Firsthand Knowledge from an Experienced Crisis Leader
Inspire Your Audience with Insightful Perspectives and Practical Leadership Guidance.
Bring a world-renowned disaster responder and bestselling author to your next event.
As a former national spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA, keynote speaker, and seasoned media interviewee, Ed Conley is often called upon to provide context on the emergency management profession and discuss disasters and the crisis leadership journey. He has shared his insights with audiences across the globe.
Ed focuses on principle-based leadership. He encourages development of core values and helps translate ideas into practices, while also providing his audiences with innovative and actionable disaster management strategies, tactics, and lessons.
Ed is known for his story-based, fireside chat presentation style. He openly shares his own disaster leadership adventures (and misadventures) with engaging candor and colorful analysis.
“People like Ed Conley are the heart of emergency management. I've worked with him many times over the years, in some very tough circumstances. Ed Conley is among the absolute best at what he does.”
— James Lee Witt, FEMA director, 1993-2001
Tailored Presentations:
While his topics cover a wide range of crisis leadership and disaster management themes, Ed's best-selling book, Promote the Dog Sitter: And Other Principles for Leading During Disasters, often serves as a foundational framework for many of his talks.
Unique Approach and Expertise:
Ed's presentations stem from his hands-on experience as a practitioner. He challenges conventional thinking and bridges the gap between theory and real-world application. Ed's crisis leadership philosophy centers on developing core principles, trusting gut instincts, drawing from history, nurturing independent thinking, and building collaborative teams.
“Thank you so much for closing out the Jeremy Bullock Safe Schools Summit. The group especially learned a lot about resilience in the face of tragedy. Your message was exactly what we were looking for before sending everyone home.”
— Brenda Carney, Executive Director Jeremy Bullock Safe Schools Summit
Universal Principles:
While Ed concentrates on interacting with the emerging generation of crisis leaders, his principles and stories transcend all industries, making his presentations relevant to emergency management professionals, community organizations, business gatherings, and the classroom.
Flexible Formats:
Choose from keynotes, workshops, seminars, group chats and more. Ed offers diverse speaking formats to suit your event.
Book Ed for an event. Sign up for insider anecdotes and transformative perspectives that’ll leave your audience inspired to excel during a crisis.
“Ed can teach, as he was leading all his life in disasters all over. A true leader in emergencies as he lived them all.”
Here are some of Ed’s Speaking Engagements:
Iowa Homeland Security Conference
New Zealand’s Emergency Communications Conference
Center for Homeland Defense and Security/Naval Postgraduate School
Norway’s Nordic Crisis Communication Conference
NATO
Republic of Georgia, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Management Agency
York University (Canada)
United Kingdom Emergency Planning Society
Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Emergency Situations
Jeremy Bullock Safe Schools Summit
American Red Cross
Pacific Executive Leaders Program
Theory -N2 - Practice Leadership Summit Series
Emergency Management Leadership Summit
Ask about special event rates to receive discounted copies of Ed’s book “Promote the Dog Sitter: And Other Principles for Leading During Disasters.”
“So grateful to Ed Conley for sharing his time and valuable insights today with Emergency Planning Society The EPS. There is a lot to learn from his time in FEMA that he covers in his book. Thanks, Ed”
-Amanda Coleman, Crisis Communication Consultant based in Manchester, England and Author of Crisis Communication Strategies and Everyday Communication Strategies
Speaking Request
COACHING
Transform Your Leadership Skills With Guided Mentorship
“You’ll learn why leaders succeed, how they did it, and how you can too.”
Ed Conley advises governments, non-profit organizations, and the private sector on disaster response and crisis management.
Working primarily with individuals and small groups, Ed teaches decision-making processes, tools, and strategies to enable decisive action during an emergency.
Ed's coaching style is personable and customized for each client. He asks questions, listens, and provides helpful products and thoughtful feedback while prioritizing his clients' well-being and the communities they serve.
In addition to fee-based coaching services, Ed offers free one-on-one coaching and mentoring sessions for students and emerging leaders (and aspiring authors) whenever he can. He puts building positive, long-term relationships above collecting billable hours. Don’t hesitate to reach out and start a conversation.
With Ed, you not only have a dedicated coach but you also gain access to his extensive international network of crisis experts, emergency responders, and industry thought leaders, authors, and influencers.
What’s Said About Ed
“I spent much of my career as a member of one of FEMA’s national response teams. When I started in the business, higher education courses in emergency management were few and far between. Outside of FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, most learning and study happened on the job. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and learn from someone with one of the greatest approaches to emergency management leadership I have ever encountered - Ed Conley. I quickly saw that his principled practices were the most successful in the field.”
–Leslie Lillard
"People like Ed Conley are the heart of emergency management. I've worked with him many times over the years, in some very tough circumstances. Ed Conley is among the absolute best at what he does, and he cares deeply about helping others."
—James Lee Witt, FEMA director, 1993-2001
"I worked with Ed Conley on responses to the Columbine school shooting, Hurricane Katrina, the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and dozens of other US disasters. In the rubble of destroyed buildings, wading through flooded streets, and in the ashes of wildfires, I saw his approach to crisis response. Ed lived his ideals in every situation, and I was blessed to see it firsthand. His fearless honesty, indomitable optimism, and empathy make him a beacon in times of crisis. Throughout my career, I've shamelessly borrowed, stole, and copied Ed's approaches and strategies as best I could.
—Jim Chesnutt, President and CEO, ClarBright LLC
I'm proud to have worked side-by-side with Ed in so many challenging and heartbreaking circumstances over the years. Quite simply, there was never a time when Ed didn't leave a place better and more hopeful than when he got there.”
—Brett Hansard, Manager of Risk and Crisis Communication, Argonne National Laboratory
Also, from Amazon reviews…
I met Ed in 1996 when he hired me to join his team at FEMA as a photographer and field information officer. Ed is a joy to work with and a brilliant team leader. His ability to bring out the best in people and to rally the team is just amazing. I have learned so much from him over the years. When I was working a disaster and confronted with an issue, I would always say to myself “Just do what Ed trained you to do” and I did that.
Conley is a brilliant public affairs strategist who has worked on virtually every major disaster in the United States over the past 30 years. One of the things that distinguished his career was the ability to see the bigger picture, even in the confusion of the first days of a crisis. One of the things that distinguished his leadership was the ability to see people’s potential more clearly than they saw it themselves.
(Ed) distills some of the wisdom gained from deployments into areas devastated by extreme weather, terrorist action, and earthquakes. He talks about behaviors that work and behaviors that do not work and recommends a very customer-focused response - listen to the community and their leaders, try to deliver what they want, try not to over promise, try to keep your word. He stresses coordination over control, coupled with flexibility of approach and opportunism.