News

The Election Poll for our CPAC Board Members is now available on the CPAC Website and a link is below. The poll will be open until Tuesday evening, February 21st.

As a reminder, all Board volunteers as well as Charlotte Board volunteers receive free individual membership.

Over the past two years, it has become increasingly apparent that our profession and the value of business continuity are changing and technology advancement and new norms are driving the pace since the Pandemic. The value of your time versus readily accessible information is forcing volunteer managed organizations, like CPAC, to evaluate the programs, methods to deliver, and the value they provide to members and partners. CPAC has proven to be a leading partner to the profession of business continuity and beyond over the last 34 years. As a board, we recognize it is a great privilege and responsibility to be stewards of the Contingency Planning Association of the Carolinas. At this time we ask that you consider Board Election time as well as considering running for an office on the Board. If we do not receive Board nominations by the deadline we unfortunately have to dissolve CPAC organization as we only have 3 returning board members.

In the event you are interested in nominating yourself or another member/contact, please reply to this email with the following information:

Your Name

Your Company

Provide Linkedin Profile

Your Preferred Open Position to Fill

Your Second Choice Open Position to Fill

Our mission is to serve our local community, you and your organization. Your voice matters in order for CPAC to be successful.

2023 Board Nominations
Position	Term 2023
Treasurer	Open
Chairperson	Teresa Butner (Nominated)
Vice Chairperson	Open
Public Relations	Terrell Graham (Nominated)
Membership Director	Dianne Chase (Nominated)
Secretary	Open
Symposium Director	Open

2023 Charlotte Chapter Nominations
Position	2023 Term
Chairperson	Open
Vice Chairperson	Open
Program Director	Open
Secretary	Open

Open Position Overview:

Vice Chairperson

• Develop awareness of CPAC activities and processes to ensure appropriate continuity of leadership.
• Lead and represent the Board in absence of the Board Chairperson
• Represent CPAC at community, regional or national level as appropriate.

Secretary:

• Take minutes of all board meeting proceedings.
• Ensure that required filings as a non-profit corporation are completed and submitted on time.
• Monitor participation in CPAC activities by sponsors and members.

Treasurer:

• Financial reports presented at all board meeting proceedings.
• Ensure invoices are paid and membership dues are processed and submitted on time.
• Monitor participation in CPAC activities by sponsors and members.

Symposium Director:

• Develop a committee to Plan and execute the Annual Symposium, including event staff, roles, location, budget, communication, and registration.
• Work with board members to ensure high quality planning and execution.
• Develop detailed Symposium Agenda, and identity and secure speakers and vendors.

Charlotte Chapter Vice President:

• Develop awareness of CPAC and Chapter activities and processes to ensure appropriate continuity of leadership.
• Lead and represent the Chapter in absence of the Chapter President.
• Represent CPAC and their Chapter at community, regional or national level as appropriate.

Charlotte Chapter Program Chair:

• Work with Chapter leadership to develop appropriate program agendas and topics as well as secure speakers and locations.
• Provide meeting information and additional details to the Public Relations Director for inclusion in CPAC communications.

Charlotte Chapter Chairperson:

• Serve on the Board of Directors.
• Promote the CPAC organization and chapter.
• Support and the educational program of the chapter.

Charlotte Chapter Secretary:

• Take minutes of all meeting proceedings.
• Maintain chapter records and files including attendance.
• Forward records to the Board of Directors.

BC Management - Job Posting #4076

Position: Senior Analyst, Disaster Recovery
Status: Direct-Hire, Permanent FTE
Location: Charlotte, NC or Austin, TX – Candidates must be locally based. Hybrid work schedule in office Tues, Wed, & Thurs. Work from home Mon & Fri
Salary: Based on Experience – Seeking 5-8 years expertise in Disaster Recovery

* Candidates must have authorization in place to work in the USA (USA Citizenship or Green Card).
* Seeking professionals with 5-8 years expertise in Disaster Recovery planning.

Overview

As a member of our client’s Business Continuity Team, you will facilitate the development of disaster recovery plans and strategies. The senior analyst will collaborate with technical staff, business owners, infrastructure partners, service delivery managers, and other stakeholders to coordinate stability of service for the internal clients.

Primary Responsibilities

• Work with technology subject matter experts to develop or validate Disaster Recovery Plans, strategies and coordinate review and approval processes
• Develop, coordinate, and conduct testing and exercising, including plan walk-throughs, validations, table tops and functional exercises
• Lead complex global projects, as needed, and facilitate improvements of disaster recovery efforts
• Continuously improve efforts by identifying pain points and recommending solutions
• Perform Business Impact Analyses for critical systems and applications
• Coordinate and facilitate the Data Center Recovery exercise
• Develop and conduct training and employee awareness program, as required
• Work with other members of the Business Continuity team to meet objectives of the overall program
• Support BC/DR Manager in responding to regulatory, client inquiries and audits
• Review policy, processes, procedures, and work instructions to identify and implement improvements
• Understand the relationships, dependencies, and impact of business functions
• Establish and maintain relationships with stakeholders that can be leveraged to support the achievement of business objectives

Requirements: The client may consider candidates who do not meet all the criteria below.

