Sue Warner-Bean
Biography
An emergency preparedness and response professional, Sue has developed and refined emergency response programs, delivered training, and facilitated exercises for U.S. and international clients for more than 25 years. Clients include air operators, airports, rail companies, local government, and non-governmental organizations. Her primary focus is on preparing organizations to effectively address the needs of families and survivors after a disaster; response experience includes leadership roles in aviation and passenger rail accidents.
Sue has been an instructor in the USC Aviation Safety & Security program since 2006. She is also a Senior Instructor for the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Global Aviation Training course Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and Families, and is certified by ICAO GAT as a subject matter expert. Publications include the U.S. Transportation Research Board’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Research Report 171: Developing a Coordinated Local Family Assistance Program for Airports, for which she was Principal Investigator and co-author; the FAA-funded, peer-reviewed report includes a guidebook, tools, and training materials to support airports in family assistance program development.
A Principal and Crisis Response Strategist with NavAid Crisis Consulting Group, Sue began consulting after a successful 20-year career with Seattle-based Alaska Air Group, where she was the company’s first Emergency Response Director. In that capacity she co-led the response to the flight 261 accident and guided development of all emergency response procedures and training, including recruitment and training of over 800 employee volunteers for the company’s CARE humanitarian team. Before being tapped to create the Emergency Response department, Sue held management roles in Customer Relations and Public Affairs.
Sue is a Seattle native and graduate of the University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies. Volunteer activities include board service for PeaceTrees Vietnam, a non-governmental organization that sponsors the safe clearance of unexploded bombs and mines, provides mine risk education and accident survivor assistance, and supports education and economic development in partnership with the people of Quang Tri Province, Vietnam.