Throughout 2024, our dedicated team has worked with clients nationwide to address urgent challenges before, during, and after disasters. From developing readiness exercises to navigating complex disaster recovery processes, our professionals have proudly supported missions of all types and scopes throughout the year. As we embark on 2025, we gratefully reflect on the team’s tireless efforts, with each experience offering valuable insights to shape our way forward. This month, we spoke with some of our professionals who supported a mission in 2024 to discuss important lessons learned and how they will utilize their experiences to better serve communities.
Zach Annett | Senior Managing Associate, Preparedness Division
In 2024, I had the opportunity to support Florida’s response to one of the busiest hurricane seasons in the past 20 years. With two major hurricanes impacting the state back-to-back over a span of three weeks, the response efforts were complex. While some areas were moving into recovery efforts, nearby communities were ramping up to respond to immediate impacts. It was a clear reminder of how challenging it can be to manage simultaneous disasters across different regions.
One thing that stood out to me was the importance of partnerships in navigating these challenges. In emergency management, different teams and focus areas often must operate collectively and in parallel — no one can do it all alone. Finding the right partners to fill gaps and strengthen efforts is critical. Looking ahead to future projects in 2025, I plan to focus efforts on identifying and working with partners who can help our team meet the needs of our clients and their communities. Whether it is teaming up with experts to expand our capabilities or utilizing specialists to address areas outside of my expertise, knowing when and how to collaborate will help us better support our communities before, during, and after their toughest days.
Sarah Peters | Associate, Response Division
In 2024, I had the privilege of supporting multiple humanitarian and hurricane response missions, including serving communities throughout the State of Florida during Hurricane Milton. A key highlight of my humanitarian project work was leading the Emergency Response Task Force (ERTF) roster and facilitating readiness drills. These drills helped sharpen the team’s ability to respond effectively during critical situations and emphasized the importance of seamless communication and collaboration under pressure. It was incredibly rewarding to witness how our preparation efforts directly translated into a more efficient and coordinated disaster response.
Additionally, one of the most valuable lessons I have learned is the importance of clear, proactive communication and attention to detail throughout all phases of a project. I found that maintaining strong, ongoing communication with deployed staff and clients was key to ensuring smooth operations and mitigating potential disruptions. This experience has reinforced the need for timely and transparent updates, both with internal teams and clients, to ensure everyone is aligned with expectations and goals.
Looking ahead to 2025, I plan to leverage these insights to further optimize budgeting and forecasting processes, ensuring greater accuracy in reporting. I will also continue refining my approach to disaster response planning by focusing on continuous improvement through feedback and lessons learned from past missions. By consistently applying these strategies, I believe I can support clients and projects even more effectively this year, driving enhanced outcomes and readiness.
Sherlie Valentin | Manager, Recovery Division
In 2024, I was deployed for disaster recovery efforts in Florida, supporting a local government response effort to two back-to-back hurricanes—Helene and Milton. This experience required my team and I to quickly adapt to the client’s evolving priorities and expectations. The days leading up to and following the second hurricane’s landfall felt like a fresh start, requiring a complete reassessment of our approach. As a project manager, the most important lesson was the value of maintaining consistent and clear communication with the client. Communication has always been essential, but this experience highlighted how critical regular updates were in realigning expectations and addressing concerns, helping the client to feel informed and supported throughout the response period.
Another key takeaway was the need for flexible planning. As conditions shifted rapidly, our initial strategies often had to be adjusted to address the ongoing challenges effectively. Equally important was taking care of the team. By staying mindful of staff well-being, we maintained focus and energy despite the pressure. Moving forward, I plan to apply these insights by developing more adaptable strategies while prioritizing staff support. This approach will help us continue delivering effective solutions while ensuring both our teams and clients are in the best possible position to succeed.
Lauren Dozier | Senior Manager, Mitigation Division
One of the most important things that I learned while working with a local government client in 2024 was the importance of communication, and how that can vary from client to client. Regardless of the methodology, I learned to listen to the client to understand their preferred communication styles and incorporate that into the overall work plan. Alternatively, effective communication is different for every client, whether they are local government, state government, or a nonprofit, and as professionals in this field, we must work together with them to not only learn what communication is needed, but also how often and to what detail. How you communicate can be the difference between clarity and confusion, so devoting time and resources towards reporting, deliverables, and meetings should be treated as mission-critical.
Rachel Knoblach | Senior Managing Associate, Grants Management Division
In August 2024, our team had the privilege of partnering with a state government client to host two Tribal Grant Summits on a reservation—a moment that will be remembered as a turning point in the state’s history. For the first time in the state’s contemporary history, they were invited to deliver in-person grant training sessions on Tribal land.
During these summits, we listened, learned, and gained invaluable insights from Tribal leaders and community members. They shared the unique challenges their communities face and the systemic barriers they encounter when accessing funding opportunities, such as limited capacity to hire grant experts, navigating complex application processes, limited resources available for planning, and managing compliance requirements. Leaders shared their experiences working with federal partners, highlighting challenges in aligning their cultural practices with federal grant criteria.
This experience reaffirmed my commitment to making grants as accessible as possible. I was inspired by the resilience and determination of the Tribal members we met. It was a powerful reminder of why this work matters and how important it is to be an advocate for conversations that amplify community needs, build partnerships, and ensure that communities have the resources and support they need to succeed.
Learn more about how our innovative solutions help clients achieve their missions and effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters here.
Zach Annett is a Senior Managing Associate in Hagerty’s Preparedness Division with over eight years of experience helping clients prepare for and respond to emergency events. At Hagerty, Zach has provided program management support to government and private sector entities nationwide and coordinated response operations for state-level emergency management and public health organizations.
Sarah Peters is an Associate in Hagerty’s Response Division with more than nine years of experience in relationship management, administrative/financial support, and data management. Before Hagerty, she was a Compliance Specialist, responsible for managing the intake of over 120 patients each week. At Hagerty, she has supported the documentation, mobilization, and coordination of response personnel to emergencies and disasters across the country.
Sherlie Valentin is a Recovery Manager with over eight years of industry experience. Before joining Hagerty, Sherlie gained legal experience as a paralegal and court reporter in San Juan, Puerto Rico. At Hagerty, she has been instrumental in assessing and managing recovery efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ian, Hurricane Helene, and Hurricane Milton, while also serving as a project manager overseeing all cost recovery operations for our clients.
Lauren Dozier, Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM), is a Senior Manager in Hagerty’s mitigation division with over 14 years of experience in post-disaster recovery and mitigation grant experience. Her teams have supported hundreds of millions in hazard mitigation projects while ensuring compliance with all Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Planning (HMGP), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) rules and regulations.
Rachel Knoblach is a Senior Managing Associate with Hagerty’s Grants Management team, offering over six years of expertise in strategic planning, research, and grants management. Rachel specializes in helping communities unlock the full potential of funding streams, including those under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). At Hagerty, she contributes to a diverse portfolio of projects, providing state and local government clients with strategic guidance to help them navigate complex policy environments and invest resources in transformative projects.