• Bachelor's degree preferred
• 5 – 8 years’ experience and knowledge of current business continuity and disaster recovery planning techniques and technologies
• Understanding of disaster recovery requirements for highly available solution and/or cloud solutions, managed hosting, DR outsourcing
• Experience with components of architecture including Networking LAN/WAN and SAN Administration
• Experience in leading projects
• Experience in developing Disaster Recovery Plans and conducting exercises
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, including teamwork, collaboration, facilitation and negotiation
• Strong analytical and technical skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Experience with a BC/DR software system preferred
• Certifications in one of the following preferred: ABCP, CBCP, CBCPI, FINRA, FFIEC, FISMA, ITIL, ISO or BCI
• Understanding of security & infrastructure standards and regulations a plus
• Experience in the financial services industry a plus.

For Moore information, contact:

Cheyene Marling
BC Management
CMarling@bcmanagement.com

Mobile: +1.310.739.7074

20^th Annual BCM Compensation is Live.  Participate to receive a customized peer dashboard!
13^th Annual BCM Trends is Live.  Participate to receive a customized peer dashboard!

MIT offers two Crisis Management & Business Resiliency Courses: On-campus: July 25 – 29, 2022 Live Online: October 17 – 21 and 24 - 27, 2022

There's no denying it's been a difficult year. To help you navigate the crises of today and tomorrow, we are offering MIT Professional Education's popular and comprehensive Crisis Management & Business Resiliency Course twice this year—with options to attend either in-person and on-campus, or online in real-time via a live virtual format.   MIT Crisis Management & Business Resiliency Course Since 2010, this course has provided valuable insights on business resiliency, crisis management, crisis leadership, crisis communications, and cyber security/DR for hundreds of participants. You'll have the opportunity to learn from MIT faculty, industry experts, and your peers, and earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs).   This informative program offers an effective combination of lectures, case studies, and group activities conducted by knowledgeable and experienced instructors who are leaders in their fields. Case studies of actual crisis situations are used to emphasize and enhance the concepts. Add an MIT Course to Your LinkedIn Profile On-campus course: Join us on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA from July 25 – July 29, 2022. Many in-class and after-class networking opportunities will be available. If travel or other policies change (whether by your company or MIT), we may conduct the July course online via a live virtual format. You will have the option to stay enrolled in the July offering or enroll in the October live virtual course. Please read more here.   Live virtual course: This format features a mix of real-time lectures and highly interactive virtual activities through Zoom. We present the program in half-day increments over two consecutive weeks. With this innovative presentation method, you only need to spend a few hours a day (including breaks) in front of your computer screen. Classes begin at 12:00 PM EST. Each course concludes with a crisis simulation in which participants take active roles in a simulated crisis, which includes workplace violence, hazmat leak, and a cyber-attack. This simulation concludes with a realistic news media briefing where you play the reporter or a cyber troll!   For each course, you will also: Learn from topical presentations by and discussions with industry and government leaders/subject matter experts Deep dive into standards and metrics, supply chain, cyber security, news and social media, leadership, career advice, and more Strengthen your business resiliency - and program - leadership skills Receive current articles and course files as a PDF Explore Case Studies: Intel, JetBlue, Walmart, and many, many more Benefit from the considerable interactions and networking built into the course Earn an MIT Professional Education Certificate of Completion Receive the much-sought-after MIT Crisis Course coffee mug! Be eligible to enroll in the MIT Crisis Course Alumni LinkedIn private group Be eligible to enroll in the MIT Professional Education Advanced Business Resiliency course Ready to get started? Registration: Click here for more information and/or to register. Open now!   Visit the Course page: Live On-Campus: https://professional.mit.edu/cm Live Virtual: https://professional.mit.edu/cm-fall Or e-mail us: Shortprograms@MIT.edu

See You There!

BC Management has Published the Evolving Resiliency Strategies Report

The Evolving Resiliency Strategies Report highlights key findings and trends on achieving the right level of resilience management.  Within this report you’ll find data points highlighting what disruptions the program addresses when day-to-day management exceeds control, the executives who care most about the program and are involved in the governance committee, and what investment strategies are planned for 2022.

 

Interested in receiving a customized BCM Peer Resilience Management Dashboard for this study?  You may still participate (https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41589966/114b/) and request your customized dashboard once you submit your study response.

