What are the most effective ways to communicate with local residents and businesses during an emergency? Join us for a workshop with our inspiring panel members as we discuss best practices and lessons learned for public messaging and communications. Our subject matter experts will discuss different methods of communication, alerts and warnings, and social media strategies as well as ways to manage media expectations during a crisis. Register in advance here.
Lisa Derderian, Emergency Manager and Public Information Officer, City of Pasadena
Lisa Derderian was named the City of Pasadena Public Information Officer in 2018 after serving as the City Emergency Management Coordinator and Public Information Officer for the Pasadena Fire Department since 2003. Lisa is responsible for citywide communications and is the Executive Producer of KPAS, local government access television station. Lisa has been responsible for handling the crisis communications for major events citywide including the 2011 Windstorms where Pasadena sustained $18 million in damage, 2009 Station Fire, significant structure fires, Rose Bowl Stadium major events, incidents involving city personnel and more recently the COVID-19 response efforts with the unique aspect of Pasadena having its own health department.
Lisa oversees citywide social media, a quarterly residential newsletter, the city PIO Team comprised of representatives from all departments and website and press release coordination. Lisa implemented the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program and group of volunteers who coordinate two full CERT courses per year, present Map Your Neighborhood and hold Amateur Radio drills. Additionally, Lisa actively presents Disaster Preparedness seminars to community groups, schools, businesses, city employees, etc.
Prior to working for the city, Lisa served as the Director of Communications and Marketing for the San Gabriel Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. While working there she led statewide efforts in response to the September 11th tragedy and organized numerous fundraisers in coordination with local public safety and other organizations. For over 30 years Lisa has been a proud resident of Pasadena and it’s where she raised her now adult son. Lisa is married to Ron and in her spare time enjoys spending time with her family.
Soraya Sutherlin, Executive Director, Emergency Management Safety Partners
Soraya Sutherlin is the Executive Director and Managing Partner of Emergency Management Safety Partners where she leads the Emergency Management and Campus Safety Division. She is a Certified Emergency Manager, CEM, by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and an instructor for the National Center for Bio-Medical Research and Training (NCBRT) out of Louisiana State University. She has over 13 years’ experience in emergency planning, training, and response, public health planning, multiagency coordination and response, and local municipal government emergency response. In her roles, she has worked with dozens of local governments and organizations on emergency management and emergency communication protocols and plans.
In her tenure, she has responded to multitude of disasters and emergencies including the two explosions at the ExxonMobil Refinery in Torrance, Ca. In 2011, she led and coordinated the Incident Command Post for the LA Marathon Medical Team and in 2013, she led the planning, design, and execution of the Incident Command Center for the UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center Hospital patient move. She has directed and participated in many large and full-scale planned exercises and disasters across the state, including responding to the California Storms in January 2017, which resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration.
Currently, she is on assignment as the Regional Emergency Communications Program Manager for the Alert SouthBay Emergency Notification System. This first of its kind multijurisdictional notification platform bridges 13 cities and over 1 million residents in Los Angeles County to receive emergency alerts under one cross-jurisdictional platform. She is the liaison for the SouthBay CAER group as the subject matter expert on refinery notifications and AB 1646 and the liaison for Los Angeles County Fire Department Health Hazmat and the City of Los Angeles Fire and Emergency Management Department.
Larissa Chiari-Keith, moderator, Senior Associate at HWC
Larissa Chiari-Keith is a Senior Associate at HWC, a consulting company based in Washington, D.C. She has over twenty years of experience in public health and emergency management specializing in health security preparedness and response. Ms. Chiari-Keith coordinates stakeholder outreach, emergency preparedness, exercise, and response in California as a contractor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office. Prior to her current role, she was the Bioterrorism and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the City of Pasadena Public Health Department. Ms. Chiari-Keith began her public health career as a children’s policy advocate and community liaison for The Children’s Partnership.
She is a proud member of Women in Homeland Security-Southern California serving as Director of Programs. Ms. Chiari-Keith is active in the community taking on a variety of leadership positions. She is a Girl Scout Troop Leader and active volunteer for Girl Scouts of Orange County. She is also a facilitator and organizer for Walking Together, an Orange County interfaith program. Ms. Chiari-Keith has written about her multicultural family experience for Orange Coast Magazine and serves as the Vice President and Parent Liaison of the Multiracial Americans of Southern California. During school breaks she hosts a children’s music program with her daughters called Two Kids, a Turntable, and a Microphone on KSPC, 88.7 FM, Claremont, CA.