Mark Benthien is Director of Communication, Education and Outreach at the Southern California Earthquake Center headquartered at the University of Southern California. He is also the Global Coordinator of the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills, and Executive Director of the Earthquake Country Alliance. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geophysics from UCLA in 1995 and a Master of Public Policy degree from USC in 2003. Well “grounded” in the science of earthquakes, he is a passionate and visionary leader and was recognized in 2012 by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for advancing the causes of earthquake and tsunami education and safety, and in particular for expanding the annual ShakeOut earthquake drill (that began in Southern California in 2008) across the United States and around the world.

Margaret Vinci is Manager of the Office of Earthquake Programs for Caltech and the liaison between scientists and leaders in business, government, media and emergency response. She helps them to assess potential risks to life and property due to earthquakes and presents on the use of earthquake tools that can be used to help reduce losses. She is active in the Business and Industry Council for Emergency Preparedness, leads Map Your Neighborhood trainings in Pasadena, and is one of three Coordinators for Earthquake Country Alliance Southern California. It is her personal agenda to help make California earthquake and tsunami resilient.

 

Ines Peace is Chief Executive of Pearce Global Partners, Inc. Pearce Global Partners is a premier firm providing government, businesses, and communities with comprehensive planning, training, and education to help reduce the potential for devastating loss of life and property resulting from natural and human-caused disasters. She is also President of the Board of Directors for (CREW) Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup, and President of Disaster Resistant Business (DRB) Toolkit Workgroup. She previously served as Seattle Project Impact Director in the City of Seattle Office of Emergency Management from 1998- 2006, and prior to that served over five years as the Emergency Management and Security Manager for SAFECO. Among many achievements, honors and awards, the USGS honored her with the Eugene M. Shoemaker Award in 2009 for Communication Excellence.

Lance is a 20-year member of Toastmasters International and former Director of the Toastmasters district which includes more than 100 clubs in Los Angeles, and a member of the District’s Speakers Bureau. He is also a 13 year volunteer for ECA and The Great ShakeOut, and Co Chair of the ECA Speakers & Events Bureau, a lecturer in public relations, public speaker and media relations at UCLA, Cal State Northridge, and Pepperdine business schools.

 

For over 15 years, Dr. Shackeroff has served as Medical Director for his local CERT, teaching triage and first aid, serving on its organizational board, and conducting drills. He joined Caltech’s Earthquake Research Associates in 2003, and has been a ShakeOut supporter since participating in the first Great ShakeOut drill in 2008. He has worked with local schools in his community to promote earthquake and tsunami safety and to organize parent and student training groups. In 2014 he advocated for and helped to organize a successful community education event at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach concerning tsunami preparedness. Since his retirement from a private OB/GYN practice and position as Chairman of OB/GYN at Los Alamitos Medical Center, he has also consulted for various non-profits, including the “Know the Glow” project which raises public awareness of preventable childhood blindness conditions.