SUN-C03: Dismantling Disaster: Working with Communities Before the Storm

Sunday, October 12, 2025

3:45 PM – 5:00 PM CT

1.25 PDH, LA CES/HSW

Speaker(s)

Wes Michaels, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP

Principal
Spackman Mossop Michaels
New Orleans, Louisiana
Marilyn L. Hemingway

CEO/President
Gullah Geechee Chamber Foundation Inc
Georgetown, South Carolina
Abby Hall (she/her/hers)

Senior Program Manager
CDR Associates
Portland, Oregon

Disasters aren’t “natural”—they’re shaped by human patterns of settlement, policy, and economics. Too often, designers begin thinking about disasters only after they strike. This session explores innovative strategies to engage communities before disasters. Learn how designers, federal agencies, and community leaders share capacities—knowledge, resources, and skills—to help communities prevent disasters.

Learning Outcomes:

Identify the economic, social, and policy factors that contribute to disaster vulnerability.
Understand how designers can work with community-based organizations and federal agencies to create resilience strategies.
Give examples of design approaches that integrate climate adaptation, social equity, and disaster prevention.
Recognize strategies for fostering interdisciplinary collaboration to strengthen resilience efforts at the community level.