Since founding the Institute as a grassroots community resiliency project in 2011 after the tragic loss of young lives, Mollie has been pioneering community-based preparedness, response, and resilience building. Her contributions to the field include hosting the Resiliency Matters TV show and developing evidence-based frameworks, including the THRIVE Resilience Model™. Mollie integrates her unique experiences as a psychologist, resilience researcher, lawyer, and entrepreneur to equip people to build individual and collective resilience.

April Smith, JD, Board Chair, San Antonio TX As the Managing Attorney for a State of Texas child support office, April supervises a team of attorneys committed to enhancing the lives of families by ensuring that children receive financial assistance from their parents. A longstanding entrepreneur dedicated to community service, she has a special interest in educational programming that makes learning fun.

An educator, chaplain, and philanthropic leader who believes that mutual relationships inspire positive transformation, Liz works as an independent consultant building capacity to face uncertainty and complexities. She served for 15 years as the executive director of a private operating foundation that used a strengths-based approach to support children and families within disadvantaged communities.

A generative community builder, Chuck spent 19 years as CEO of The Gazette Company, a Cedar Rapids, Iowa media company that operated The Gazette newspaper and KCRG–TV9, an ABC affiliate. He serves as chair of the Board of Folience, a holding company with a diverse set of wholly owned businesses that actively invests in developing cultures which allow people to grow as they grow value.

Owner of a digital consulting firm and an award-winning instructor at the University of Wisconsin Madison, Don teaches design, social media, and digital marketing courses for the Department of Life Sciences Communication. He has a keen interest in applied digital marketing strategies and how emerging technologies impact how people seek out and consume information.