 

TOP HIGHLIGHTS

• 65% of all respondents noted increased executive engagement in 2021.
• 81% of organizations with mature programs were more likely to address operational resilience within their program compared to those with immature programs (65%).
• 80% of respondents indicated that the Chief Information Security Officer cares most about the program (engaged or very engaged) followed by the Chief Risk Officer (77%).
• 72% of resilience management programs address cyber attacks when the impact exceeds day-to-day leadership control, but what about credit and liquidity issues?  Only 14% address each of these issues.
• 2022 investment strategies will be focused in technology resilience/recoverability and situational awareness/threat intelligence.

The CPAC Annual Report 2021 is available by clicking the link here. The Board of Directors appreciates your membership patronage in 2021.

As we like to say here in North and South Carolina, "Happy Fall Y'All!" Fall is a wonderful time of year, and this year has been one of the most beautiful in memory. The brilliantly colored leaves contrasting with the beautiful evergreens are an amazing sight. Fall festivals, homecomings, and county fairs galore make for a wonderful season in the Carolinas., as the summer heat gives way to cool days and colder nights. It is a spectacular season of change as we head into the new year. 

Fall is also a season of change for your CPAC organization. This News/Blog post itself is one of several changes CPAC is looking to implement as we move forward in our 33^rd year. Today I’ll share some additional and exciting changes CPAC has in store for you. 

If you are only a contact on the CPAC mailing list, I encourage you to make a change right now and become a member with benefits. Changes moving forward include implementation of fees to non-members for some events, services, and other offerings... Membership also includes voting rights for certain topics such a board representation, presentation topics, and other official business. Members receive CEUs for certification programs with DRII/BCI. There are many other benefits and your personal membership card will ensure you receive the most from your organization. Join Today! 

In an effort to expand our membership, the Board of Directors has engaged former CPAC board chair, David Shimberg in the role of "Advisor to the Board". David has a world of experience with the organization and will be a great ambassador to proclaim the benefits of membership with CPAC. David is working with board members through 2022 to engage in activities driving public relations and membership. We welcome David to this active role for CPAC. 

Here are some important and exciting things in store for CPAC members to look forward to and take action on: 

• Board Nomination Email - Volunteer for an open board position by dedicating 10 hours or more per month to CPAC administration 

• Board Voting Poll - An online poll of board position nominations and other organizational business you will definitely want to voice your support for as a voting member 

• Fall Newsletter - An email newsletter to CPAC contacts for organizational updates and information 

• Membership Renewal Notices - Members will receive automated notifications from our membership management system so be sure you renew within the deadline period to avoid losing access to member benefits including your website login, access to past presentations, membership card, and more 

• Annual Report - The annual report will be documented by the board and circulated to members so that you may review the activities for 2021 

• Guidance - Thinking selfishly about what you need CPAC to do for you, in terms of training or other resources and notifying a board member 

It is now time to nominate and elect your 2022 Board of Directors. Nominations can be made by sending an email to Chairman@cpaccarolinas.org. Be sure to include your name, business name, and attach your resume. Also identify your preferred and secondary board position you would like to volunteer for in 2022. Members have received an email notice for nominations that are due to be returned via email reply by 11/21/2021. Non-members will then receive notice on 11/22/2022 to fill any positions still remaining vacant. Board volunteers receive the benefit of additional CEUs for certification maintenance. Become a board volunteer today as there are several positions open for the 2022 board term that must be filled in order to keep the CPAC organization viable. 

Some additional and important changes will be happening as we move into 2022. The board will need help on subcommittees moving forward so keep that in mind and look for a notice coming your way in the new year. The organizational By-Laws are due to be updated and the newest version will be submitted to members for a vote.  There is now a non-profit requirement to file an Annual Report with the Secretary of State of North Carolina. Probably of most interest to all supporters, you will begin to see more CPAC activities take place electronically/virtually and may include more polls/votes to contribute to organizational activities. This includes maintaining virtual meetings into early 2022 as we continue to evaluate your interest in returning to "in person" events. The board is always open to your ideas and input to help improve the value of CPAC to our members so feel free to connect with or email any of our board members. 

CPAC has experienced challenges in membership enrollment and active participation for several years now and needs your help. Without members contributing to the organization, the viability of continuing services to the professional community is challenged and could result in the divestiture of our non-profit organization. It is critical that nominations be made this year into every open board position. Volunteers are needed to help us fulfill organizational tasks and execute on our programs and our mission to provide value to our members.  

Be on the lookout for an announcement  about a member referral program potentially providing you a reduced membership fee. As mentioned above, join now as a member to avoid missing out on information and events that become fee based. Share your professional experience by volunteering for announced subcommittees when participation is called. Expand your support by volunteering for a Board of Directors open vacancy in 2022. Most of all, enjoy the professional networking and experience of those that support CPAC.    

