CSIS Adviser Honored for Disaster Philanthropy Work

May 12, 2015

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2015—The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) has named Lori J. Bertman, a member of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Advisory Board, among the recipients of NVOAD’s first-ever Leaders Awards. The organization has recognized Bertman, president and CEO of the Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, for her work following Hurricane Katrina, her establishment of the Pennington Foundation’s Disaster Resilience Fund, as well as her cofounding of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

At CSIS, Bertman was integral to launching the CSIS-Pennington Family Foundation Series on Disasters and Community Resilience, which fostered meaningful discussion among government officials, philanthropists, nongovernmental organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders and led to key recommendations to improve disaster preparedness, risk mitigation, and the ability of communities to recover following a disaster. Her focus on disaster grant making, in particular, has positively impacted those individuals living in disaster-prone areas.

“Lori Bertman’s leadership in disaster preparedness is extraordinary,” said Dr. John J. Hamre, CSIS president, CEO, and Pritzker Chair. “Her energy and passion for helping communities dealing with natural disasters is unparalleled, and she is certainly deserving of this award.”

Bertman will receive the Leaders Award during NVOAD’s convention in New Orleans on May 12, 2015. NVOAD is a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization dedicated to building disaster-resilient communities nationwide.

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is a bipartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 1962 and headquartered in Washington, D.C. It seeks to advance global security and prosperity by providing strategic insights and policy solutions to decisionmakers.