- RADM Cedric Pringle, USN, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3
- LtGen Joseph L. Osterman, USMC, Commanding General, I MEF
1320: Introduction of Keynote Session and Panel:
1325: Keynote Session: The End of the Great War: A century has passed since the end of World War I at eleven in the morning of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918. 17 million people had died. We will hear from experts as they discuss the significance of this event and lessons learned that are relevant today including the effects of the Treaty of Versailles, the role of the Navy, and why General “Black Jack” Pershing, the commander of the US Expeditionary Force on the Western Front, was so upset with the US Marine Corps!
Session Moderator: Brigadier Roderick MacDonald, British Armed ForcesRADM Samuel J. Cox, USN, (Ret.), Director Naval History and Heritage Command
- RADM Samuel J. Cox, USN, (Ret.), Director Naval History and Heritage Command
- Dana Lombardy, Author and Editor of “World War One Illustrated” Magazine
- Chris Oldfield, Consul General, Australia
1500: Break
1515: Summary and Closing Remarks, MajGen Mike Myatt, USMC (Ret.)
1600: Exit to buses for USS XXX Ship Capabilities Tour
Day Two – 4 October: Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery
0800: Registration
0900: Welcome and Opening Remarks
- MajGen J. Michael Myatt, USMC (Ret.)
- Mayor London Breed, City and County of San Francisco
- VADM Linda Fagan, Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area; Commander, Defense Force West, US Coast Guard
0930: Session 1: SFFW Center for HA DSCA Exercise Series: A Look Back, A Way Forward
Moderator: LCDR Todd Stansfield, USN (Ret.)
- COL Robert Menist, US Army, Defense Coordinating Officer, Region IX
- RADM Peter Gautier, USCG, Commander, District 11
- RADM Cedric Pringle, USN, Commander, ESG3
Regional Response
- Mr. Bob Fenton, Regional Administrator, FEMA Region IX
- Mr. Mark Ghilarducci, Director, CalOES
- BGEN Dana Hessheimer, Director, Joint Staff, California Military Department
- Mary Ellen Carroll, Executive Director, SF DEM
1045: Break
1100: Morning Round Robin Sessions – Choose one of three discussion groups:
- Supply Chain Resilience and Lessons Learned from Recent Disasters (Lead: DEM)
The resilience of the supply chain networks, particularly for fuel, groceries, water and medical supplies, is a critical focal point for regional, state and national emergency managers and the private sector. Recent disasters in California, Hawaii, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico have underscored the importance of understanding the intricacies and flexibility of our supply chains. With most of the region’s grocery and related capacity outside the City and County of San Francisco, transportation, distribution, and allocation implications will be challenging to overcome post-event.
Session Moderator: Michael Dayton, Deputy Director, SFDEM
Subject Matter Expert Participants:
- Philip J. Palin, Principal Investigator for Supply Chain Resilience, Institute for Public Research, CNA
- Lynn von Koch-Liebert, Deputy Secretary, California Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency
- Shawn Matz, Chief Logistics Branch, FEMA Region IX
- Mitch Medigovich, Deputy Director, Logistics Management, CalOES
2. Tall Buildings Study (Lead: City Administrator’s Office)
City Administrator Naomi Kelly hosts a panel of City officials and engineering experts to discuss the impact earthquakes have on our city’s tall buildings and how San Francisco’s tall buildings study will keep it safe and more resilient.
- Naomi Kelly, San Francisco City Administrator
- Mary Ellen Carroll, Director, San Francisco Department of Emergency Management
- Angus McCarthy, President, Building Inspection Commission
- Gregory Dierlein, Professor, Stanford University
1200: Open Lunch Mixer
1330: Afternoon Round Robin Sessions – Choose one of the three
- Supply Chain Resilience and Lessons Learned from Recent Disasters (Lead: DEM) new panelists
- Philip J. Palin, Principal Investigator for Supply Chain Resilience, Institute for Public Research, CAN
- Abby Browning, Chief of Private Sector/Non-Governmental Organization Coordination, California Office of Emergency Services
- Michael Cummings, Private Sector Liaison, FEMA Region IX
- Monica Stoeffl, Executive Director, California Resiliency Alliance
2. Cybersecurity Landscape Today: Threats and Countermeasures
- Michael Maktsmann, Chief Information Security Officer, San Francisco Department of Technology
- Kevin Epstein, VP of Threat Operations Center, Proofpoint
1445: Break
1500: Session 2: Faith Based Response to Natural and Man-made Disasters. The Power of Faith Based and Nonprofit Relief Work in Disasters Nationwide. (Lead: VOAD)
Disaster Response and Recovery begins and ends locally. Coordination with local Non-Profit and Faith Based Organizations is critical to response and recovery work by outside agencies; efforts that, to be effective, rely upon relationships and trust within traumatized communities. Our panel of local and regional disaster relief experts will discuss the capabilities and potential for collaboration with the community agencies, and the importance of maintaining trust and cultural competency, through the lens of their experiences during the catastrophic fires that burned one year ago in the north bay region.
Session Moderator: CAPT Terry Gordon, Chaplain, Navy Region South West
Subject Matter Experts:
- Michael Pappas, SF Interfaith Council
- Dawn Dwyer, Southern Baptist Convention
- Meredith Terrell, Meals on Wheels
- Trevor Riggen, American Red Cross
1600: Summary and Closing Remarks, The Honorable George P. Shultz
1700: Reception
1800: Honor Our Fallen Concert
Reception to Follow