Lisa Orloff

Beginning her career in disaster preparedness and response as one of New York City’s spontaneous volunteers during the September 11th, 2001 relief efforts, Lisa Orloff founded an organization dedicated to utilizing one of the most valuable and untapped emergency resources: everyday citizens. Drawing from her experiences during 9/11 and subsequent disaster responses, Lisa has keyed World Cares Center’s growth from a grassroots volunteer-led support center to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a national and international presence in preparedness, response, and recovery initiatives.

Once the creator of her own fashion line, Lisa has emerged as a recognized subject matter expert in disaster preparedness and response. She has delivered training to thousands of emergency managers, community leaders, and professional responders in 24 U.S. states and 4 countries. She is a contributor to NYC’s Spontaneous Volunteer Management Plan, has developed a curriculum for the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management’s CERT on Spontaneous Volunteer Management within the Volunteer Reception Center, and is the author of Managing Spontaneous Community Volunteers in Disaster, published in 2011 by CRC Press.

Lisa has contributed to the response efforts of Hurricane Katrina, the 2010 Haiti earthquakes, and the Japan tsunami. She is a member of the UN World Health Organization’s Mental Health Committee, a founding board member of My Good Deed, and has represented World Cares Center to the Department of Public Information of the UN, the National Institute for Urban Search and Rescue, International Association of Emergency Managers, New York City Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), NOVA’s National Community Crisis Response Team, the Advisory Boards of Citizen Corps, and the WTC Health Registry. A graduate of the Institute for Not-for-Profit Management’s Executive Level Program at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business, Lisa has received the Mayor’s Voluntary Action Award for her service during 9/11.