014: Day 2: TALK STORY: Rebuilding Stronger: Climate Resilience with Equity and Community at the Center

How to Disaster

2024 WILDFIRE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Episode Description:

“You got to be able to get out there and be able to assess the situation, not only from the building standpoint but the infrastructure standpoint, so that your decision-makers have the opportunity to make decisions and know what's facing them in terms of their top priorities.” —Karl Fippinger

“An authentic leader who's vulnerable and who's willing to talk about their feelings and let it show— that's so important to me as a resident as well as a follower of that leader.” —Jane Riley

“One day, we can stop talking about rebuilding after wildfires, and talk more about preventing. But we have huge land management issues, and when we start solving that, we can avoid some of these disasters.” —Mike Renner

Rebuilding after a wildfire is an immense challenge for any community. Navigating the complex web of building codes, regulations, and infrastructure issues requires resilience, creativity, and a deep understanding of the unique needs of each affected area. Restoring a sense of home and normalcy in the wake of such devastation is a monumental task that demands the collective efforts of leaders, experts, and the community itself.

In this discussion, we are joined by Jane Riley, the Director of Advance Planning and Housing at 4Leaf Inc.; Mike Renner, the Director of Development Recovery Services at 4Leaf Inc.; and Karl Fippinger, the Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation at ICC.

Tune in as Jane, Mike, and Karl delve into the role of building codes for resilience and disaster mitigation, the power of showing empathy in communicating rebuilding requirements to traumatized communities, the qualities of an effective leader in post-disaster, the importance of prevention in building a more resilient future, plus much more.

Connect with After The Fire USA:

• Website: https://afterthefireusa.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AfterTheFireUSA
• X: https://twitter.com/AfterTheFireUSA
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afterthefireusa/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/atf3r
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuTefxZgWUJkDVoZGZQpxgQ

Highlights:

• 00:22 Meet Reva Feldman
• 02:21 Meet Jane Riley, Mike Renner, and Karl Fippinger
• 05:37 Why Codes Are Important in Home Rebuilding
• 11:09 The Importance of Correct Updated Information in Disaster
• 17:34 What We Can Do Better
• 27:08 TakeAway: Helping the Decision-Makers, Authentic Leadership, and Land Management Issues

Meet the Moderator

👩🏻‍💼Reva Feldman, Former City Manager, Malibu (2016-2021) / Advisor, After the Fire USA

Reva Feldman has more than twenty years of experience in public service. She has been with the City since 2005, serving as the Assistant City Manager and Administrative Services Director before her appointment as City Manager in May 2016. Reva brings with her strong leadership skills, knowledge, experience, and a deep dedication to the community.

Meet the Panel

👩🏻‍💼 Meet Jane Riley, Director of Advance Planning and Housing at 4Leaf Inc.

Jane Riley has been a planning professional for more than 30 years. She served as Planning Manager for the County of Sonoma through the 2017 Tubbs Fire, 2019 Kincade Fire, and lost family properties in the 2018 Carr Fire. She was first introduced to 4Leaf through their shared recovery work in Sonoma and retired from the county to join 4Leaf in 2020. She currently serves as 4Leaf’s Director of Advance Planning and Housing and assists in planning related fire work recovery efforts wherever needed.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-riley-aicp-89941824/

Connect with 4Leaf Inc.:

• Website: https://www.4leafinc.com/

👨🏻‍💼Meet Mike Renner, Director of Development Recovery Services at 4Leaf Inc.

Mike is the Director of Development Recovery Services for 4Leaf. He’s a seasoned Director with more than 20 years of industry experience serving clients throughout the US in the scopes of planning, building, code enforcement, and post-disaster development recovery services. He leads all infrastructure creation and implementation of 4Leaf’s development recovery programs. The programs provide permitting assistance to communities impacted by wildfires. Currently, he’s the lead recovery efforts in Maui and he’s also overseen the recovery programs in Sta Cruz County, Sonoma County, Paradise, Jackson County, Oregon, and the city of Malibu.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-renner-7ba50bb4/

Connect with 4Leaf Inc.:

• Website: https://www.4leafinc.com/

👨🏻‍💼Meet Karl Fippinger, Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation at ICC

Karl Fippinger, CEM, PMP, is Vice President of Fire and Disaster Mitigation for the International Code Council’s Government Relations Department where he leads the Code Council’s national fire service and emergency management activities.

Fippinger brings more than 30 years of domain experience, having served as an assistant fire chief with the Occoquan-Woodbridge-Lorton Volunteer Fire Department in Prince William County, Va., and as an adjunct instructor with the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department in Fairfax, Va. He also brings deep experience in public and private sector emergency management across federal, state, and local disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

Fippinger holds the Certified Emergency Manager credential with the International Association of Emergency Managers and is a certified Project Management Professional with the Project Management Institute.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-fippinger/

Connect with ICC:

• Website: https://www.iccsafe.org/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Code-Council/122907857740822?ref=ts
• X: https://twitter.com/IntlCodeCouncil
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intlcodecouncil/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/31134
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ICCMEDIA