Rob Dale is a meteorologist and emergency manager. After spending over a decade as a TV meteorologist with an emphasis on severe weather coverage, he made the transition to emergency management in 2009. He spent two years in hospital emergency management, and currently works for Ingham County (MI) Emergency Management as the deputy EM. He also runs a weather alerting system for businesses and public safety agencies called First2Warn, which is used throughout the nation for site-specific weather warnings. He started the International Association of Emergency Managers Weather Caucus and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). Rob graduated from Jacksonville State University with a Bachelor’s in Emergency Management, and has a Masters in Emergency & Disaster Management from American Military University. He also serves as an adjunct professor for the University of Maryland - Global Campus.

Teena Deering is the founder and owner of TeeDeeUAS, LLC; Teena is a retired U.S. Navy pilot with 26 years of manned and unmanned aviation experience. During her time as a Naval aviator she obtained several flight hours and qualified in multiple manned aircraft. Her last duty station on Active Duty was the Director of UAS Operations and Training Officer with Naval Special Warfare in Coronado, CA. During her tour there she qualified as an operator in the ScanEagle UAS and All Environment Capable Variant (AECV) Small Unmanned Aircraft system (sUAS) Puma. After retiring from the Navy, Teena accepted the challenge to start the UAS program for San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). She was the UAS Program Lead and Chief Pilot for SDG&E. Teena single-handedly organized all aspects of the program, created all procedures for UAS operations including the standard operating procedures, training standards, safety standards, maintenance standards, inspection, incident procedures, and checklists to operate the UAS safely. She worked meticulously with the FAA for airspace approval and thereby helped SDG&E to become the first utility company in the US to operate a UAS in the National Air Space. She Took their UAS program from conception, through R&D and into the operational stage and is still currently assisting them with their program. TeeDeeUAS, LLC provides consulting services to SDG&E, Kamehameha Schools, Otay Water District, and Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and also created the UAS program for Hawaiian Electric company (HECO), Hawaiian Electric Light (HELCO), and Maui Electric (MECO)

Andrew Doyle is an internationally recognized communications professional who has more than 25 years of emergency response experience. Currently, Andrew is the Public Information Officer for the Harford County Volunteer Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Association and the Joppa-Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company in Harford County, Maryland. Andrew holds a variety of certifications in PIO training instruction, including Basic Public Information Officer and NIMS All-Hazards PIO. He is also a certified FEMA Social Media training instructor and has taught in multiple states and territories, including Puerto Rico. Annually, he volunteers with the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation to support public information needs for the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend in Emmitsburg, MD. Andrew has presented on emerging technologies and social media in emergency management at multiple national and local conferences, including National Information Officers Association (NIOA) and Maryland Emergency Management Association (MDEMA). Andrew previously served as the Communications Manager for the Baltimore Firefighters Union. During his time with Local 734, he received numerous awards, including first place in digital communications. He also managed social media for the Baltimore City Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management and served on the Baltimore City Incident Management Team, where he was deployed to Irma (2017) as part of the Maryland Incident Management Team. Andrew holds numerous fire and EMS related certifications as well as a U.S. Coast Guard Captain’s license and an F.A.A. Part 107 Drone Operator license. His knowledge and training in fire, EMS, special operations, and public information make him uniquely qualified in emergency and crisis communications. Additionally, Andrew is an independent consultant for social media and crisis communications-related projects for government agencies and private industry. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys cheering for the Maryland Terps, Washington Caps, Baltimore Orioles, and Baltimore Ravens. For fun, he plays lacrosse. Last, but not least, he is the proud father of three children: Emily, Andrew, and Jeremy and a tortoise named Franklin. Follow him on X (formerly known as twitter) @doyle0213 and Linked-In (https://www.linkedin.com/in/doyle0213/).

Carolyn's career began with research on glaciers, principally those on the Cascade Range volcanoes, and later on glacier-related floods and debris flows. Witnessing the May 18, 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens and taking part in the response, set the course for several fascinating scientific projects. It also provided a front-row seat for observation and reflection regarding the role of science in society. As the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory's Outreach Coordinator, Carolyn works in partnership with public officials, emergency planners, media, park interpreters, educators, and the news media to advance the cause of volcano preparedness. Some earlier career choices have informed current work, including several years of teaching in a US public school and a private school in Kathmandu, Nepal, and working for the National Park Service. As CVO's Outreach Coordinator, daily interactions with emergency managers and news media amidst volcanic eruptions, debris flows, and periods of quiescence have given Carolyn a broad base of experience in crisis communication and the general communication needs of partners and the public.

Dr. Don Drost recently retired as Professor of Physics at the University of the Virgin Islands. In the mid-90’s, Drost was charged with developing Science 100, a course required of all entering students at UVI. The course is called Hurricanes, Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Tsunamis in the Caribbean. He is the author of the textbook and lab manual for the class, published on line for students. One of the goals of the class is to educate citizens about natural hazards common in the Caribbean. Since initiating the course, Drost and other staff at UVI have taught the course to 10,000 students at UVI St. Thomas and UVI St. Croix. Drost is involved in other activities associated with Astronomy at Etelman Observatory funded by NASA EPSCoR, Education Research in Science 100 funded by NSF and investigating the introduction of Creative Problem Solving Thinking Skills in Science 100, also supported by NSF. Dr. Drost continues to serve as an Adjunct Professor at UVI while he and his wife divide their time between Florida, North Carolina and the Virgin Islands. He and his wife spend their spare time on the water and in the water often with their dog Rosie.