Rachel Porter

About Rachel Porter

I help leaders design resilience strategies that protect critical operations, support…

Experience

1. Emergency Manager, Transmission & Distribution

   Arizona Public Service - APS

   Jun 2020 — Present

   Lead the development and execution of the Transmission & Distribution (T&D) Resilience Strategy across Arizona’s electric grid- Direct business resilience and incident management programs for critical infrastructure operations, including wildfire and storm response, Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS), and grid security- Advise on T&D contributions to the enterprise risk catalog, aligning complex hazards with organizational risk posture, mitigation strategies, and capital planning- Oversee continuity planning across T&D business units, ensuring alignment with industry standards, IT/DR, and operational risk assessments- Spearhead planning and response strategies for supply chain disruptions, workforce constraints, and seasonal threats- Develop and implement mission-critical documents: Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Comprehensive Wildfire Mitigation Plan, Community Assistance & Coordination Plan, T&D ICC Meetings & Briefings Manual, PSPS Playbook, and others- Lead incident management and liaison efforts for high-profile events (e.g. Superbowl LVII, Elections, Presidential Visits, NASCAR Finals, Final Four)- Lead T&D incident management training and exercise program; plan and deliver GridEx and other enterprise-wide drills- Train over 450 incident response personnel; track KPIs to measure readiness and training effectiveness- Cultivate a growth mindset and culture of continuous learning by leading after-action reviews, tracking corrective actions, and translating lessons learned into plans, policies, and training.

Education

• National Disaster and Emergency Management University

  Emergency Management