The 2021 year has been successful and extremely busy. Virtual work environments have provided challenges and ingenious solutions to proceed through the Information Age. Exciting events such as Event 201, Cyber Polygon, weather safety campaigns, National Preparedness and Cybersecurity months, and a host of other activities provided excellent professional opportunities. Trade conferences from DRJ continued virtually, though other conferences gave way to environmental challenges this year. CPAC meetings and networking events further enriched our professional experiences.  The Board of Directors thanks you for your support in 2021 and we look forward to an active and exciting year for CPAC in 2022. 

Thank You,

Chris Servia

CPAC Board Chairman

P. O. Box 34387

Charlotte, NC. 28234

www.CPACCarolinas.org

     

Hello Valued CPAC Members and Supporters!

I hope you are doing well, staying safe, and enjoying this fall.

The CPAC board appreciates your interest and participation in the latest survey, and I want to share with you the overall results and recommendations:

• Regular CPAC Member Meetings to remain quarterly.

• Format to remain the same, typically including two presentations on different topics and a networking break. Timing to remain the same 1:00pm -4:00pm with socializing afterward.

• There is a majority interest in returning to in-person events with a hybrid on-line option, when possible, for Member Meetings and the Annual Symposium. 

• The top suggestions as to how CPAC can best provide quality programs and services are:

• There is also an interest in CPAC holding Meet-ups between the Member Meetings in order to increase engagement and remain professionally and personally connected.

We are clearly still going through changes in terms of the pandemic and your health and safety are the priority as we move forward with planning programs and events for the remainder of 2021.

We would very much like to hear your thoughts, input, feedback, recommendations, and ideas for making CPAC even more valuable for you. 

We invite you to become involved as a volunteer in whatever capacity you may be interested in and that will help us move forward and grow in our impact. Are you interested in becoming a board member? Please contact us at PublicRelations@cpaccarolinas.org or through the website at www.cpaccarolinas.org.

We are eager to hear from you!

Thank you again for your involvement and support for CPAC.

All the best,

Dianne

Dianne Chase

CPAC VP Public Relations

PublicRelations@cpaccarolinas.org

dianne@chasemedia.us

On Thursday, November 4, 2021, the Board of Directors released the following open letter to CPAC members from Past CPAC Chairman, David Shimberg, CBCP, MBCI. As the organization proceeds into a new calendar year it is important to further outreach to our non-member contacts in order to transition into a into our next fiscal year.

Greetings, valued CPAC Member!

We hope you are doing well as we move through the final months of 2021.

We’re contacting you to thank you for your ongoing membership in CPAC, share an update of where we are as we wrap up the year, and to ask for your input and support as an important CPAC member.

Simply put, we are at a turning point for our association.  Decreases in member participation, support, directional guidance, and willingness to assume leadership roles over past years puts CPAC’s ability to meet your needs at risk.  

What can you as a CPAC member do?

• ·         Re-examine how CPAC can help you and your organization in terms of best practices, training, mutual assistance from other CPAC members
• ·         Reach out to CPAC Board Members and tell us what programs, training, and services you and your organization need from CPAC.
• ·         Determine how you and/or your organization can best, actively support CPAC (provide direction, present programs, serve in leadership roles, provide sponsorship)
• ·         Join a CPAC Corporate Leader Committee, helping set CPAC’s direction, better meeting the organizational needs of the corporate members.
• ·         Host or Sponsor a CPAC meeting or event, i.e., certification training, testing, special programs

Finally, a reminder that we value you and your support for CPAC.  Professional associations like CPAC are the most cost-effective way for professionals, whether new to the profession or seasoned practitioners, to build and maintain the best BC/DR skills and programs possible.

Please be assured that we remain confident and optimistic about the possibilities to provide even greater value and engagement for our association! Be on the lookout for a letter announcing our Open Call for board of directors nominations, along with volunteer opportunities.

Let’s work together for a bright future for our CPAC!

We look forward to hearing from you.

Many thanks,

The CPAC Board of Directors

David A. Shimberg, CBCP, MBCI

Past CPAC Board Chairman

BC Management's Evolving Resiliency Strategies Study is now live!

2021 has been a year of unprecedented change for many organizations. So we want to hear from you: How have your business continuity and resiliency strategies evolved during the past 12 months?

Please complete this quick 10-minute study. All participants will receive a complimentary report on the survey findings in addition to a BCM Peer Benchmarking Dashboard - customized by industry or organizational annual gross revenues. Your response is completely confidential.

Participate in the study by November 15th to be entered into a raffle for a chance to win 1 of 2 $100 Amazon gift cards!

Thank you,

The Castellan Team


Castellan | Now you're ready.™

Castellan launches operational resilience capabilities with new platform. Learn More

An OnSolve on-demand vendor webinar is available to members through the "Member Resources" page. Log in now to view "Optimize the Use of Your Mass Notification System During Hurricane Season".