Black Swan Advisory Council

Redefining Crisis Management with Experience and Expertise

Hospitality, Education, Transportation & More

Black Swan Solutions by Empathia has partnered with leading industry professionals to revolutionize global crisis management. Together, this think-tank advisory team will meet on a quarterly basis to perfect existing service offerings, develop future crisis response strategies and navigate industry trends and rising issues. With decades of experience in a range of industries, this hand-selected team has been chosen for their personal and professional expertise. Their experiences and insights will help shape, refine and expand Empathia’s large-scale crisis management services to assist those affected by tragedy.

Meet the Black Swan Advisory Council Team

Gregory Crick

Council Member
Gregory Crick

Council Member

Greg has spent over 40 years in the hospitality and cruise line industries. In his most recent position as the Director of Family Assistance and Support Services for Holland America Group, Greg developed and oversaw the family assistance/care team. During his career, he responded to several large-scale emergencies and mass casualty events.

older white man in a suit with a smile and white hair

Bob VandePol

Council Member
older white man in a suit with a smile and white hair
Bob VandePol

Council Member

Bob has over 36 years of experience in the crisis management industry. During his career, he was President of a prestigious critical response network company, helping lead it from a startup to the world’s largest provider of Critical Incident Response services to the workplace. He’s active as a keynote speaker and has published in journals on workplace response to tragedy.

bald white man with glasses

Ken Jenkins

Council Member
bald white man with glasses
Ken Jenkins

Council Member

Ken has over 27 years in the aviation industry, spending the last 8 as a consultant. He has authored books and hosts a podcast show, “The Black Box.” He has responded to emergencies ranging from the 9/11 terrorist attacks to severe turbulence encounters. Ken has personally assisted air crash survivors and victims’ family members, directed large corporate response teams, led multiple Go-Team deployments, set up and led both headquarters-based and on-site command centers, and coordinated with call centers answering inquiries through a publicized toll-free number.

blonde middle aged white woman

Jennifer Stansberry Miller

Council Member
blonde middle aged white woman
Jennifer Stansberry Miller

Council Member

Jen has over 25 years in the crisis response/family assistance industry. As a family member of an aviation disaster victim, she blends her personal and professional expertise to protect the human element in emergency preparedness. She advocated for the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996 and has provided education and technical assistance to federal, international, and state agencies, air carriers and emergency response personnel on the significance of family assistance. She has also co-authored two research projects surrounding aviation disaster family assistance.

hispanic man with glasses

George Nuñez

Council Member
hispanic man with glasses
George Nuñez

Council Member

George Nuñez is an emergency management practitioner with over 20 years of experience in higher education. He is the director of the Office of Emergency Management with the Department of Public Safety at Baylor University. George is a founding member and presently serves as National Chair of the Universities and Colleges Caucus (UCC) with the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).

Michelle Colosimo

Michelle Colosimo

Executive Director, Critical Support Services
Michelle Colosimo
Michelle Colosimo

Executive Director, Critical Support Services

Michelle joined Empathia in 2003. As Executive Director, Critical Support Services, Michelle is responsible for ensuring Empathia provides high-quality, high-value support services following critical events that impact people and organizations. In addition, her focus is on strategy development, providing operational oversight and collaborating with teams throughout the organization to achieve optimal growth. Michelle has over 15 years experience consulting with organizations in response to critical events, assisting with coordinating and facilitating crisis response services following a traumatic event or disaster and working to develop and refine smart technology to support organizations with a crisis response. She has a Master’s in Social Work and is a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP).

Brian Summers, Chief Growth Officer at Empathia

Brian Summers

Chief Growth Officer
Brian Summers, Chief Growth Officer at Empathia
Brian Summers

Chief Growth Officer

Brian joined Empathia in 2020 and brings over 25 years of proven sales, strategy and leadership experience. As Chief Growth Officer, he is responsible for driving strategic and operational initiatives to accelerate the organization’s growth and innovation. He holds a Masters in Business Administration (MBA).

Rick Hoaglund

Director, Crisis Management Services
Rick Hoaglund

Director, Crisis Management Services

Rick joined Empathia in 2019. With 30+ years of safety and crisis management experience, he serves as Director, Crisis Management Services.  He has a proven track record of cost savings and increased employee safety through his facilitation of safety and compliance initiatives. Rick has responded to several emergency and mass casualty incidents. Additionally, he holds a Masters in Aviation Science/Safety and a FEMA Professional Certification.

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Improving Crisis Management For Industries Around the Globe