USA Today Interviews The Resiliency Initiative’s President and CEO, Andrea Davis, on Travel Safety.

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Written By Andrea E. Davis

“Register your trip at step.state.gov,” said Andrea Davis, president and CEO of the Resiliency Initiative, a global consulting company focused on crisis management and risk mitigation planning. “Print out contact information for the local U.S. embassy closest to your destination.”

Davis offers these tips before traveling outside of the U.S.:

  • Research the destination in the CIA Factbook. Make note of any cultural sensitivities.

  • Consider the list of necessary vaccinations in each country.

  • Review your health insurance to ensure you have coverage, if not, consider purchasing international medical insurance. One company she uses is GeoBlue, but there are several good carriers available.

  • Send your itinerary with detailed contact information to a friend or family member.

  • Notify your credit card company and cell phone carrier.

  • Know the local currency.

  • Travel in groups and use a bag with a strap that goes across your chest.

  • Bring photocopies of your passports and prescriptions.

  • Bring a backup charger for your phone.

  • Know the number to call in an emergency. It is not 911 in most countries.

Andrea E. Davis

As the Founder, President and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative, a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), I empower small businesses and communities to become self-reliant through crisis and risk mitigation planning. I have over 20 years of experience in emergency management, business continuity, and public health, working for public, private, and non-profit sectors across various industries and geographies.

My core competencies include strategic policy development, program management, stakeholder engagement, and media relations. I have led global, enterprise-wide crisis management departments for multi-national, Fortune 500 companies, such as The Walt Disney Company and Walmart, overseeing large-scale responses to natural disasters, pandemics, cyberattacks, and social unrest. I have also served as the External Affairs Director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Louisiana Recovery Office for Hurricane Katrina, managing a recovery portfolio of over $25 billion.

My passion is volunteer service, which led to my selection as the Inaugural Emergency Manager of the Year in 2018 by the International Association of Emergency Managers and my induction into the Women’s Emergency Management Hall of Fame in 2013. Currently, I am Board Chair for the California Resiliency Alliance and the Northwest Arkansas American Red Cross. Additionally, I am an advisory board member for the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) and the Dr. Lucy Jones Foundation.

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