Building a Disaster-Resilient Bay Area: Lessons for Strengthening Vulnerable Communities

Materials Available: Please read below for links to download presentations and materials from the Summit, including an illustrated summary that highlights key messages and themes.

Join community, faith, and neighborhood leaders, nonprofit organizations, local government representatives, and funding partners from across the Bay Area for this regional summit. Session information and materials are below.

When:
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
8:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m. Registration and light breakfast
8:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Program and lunch

Where:
Nile Hall in Preservation Park
1233 Preservation Park Way
Oakland, CA 94612
Directions - Walking distance from Oakland’s 12th Street City Center BART Station

This meeting room is accessible to people with disabilities. Please request any specific accessibility needs or other accommodations when you contact us to sign up.

Who should attend:
Community, faith, and neighborhood leaders, nonprofit organizations, local government representatives, and funding partners from across the Bay Area interested in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

Support for the summit provided by The San Francisco Foundation, The California Endowment, and the Walter and Elise Haas Fund.

For more information, please call 415.733.8500.

SESSION INFORMATION

Summit Highlights:

Download Summit highlights and key themes as captured by our graphic illustrator, Kayla Kirsch of Leapfrog Consulting. [4 MB PDF file]

Introduction:

Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., Chief Executive Officer, The San Francisco Foundation

Arnold Perkins, Community Servant

Plenary Session:

Factors in Resilience and Recovery: Lessons from the Gulf Coast

What factors enable communities to address their needs during disaster and recover fully? What can we do now to support the resilience of our vulnerable communities? Speakers will include leaders from New Orleans who have worked intensively with local communities after Hurricane Katrina.

Moderator: Kalima Rose, Senior Director, Policy Link

• Fr. Vien Nguyen, Pastor, Mary Queen of Vietnam Church, New Orleans East
  
• Timolynn Sams, Executive Director, Neighborhoods Partnership Network, New Orleans
  

Simultaneous Sessions:

Community Organizing: A Critical Element in Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery

How can community organizing and community building strengthen communities for disasters? What can we learn from organizing efforts on current local issues, such as the environment, poverty, and immigration? Speakers will include community organizing experts who will share lessons from their work in Bay Area vulnerable communities.

Moderator: Danielle Mahones, Executive Director, Center for Third World Organizing

• Erika Katske, Executive Director, San Francisco Organizing Project
  
• Douglas Mundo, Executive Director, Canal Welcome Center
• Download his presentation in PDF format [5 MB PDF file]
  
• Miya Yoshitani, Associate Director, Asian Pacific Environmental Network
• Download her presentation in PDF format [5 MB PDF file]

Creative Approaches at the Grassroots: Experiences of Neighborhoods, Community-based Organizations, and Faith Communities

What opportunities and challenges have neighborhoods, community-based, and faith-based organizations faced in engaging their communities in preparedness, response, and recovery? What can we learn from these experiences to strengthen community resilience today? Speakers will include community leaders involved in efforts throughout our region.

Moderator:  Tessa Rouverol Callejo, FAITHS Program Coordinator, The San Francisco Foundation

• G.L. Hodge, Church Administrator, Providence Baptist Church
  
• Bill Love, Professor, Merritt College; Transportation Chair, Oakland Community Emergency Response Team after Loma Prieta earthquake
  
• Kent Woo, Executive Director, NICOS Chinese Health Coalition
  

Strengthening the Infrastructure for Community Resilience: The Role of Disaster-focused Nonprofits and Government

In what ways are these players currently supporting the nonprofit sector and the policy agenda to increase community disaster resilience? What else can and should be done? Speakers will include representatives from disaster and vulnerable community-oriented nonprofits and local government.

Moderator: Larry Goldzband, Manager, Charitable Contributions, Pacific Gas and Electric Company

• Teresa Favuzzi, Executive Director, California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
• Kathryn Gerk, CEM, Emergency Services Manager, Richmond Fire Department, Office of Emergency Services 
• Download her handout in PDF format [26 KB PDF file]
  
• Paul Jacks, Director, BayPrep, Fritz Institute
• Download his handout in PDF format [68 KB PDF file]
  
• Âna-Marie Jones, Executive Director, Collaborating Agencies Responding to Disasters
  
• Gregory Smith, Disaster Services Director and State Disaster Coordination Director, American Red Cross Bay Area  

Participant List

Summit attendees may access a contact list of participants by clicking here to download a password-protected PDF. To obtain the password, please contact Andrea Zussman at abz@sff.org.