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Les Boatright
Les served 33 years at KCP&L in emergency management, business continuity and mutual aid. He is a CEM thru IAEM, Missouri and Kansas. He holds an MBA and certifications as a Master Business Continuity Professional. Les has written and conducted over 200 exercises. He also is an Adjunct Professor at Park University. 

Jennifer Fales, Stone Owl Preparedness – How to Pull off Meaningful Exercises
Jennifer has 30+ years working for Kansas City in emergency management. She retired in 2020 and now operates Stone Owl Preparedness which focuses on exercises, plan writing, etc.

Alisha King, Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Manager, Washington State
Alisha King is the Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Manager for Washington State and the former Global Resilience Manager for Google. Ms. King has built her career on a foundation of operational sciences, including work in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure, bioterrorism response planning, emergency medicine, and humanitarian field deployments. Her professional contributions include working with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, International Association of Emergency Managers, Washington State Election Security Taskforce, Homeland Security Center of Excellence, Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, and serving as Founder and Chair Emeritus for the IAEM Emerging Technology Caucus.

Ed Menzenwerth, FEMA Supplemental Response Teams (SRT) Program Manager

Scott Raecker, Executive Director, Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, Drake University
Scott Raecker serves as executive director of The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University – a position he has held since the work of the center was founded by former Governor Robert D. Ray as a lasting legacy to the Iowa Sesquicentennial in 1997. The Ray Center has a mission to improve civility through character development and ethical leadership. From the preschool environment to the community, corporate, and public service arena, The Ray Center works to transform lives and strengthen communities by equipping individuals and communities to embrace and practice good character resulting in a positive environment of civility and principled decision-making. The Ray Center has outreach to over 8 million youth as the global home for the CHARACTER COUNTS! and Pursuing Victory With Honor initiatives that were founded by Michael Josephson and the Josephson Institute of Ethics where Scott has previously served as both Chairman of the Board and CEO. The Ray Center is also a national consortium partner with the Excellence With Integrity Institute. Scott’s commitment to positively impact the lives of others was also reflected in his 14 years of public service as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 1999 through 2012. In the legislature, Scott served in numerous leadership roles including chair of the House Appropriations Committee, chair of the Ethics Committee, and chair of the Midwest Council of Government’s Legislative Leadership Institute. Scott’s public service experience and professional passion for civility has led to his work with The Ray Center impacting state legislative leaders and staff in all 50 states and U.S. territories as well as leaders in Canada and Mexico. Scott is involved in numerous civic volunteer efforts. He serves as a board member of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, Drake University School of Education International Advisory Board, Board Member Emeritus of the Smithsonian Institution Center for Folk Life and Cultural Studies, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation Advisory Board, and the Shining City Foundation. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Des Moines AM, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church and Urbandale Chambers of Commerce. Scott is a graduate of Grinnell College where he received his B.A. in Political Science and Religious Studies.  Scott is also certified as a character development specialist and corporate ethics trainer through the Josephson Institute of Ethics.

Andrea Spillars, FEMA Region VII Administrator
Andrea Spillars has been a career public servant for over 30 years. From 2009 to 2015, she had a lead role in the Missouri state response to natural disasters as the Deputy Director for the Department of Public Safety, including the devastating Joplin tornado in 2011, the prolonged flooding in 2011, drought relief efforts in 2012, and historic ice storms in 2009. Her work at the Department of Public Safety also included leading the state’s successful effort to establish an interoperable public safety communication system. Throughout her career, she has worked to protect the people of Missouri, especially during times of disaster. In 2011, the Joplin Police Department recognized Spillars for her work leading the successful round-the-clock effort to account for those reported missing after the Joplin tornado. In 2014, Spillars received the Patrick Henry Award from the National Guard Association of the United States, which is presented to those civilians in a position of responsibility who have distinguished themselves with outstanding and exceptional service to the U.S. Armed Forces or the National Guard. From 2015 to 2017, Spillars served as Senior Advisor and Legal Counsel in the Missouri Governor’s Office, and ultimately as Counsel to the Governor. She began her career as an attorney in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office, serving from 1989 to 1995 and again from 1997 to 2009. While at the Attorney General’s Office, she was Chief Counsel and Director of Public Safety Division from 2004 to 2009, providing legal representation to the Missouri Department of Public Safety. She has also served as assistant prosecuting attorney in Boone County and General Counsel for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Prior to joining FEMA Region 7, Spillars served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Board of Law Examiners, overseeing all aspects of the attorney admissions process.

Adam Tager, Disaster Readiness Program Manager, FEMA
Adam Tager serves as the Disaster Readiness Program Manager in the FEMA Mission Support Executive Office. In this role, Adam leads readiness and response efforts on behalf of the Associate and Deputy Associate Administrators for Mission Support. Previous to this, Adam served as a FEMA field operations analyst and as a consultant supporting FEMA and the Department of Defense. Adam has led and/or participated in national and state emergency management programs from the preparedness, readiness, response, and continuous improvement perspectives. In those capacities, he has had roles in the development and conduct of DHS-level training exercises, written federal and state after-action reports, and had various positions during all-hazards events including the 2017-2021 hurricane seasons, the 2019 midwestern floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic response and vaccination efforts. Adam married his wife Ally in 2019 and the two moved to New York City in 2021 after over a decade in the District of Columbia. He is active in service and social organizations, a New England sports fan, and dog-dad to mini bernedoodle Lox.