The Education Committee plays a key role in ensuring that DRI’s courses remain accurate, current, and engaging. The committee is responsible for reviewing and updating training materials so that they reflect industry best practices, align with DRI standards, and incorporate relevant examples and case studies. In addition to supporting course content, the committee contributes to marketing efforts by providing feedback on messaging, sharing professional insights, and highlighting emerging topics that strengthen DRI’s visibility and reach. Through this combined focus on content and marketing, the Education Committee helps maintain the high quality of DRI’s educational programs while expanding their impact within the global resilience community.

Heather Simmons, PhD, ABCP – Committee Chair

Heather is a Risk Manager and AI Governance & Compliance Leader within Teleion’s Security, Risk & Compliance Practice, where she also supports a range of business continuity initiatives. She joined Teleion in February 2022, beginning her tenure as a technical policy writer and editor for Microsoft’s Office of Responsible AI. In her current role, Simmons supports Microsoft’s SRC by identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks and supporting business continuity program elements to ensure the continuity of global supply chain operations.

A key contributor to the development of Teleion’s AI Governance and Compliance practice, Simmons recently led the creation of a comprehensive AI Governance Policy for a late-stage private SaaS company. She also designed and delivered an online course on AI Governance Policy writing, helping bridge the gap between policy development and implementation.

Before joining Teleion, Simmons worked in Environmental Health and Safety at Iowa State University. There, she collaborated with Risk Management, Legal, and Human Resources to lead the university’s incident investigation and prevention program. She was instrumental in designing and implementing the university’s incident portal, including data collection, analysis, and reporting functionality. Over a span of seven years, Simmons developed and delivered multiple safety trainings—two online, three in-person, and one hybrid—and provided monthly safety instruction to students, faculty, and staff. Previous to this role Simmons was a DNA laboratory manager where she managed multiple PhD, masters and undergraduate students and their associated projects.

Simmons brings deep academic and instructional experience to her work. She has served as a teaching assistant or lab instructor for eight college-level courses and as a guest lecturer for four. Her original research has been presented at numerous conferences and scholarly events.

She is a Certified AI Governance Professional, Certified Safety Professional, and Associate Business Continuity Professional. She holds a PhD in Biology from Penn State and a master’s degree in finance from Iowa State University.

Sierra Minnich, Co-Chair

Sierra Minnich is the Education Program Coordinator for Quality and Delivery at DRI International. She supports the development and maintenance of DRI’s education programs and works closely with instructors to ensure high-quality course delivery and consistency across training. Before joining DRI, Minnich was a special education teacher dedicated to creating inclusive, engaging learning environments for diverse learners. She holds a degree in Education and is a certified Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP). Minnich brings a strong background in instructional design, curriculum development, and program coordination to her work in professional education and certification.

Christian Brown, CBCP, CRMP

Christian Brown is a distinguished physical security and crisis management professional with over a decade of experience in global security operations, emergency management, and law enforcement. Currently serving as a physical security industry specialist at Amazon Web Services/Protective Services, he leads critical security assessments and implementations across Amazon’s global infrastructure. As a Certified Risk Management Professional (CRMP) and Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP), Brown specializes in developing comprehensive security strategies and managing high-stakes critical incidents. His expertise includes physical security assessment, crisis management, and strategic risk mitigation. Christian previously managed Amazon’s Global Security Operations Center (GSOC) as a Critical Incident Manager and Security Operations Manager, where he coordinated responses to worldwide security threats and collaborated with senior leadership on strategic security initiatives. He previously served as Vice President of the Fraternal Order of Police – Lodge #29 and is looking forward to serving as an Education Committee Board Member for DRI International, demonstrating his ongoing commitment to advancing industry standards and professional development.

Philip Grieser, MBCP, CISSP, CISM, CISA

Martin Gonzalez, MBCP

Martin Gonzalez is a Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) and ISO 22301 Lead Auditor with over 15 years of experience across the business continuity, risk management, IT, logistics, and healthcare industries. Currently part of the Burns & McDonnell business resiliency management team, Gonzalez brings deep expertise in developing and implementing strategies that enhance organizational resilience and operational readiness. Previously, he served as global business continuity director, where he led the establishment of enterprise-wide risk management processes and procedures designed to prevent the interruption of critical services. Gonzalez has also played a key role in supporting corporate crisis management teams, providing strategic oversight and coordination during complex events.

Purple Kumai, MBCP, ACRP

Purple Kumai, MBCP, ACRP, has over a decade of experience in business continuity, and won the DRI2017 Newcomer of the Year award. After 23 years in telecommunications, she became the Corporate Continuity Advisor at FortisAlberta, an energy distributor in Alberta, Canada. Kumai is passionate about making continuity approachable, relatable and relevant, and is thrilled to be part of the DRI Education Committee.

Dan Lipps, MBCP, CPSCP

Dan Lipps is the Founder and CEO of Vision Continuity, a Virginia based service-disabled veteran owned small business (SDVOSB), specializing in continuity of operations, risk management, and mission assurance for defense and public sector clients. He brings over 15 years of experience developing and leading compliant continuity programs across the Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. federal government, with a focus on aligning mission-essential function performance to organizational readiness and operational durability.

Lipps currently serves as the lead business continuity advisor to NATO Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (SACT), where he supports enterprise-level BC program development, business impact analysis, and continuity strategy development. His former roles include Continuity Program Manager and Information System Contingency Plan Coordinator for Military Sealift Command (MSC), the leading provider of ocean transportation for the U.S. Navy and DoD.

Lipps holds certifications as a Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP) and Certified Public Sector Continuity Professional (CPSCP) from Disaster Recovery Institute (DRI) International.

Lipps is actively involved in the resilience community. He serves as Secretary of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Association of Continuity Professionals (ACP), is a member of Infragard’s Norfolk, VA Chapter, and volunteers with the City of Chesapeake, VA Community Emergency Response Team (CERT).  Outside of the continuity world, he and his wife are franchise owners, operating a network of boutique Pilates studios across Southeastern Virginia together with their business partners. His passions are centered around his faith, traveling, and spending quality time with his wife and two daughters.

Sabeen Shamsi, MBCP

Sabeen Shamsi is a seasoned crisis management, risk, and business continuity professional with over a decade of diverse industry experience across government, consulting, finance, aerospace, and technology sectors. She currently serves as Senior Corporate Business Continuity Manager for Amazon’s Project Kuiper, where she drives enterprise-wide continuity strategies, resilience planning, and crisis readiness for global operations.

Previously, Shamsi led business resilience initiatives at Blue Origin, acting as enterprise crisis manager and partnering with NASA and the U.S. Space Force on emergency preparedness. Her career also includes leadership roles at William Blair, Deloitte, Integrated Solutions Consulting, Hagerty Consulting, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Across these positions, she has built and executed continuity and emergency management programs, managed large-scale disaster recovery efforts, and coordinated multi-stakeholder responses to high-stakes incidents ranging from COVID-19 to space launches.

Shamsi holds a Master of Science in Threat and Response Management from the University of Chicago and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and International Film and Media Studies from Loyola University. Shamsi is a certified Master Business Continuity Professional (MBCP). With proven expertise in resilience, preparedness, and crisis leadership, she is dedicated to ensuring organizations can withstand disruptions while prioritizing people, safety, and operational stability.