The DRI Foundation would like to congratulate Keith Pierson, CBCP, winner of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award, presented to him at the Awards of Excellence Gala at DRI2025 in Las Vegas, NV, Feb. 4.
“I have had the honor and privilege of serving as the DRI Foundation Vice Chair since its inception. Every year there are many deserving and worthy individuals considered for the Distinguished Service Award,” said Jerry Vevon, MBCP, Foundation Board Vice-Chair, and member of the DRI Foundation’s Veterans Outreach Program (VOP), who presented the award.
“This year’s recipient, Keith Pierson, was one of our veteran scholarship students who received his DRI certification and transitioned from the Air Force to the private sector. He has continued to dedicate time and efforts focused on supporting our veteran community through organizing our mentorship program, serving as a mentor, and supporting resilience organizations beyond DRI.”
Pierson served honorably in the United States Air Force for 20 years and retired as an E-7 Master Sergeant. He spent much of his career as a Special Purpose Mechanic before transitioning into multiple roles similar to emergency management, where he oversaw exercise planning, deployment management, crisis communications, clearance adjudication, force protection, anti-terrorism, mutual aid agreements, training, data analytics, and readiness reporting to top leaders.
Before leaving the military, Pierson discovered the DRI Foundation’s Veterans Business Continuity scholarship program and promoted the BCLE2000 course to his peers. His instructor, Alan Lake, recognized his passion for business continuity and introduced him to Vevon and VOP Committee Co-Chair Chris Bygum, who invited him to join the VOP. With the support of his peers, Pierson smoothly transitioned to a civilian career as a Senior Analyst of Business Continuity for BankUnited in Miami Lakes.
In the following years, he has continued to volunteer his time with the DRI Foundation by expanding the mentorship program, recruiting new mentors, lighting the path for others to follow, and encouraging others to share their success stories.
“I deeply appreciate this honor and have every intention of building on my work with the VOP,” Pierson said. “My hope is for the future is that military members will become synonymous with the business continuity profession, due the culmination of their strong foundational skills.”
For more information on the DRI Foundation’s VOP program and mentorship opportunities, click here.