Emergency Response Coordination by GEM and Partners
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) will host the 2026 Hurricane Preparedness Press Conference and Summit
DORAL – As communities across Florida and the Caribbean prepare for another potentially dangerous hurricane season, Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) will host a major Hurricane Preparedness Summit June 1st, 2026 from 11:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST bringing together elected officials, emergency management leaders, international consular representatives, utility providers, and humanitarian organizations to discuss coordinated disaster readiness, response logistics, and recovery planning throughout the region.
The event will feature remarks from Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, representatives from the Caribbean Consular Corps, Florida Power & Light, Royal Caribbean Group Foundation, Farm Share, Good360, and multiple disaster response agencies working across the United States and Caribbean basin.
With climate experts continuing to warn about increasingly rapid storm intensification fueled by unusually warm Atlantic and Gulf waters, the summit will focus on proactive preparedness, intergovernmental coordination, infrastructure resilience, and public safety education ahead of peak hurricane season.
“Preparedness is not seasonal anymore. It’s constant,” said Michael Capponi, President and CEO of GEM. “This summit is about aligning leaders before disaster strikes so communities can respond faster, recover smarter, and save more lives when emergencies occur.”
The summit will include discussions surrounding hurricane preparedness strategies, emergency response coordination, public safety guidance, infrastructure readiness, and long-term recovery support.
Key Speakers
- Michael Capponi – President & Founder, GEM
- Daniella Levine Cava, Mayor, Miami-Dade County
- Marlon Hill, Founding Member, Caribbean Strong
- The Honorable Dr. R. Oliver Mair, Consul General of Jamaica
- Caribbean Consular Corps Miami (CCC), representing Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and Trinidad & Tobago
Guests and Speakers from the CCC
- Dr. R Oliver Mair, Consul General of Jamaica & Dean of the Caribbean Consular Corps
- Kerry Frank, Deputy Consul General of Grenada
- Janine Sylvestre, Honorary Consul of Belize in Florida
- Gilbert Boustany, Consul General of Antigua & Barbuda
- Bruce Lai, Consul General of Trinidad and Tobago
Featured speakers and participating organizations
- Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava
- Doral Mayor Christi Fraga
- Florida Power & Light Company External Affairs Manager Chelsea Lunn
- Royal Caribbean Group Foundation Head of Corporate Affairs Erica Gordon
- Farm Share CEO Stephen Shelley
- Good360 Senior Vice President of Impact Programs Carrie Conway
- Elizabeth Riley, Executive Director of the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA)
A major focus of the summit will center on international collaboration through the Caribbean Consular Corps, whose representatives continue to play a critical role in regional emergency coordination and humanitarian response efforts throughout hurricane season.
During the event, Florida Power & Light representatives are expected to discuss storm preparedness resources, outage recovery operations, disaster response technology, and the company’s evolving hurricane readiness strategy, including expanded damage assessment capabilities and public safety tools available through the FPL mobile app.
The summit will conclude with networking opportunities among nonprofit organizations, emergency response agencies, community leaders, and long-term recovery groups focused on strengthening disaster resilience efforts across vulnerable communities.
