Joanne Martin is recognized nationally for her knowledge and experience in disaster preparedness, emergency planning and continuity of operations planning. As a member of the Senior Management Team, Ms. Martin currently serves as the Director of the East Business Unit for BDR. Having led the growth of the company’s planning practice for government since 2001, she has been involved in the development of more than 100 disaster readiness plans for state governments, local governments, non-profit organizations, colleges & universities and private sector businesses.

Under Ms. Martin’s direction her consulting teams have performed statewide planning projects in Illinois, Maine, Mississippi, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia. She supported the Commonwealth of Virginia in attaining EMAP Accreditation in 2005, and most recently assisted the State of North Carolina in its EMAP assessment in June 2008.

As Principal-in-Charge, Ms. Martin guided the BDR Team which supported the Virginia Department of Emergency Management in its expansion of the State guidance for COOP planning to address local government and higher education, as well as the assessment of COOP plans of more than 120 state agencies. Ms. Martin also designs and facilitates large-scale exercises and workshops throughout the country – most recently for the Metro Washington Council of Governments, Miami-Dade County, North Carolina State University and Collin County, Texas, just North of Dallas.