Episode 8: Service Before Self — The Unspoken Truths of High Performance in Hard Times with Dawn Dickerson
When disaster strikes, resilience isn’t just about communities — it’s also about the people who serve them. In this episode of Careers & Coffee Talk, Dawn Dickerson, Founder of EM Disaster Solutions and former Federal Disaster Recovery Officer at FEMA, shares a powerful journey that blends professional excellence with personal resilience.
From stepping up as an unexpected volunteer during a Georgia flood to shaping national disaster recovery efforts, Dawn has been on the frontlines of some of the nation’s most complex crises. She opens up about lessons learned in FEMA Corps, the challenges of the 2017 hurricane season, and what it means to balance personal hardship — including divorce and therapy while deployed — with the unrelenting demands of mission work. Through it all, a continuous ethos of service before self emerges, from leading high-performance teams to her remarkable act as a living kidney donor.
Today, Dawn brings that same spirit to her work helping under-resourced communities prepare for the future. This conversation is about leadership, sacrifice, and the unspoken truths of service — and why emergency management is, at its core, a team sport.
About Dawn Dickerson
I am an accomplished emergency management leader, consultant, and strategist with over 15 years of experience in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. As the Founder & Lead Principal Consultant of EM Disaster Solutions, I partner with governments, nonprofits, and businesses to strengthen community resilience, reduce disaster impacts, and implement simplified solutions for disaster management and planning.
I hold an MBA in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, which provide me with a strong foundation in governance, policy, and social systems that shape emergency management. In 2019, I was honored to participate in Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI), an elite program designed to equip top emergency management professionals with strategic and adaptive leadership skills to navigate complex disaster environments. My career is dedicated to “resilience building for all—without exception.” I have managed multi-billion-dollar disaster programs, guided senior officials through complex crises, and developed strategies influencing national resilience policies. My leadership has been instrumental during major disasters, including Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, the Paradise Camp Fire, and the COVID-19 pandemic, where I played a key role in overseeing the allocation of $43.2 billion in federal assistance to support communities nationwide. Recognized for my impact, I have received two FEMA Administrator’s Awards for service excellence and a Georgia House Resolution honoring my contributions to resilience-building efforts. I lead strategic initiatives at EM Disaster Solutions to help communities identify capability gaps, improve disaster coordination, and integrate data-driven solutions into response and recovery planning.