After the August 11 derecho left thousands of Northwest Indiana residents without power for days and, in some cases, weeks, the crisis became about more than restoration timelines. In this piece, Herd Strategies Account Executive Kierra Santillan examines NIPSCO’s response and the broader PR lesson behind it: how an organization shows up for people during a crisis can matter just as much as how it explains what went wrong.

Doneisha Posey has built her career at the intersection of law, leadership and organizational change. As Founder and CEO of Ascentra Strategies, she helps businesses, nonprofits, educational institutions and government agencies strengthen their operations while addressing the barriers that can limit access, opportunity and long-term growth.

As Senior Director of Strategic Alliance for the Indianapolis Airport Authority, Holli Harrington oversees federal compliance programs and leads efforts that connect businesses and workers to economic and workforce development opportunities throughout the airport ecosystem. Her work helps shape an environment where employees, passengers, visitors and vendors feel welcomed, valued and supported.