Here’s just a few stories from women whose lives have been empowered by WBCM.
― Sherika Clay, CBCP
― Sarah Gucciardo, CBCP
― Brandi M. Hunter, ABCP
― Kamara Licea, CBCP
― Nancy Preston, CBCP
― Tiffany Rebstock, ABCP
― Alexis Richmond, CBCP
“I first learned about the Women in Business Continuity Management (WBCM) Committee and Scholarship while attending an Incident Management course. As I sat in the conference room, captivated by the speakers discussing the challenges and triumphs of crisis management, I connected with a fellow attendee who introduced me to this remarkable scholarship program. Designed to support and empower women in business continuity, the idea instantly resonated with me, sparking my curiosity to learn more. My desire for business continuity planning was ignited by my firsthand experiences with disasters where an organization I worked for was caught off guard by a major natural disaster. Witnessing the chaos and disruption firsthand was a powerful reminder of the critical need for effective preparedness and resilience strategies. Driven by this passion, I applied for the WBCM scholarship, knowing it was my key to receiving the training I so desperately needed…”
― Angelina Fontenot, ABCP
“A colleague of mine encouraged me to apply for the WBCM Committee Scholarship program. During my tenure with the Department of Veteran Affairs, I had the honor of working with many veterans who had discovered DRI Foundation’s Veterans Outreach Program. This particular colleague was working on his application to the Veteran Outreach Program and suggested I explore similar assistance from the Foundation. I am so thankful that he did. I am impressed with the opportunities DRI Foundation makes available to individuals looking to expand their skills within the continuity environment. My professional background includes emergency management and continuity work in a variety of sectors – federal contracting, local/municipal government, power/utility, healthcare, and currently, federal employment focused on infrastructure security exercises…”
― Heather Long, CBCP
“I first heard about DRI International through a co-worker who had already been certified as a CBCP. With her encouragement and the desire to enhance my knowledge of Business Continuity Planning (BCP), I embarked on a journey that led to a rewarding certification experience. Business Continuity Planning was new to me but given my upcoming role in managing BCP for our organization, I was eager to become a subject matter expert. Although my company offered tuition reimbursement, BCP was not initially included. This led me to explore financial assistance options on the DRI Foundation website, where I discovered and applied for the Women in Business Continuity Management (WBCM) Scholarship. I was thrilled and emotional when I received the news of my selection as a WBCM Scholarship recipient. This scholarship provided the financial support I needed to pursue my certification….”
― Dolores Perea, ABCP
“I was awarded the WBCM scholarship in 2023 and earned my ABCP certification in November. Before I was awarded the scholarship, I was involved with our organization’s business continuity and recovery planning, and had done a lot of research to assist our business in this area. Learning and effectively utilizing the additional skills to properly conduct a risk assessment and business impact analysis, and developing a robust plan for a wide variety of scenarios has been an amazing opportunity. Since my certification, I have spent much of 2024 going through the BCP process for my own organization. It has been a great experience for me to expand my knowledge and increase the readiness of our organization. In the future, I plan to use the information and tools I have learned to benefit other businesses that are part of the Employer Association I work for, as well as the non-profit Board I serve on. ”
― Rebecca Wiegand, ABCP