The Governor’s Hurricane Conference (GHC) is hosting its 40th Annual Conference from May 10 to 15, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. As the nation’s largest conference focused on hurricane preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation, GHC brings together professionals from across the country to share knowledge, strengthen coordination, and enhance disaster readiness.
This year’s theme, “A Legacy of Readiness – Forty Years of Progress and Partnership,” reflects on four decades of collaboration and lessons learned since the conference was first established following the 1985 hurricane season. What began as a small forum to exchange best practices has grown into a nationally recognized event, welcoming nearly 2,500 attendees from 37 states and 7 countries in 2025.
Attendees can look forward to:
- More than 300 hours of training, workshops, and sessions covering all aspects of hurricane preparedness and emergency management
- 34 training sessions and 58 workshops featuring the latest topics, trends, and real-world case studies
- A dynamic General Session with expert speakers addressing today’s most pressing challenges
- Valuable networking opportunities with emergency managers, first responders, meteorologists, healthcare professionals, private sector partners, and nonprofit leaders
- An expansive exhibit hall showcasing over 160 companies and emergency response technologies
Connect with Hagerty
We hope you join us in Palm Beach this May as we continue building on a legacy of readiness. Hagerty is proud to sponsor the 2026 GHC and support the following training sessions (TS) and workshop sessions (WS) at this year’s event:
- TS8 – Best Practices to Maximize PA 1206 Funding and Meet SB 180 Requirements
May 11, 2026, from 8:30 am-5:00 pm | Instructed by Tanya Shannon - TS6 – Hurricane Howey Tabletop Exercise: Response
May 11, 2026, from 8:30 am-12:00 pm | Facilitated by Lee Mayfield - TS7 – Hurricane Howey Tabletop Exercise: Recovery
May 11, 2026, from 1:30 pm-5:00 pm | Facilitated by Lee Mayfield - WS104 – AI in Emergency Management: Current State and Future Direction
May 14, 2026, from 8:30 am-10:00 am | Moderated by Lee Mayfield - WS116 – AI in Emergency Management: Practical Solutions to Real Challenges
May 14, 2026, from 1:30 pm-3:00 pm | Moderated by Lee Mayfield - WS132 – Navigating a Changing Landscape: Federal Grant Procurement Updates and 2 CFR Part 200 Decisions
May 14, 2026, from 3:30 pm-5:00 pm | Presented by Alejandro Munera - WS143 – FEMA Public Assistance: Recent Decisions and Trends
May 15, 2026, from 8:30 am-10:00 am | Presented by Tanya Shannon - WS157 – Meet FEMA NFIP and SB 180 Requirements for Permitting, Substantial Damage Assessments, and Code Enforcement
May 15, 2026, from 10:30 am-12:00 pm | Presented by Tanya Shannon
Additionally, Hagerty’s Senior Advisor for Community Recovery, Stan Gimont, will join the GHC’s General Session as a featured panelist on May 13, where he will reflect alongside fellow experts on past hurricane seasons and share key lessons to strengthen future preparedness.
If you are attending this year’s conference, we hope you will join our sessions and connect with our team! We look forward to meeting fellow professionals, exchanging ideas, and exploring innovative solutions that strengthen our nation’s hurricane resilience.
To learn more about the event, visit the official GHC website.
About Our Team
Stan Gimont is the Senior Advisor for Community Recovery at Hagerty Consulting and a former senior official at the United States (US) Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During his 32-year tenure at HUD, he oversaw key programs and led long-term recovery efforts for major disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. He also directed the implementation of the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) and HUD’s National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC). At Hagerty, Stan provides strategic guidance on HUD programs, housing policy, and community recovery.
Lee Mayfield is a proven emergency management leader with nearly 20 years of experience in disaster planning, response, and recovery – specializing in state and local coordination, training, exercises, mass care, evacuation prioritization, and crisis response. Before joining Hagerty, Lee served as the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management for Lee County, Florida. There, he supported the county’s response and recovery from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Lee has also held various roles at the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), including State Regional Coordinator, focusing on county-level coordination.
Tanya Shannon is an emergency management professional with 15 years of experience across local, state, federal, private, and nonprofit sectors. As a Deputy Director at Hagerty, she oversees disaster recovery projects across the southeastern US, supporting jurisdictions recovering from natural disasters and other large-scale incidents. Previously, she worked for FEMA, where she helped establish Public Assistance (PA) operations for more than 100 federally declared disasters and managed a nationwide training team.
Alejandro Munera is an emergency management professional with expertise in Florida-specific grant management and recovery projects. He has assisted clients with financial management, compliance monitoring, strategic planning, and reporting to maximize funding for communities. Alejandro’s grant management experience aligns with FEMA standards, with his work primarily focused on federal funds compliance and management.