If you've clicked on this 'About Me' page, you're probably wondering "Why should I listen to this guy and read or follow his blogs?" The answer is in two words: "background" and "experience". You see, I am a semi-retired Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP) living in Minnesota.
Experience
I previously was a 10 year member of the Minnesota Business Continuity Planners Association and served on their Board of Directors for 5 years. My work history includes working as a manager of one of UnitedHealth Group's key corporate program, the Enterprise Resiliency and Response Exercise Program, where I led a team of professionals that created exercise scenarios based on a wide variety of potential disasters. These tests were conducted annually on 200 corporate business continuity plans involving hundreds of the corporation's wide range of business operations. It was at UHG where I got the nickname "The Master of Disasters" when a VP commented on the challenges of one of my customized disaster scenarios that his business unit was involved with.
In addition I was the Client Services Manager for a software company that specialized in emergency notification systems that included an online crisis management platform. This position enabled me to work hand in hand with some of the most prestigious companies in the United States including: Federal Express, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Target, Best Buy, Gap, Wells Fargo, Intel, Oracle, and a half dozen airline companies including Alaska, Horizon, Hawaiian and Allegiant Airlines.
Accolades
I have received a letter of recognition from the Governor of Florida for assisting the Florida Emergency Management Service in 'Operation Haiti Relief' which involved managing the influx of survivors from the 2010 Haiti earthquake into the U.S. During the 2008 Democratic National Convention I was a consultant involved in preparing government agencies and Denver-based businesses for any type of man-made disaster. As a former adviser to the Twin Cities Metro Hospital Compact, a conglomerate of 17 hospitals, plus a variety of government health organizations I was involved in the planning, preparation and simulation of pandemic flu in the metro region. In addition, I have also been a consultant, adviser and exercise participant during an NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) simulation of their nuclear disaster exercise for Xcel Energy's Nuclear division (formerly Nuclear Management Services). Lastly, Also, I was asked to consult, prepare and create a method for notifying thousands of Kentucky citizens in the path of a potential breach of the Wolf Creek Dam.
"For his contributions in creating a crisis communication process during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti (Operation Haiti Relief), we award a certificate of recognition to Craig Sobolik for his selfless service during the evacuation incident."
Mike DeLorenzo
Chief/Florida State Emergency Response
"During the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, Craig ran point on communicating to all parties (police, emergency responders and hospitals) for identifying survivors and documenting the non-survivors. His contributions simplified the entire recovery process involved with this disaster."
Mary Burfeind
Coordinator, Metro Hospital Compact
"Craig provided alert preparedness training to federal, state and local authorities to ready the entire Denver area for potential threats and incidents during the 2008 Democratic National Convention."
Pamela Pfiefer
Executive Director, Colorado Emergency Preparedness Partnership (CEPP)
My New Mission in Life is to help You Protect Your Family!
My background and real-world experience has provided me a lifetime of ideas, concepts and planning about preparing businesses and corporations. My desire and new goal in life is to translate my knowledge into tools, concepts and plans so that you can better protect your most important assets: your family, your home and your personal assets. The solutions on this website (particularly the tiny courses I've created for you) are inexpensive, will take very little of your time and most importantly, will better protect you and your family. I hope you enjoy and use the tools in this website and benefit from the information in my blogs. I can't overstate the Cub Scouts of America's simple, but perfect motto, "Be Prepared!"