Ms. Natalie Graver is an experienced management professional who has worked with national, regional, state, local, and private-sector organizations in emergency management and homeland security. Ms. Graver is skilled in applying all-hazards guidance and processes analytically when executing or exercising operational tactics, plans, and strategies for the whole community.
As the Vice President of the National Capital Region and Delaware, Ms. Graver serves as the Delaware Statewide Exercise Contract Program Manager for the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA). She manages the planning, design, conduct, and evaluation for all DEMA exercises, including leading planning meetings, developing exercise materials, coordinating staffing for conduct and evaluation of exercises, and ensuring those project deadlines are met. Ms. Graver has supported the design and conduct of exercises addressing natural disasters and acts of terrorism. She has served as a primary exercise Designer, Controller, and Simulation Cell Coordinator in Operations-Based exercises. She has planned multiple exercises for DEMA involving DSCA, including Delaware Statewide Mass Care Sheltering Workshop, Complex Coordinated Terrorist Attack (CCTA) Tabletop Exercise, HazMat Emergency Response Tabletop Exercise, and 2018 Atlantic Fury National Level Exercise (NLE). Prior to working at the Olson Group, Ms. Graver worked under the Training and Exercise Coordinator at the Department of Public Safety Communication and Emergency Management (DPSCEM) in Arlington County, Virginia. While working at DPSCEM, Ms. Graver assisted in executing numerous discussion and operations-based exercises and real-world planning for partners across the National Capital Region, including Pentagon Force Protection Agency, Virginia National Guard, Parks Police, and Marine Corps Marathon. Moreover, Ms. Graver was instrumental in launching the “Until Help Arrives” training program throughout Arlington County, VA. “Until Help Arrives” is a training program that teaches citizens how to help until first responders arrive on the scene.
Ms. Graver has worked with both the private sector and local government stakeholders to conduct research, foster relationships, and develop community and jurisdictional planning research. Ms. Graver has in-depth knowledge of the National Incident Management System (NIMS), the Incident Command System (ICS), the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Public Health Preparedness Capabilities, FEMA’s Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, and other recognized standards and best practices in emergency management. She helped support the Arlington County, Virginia Public-Private Partnership initiative to engage the business community in continuity planning and assisted in developing and updating the Arlington County’s Family Assistance Center Plan, Emergency Operations Plan, THIRA. She also developed multiple Incident Action Plans during EOC activations, including serving as the EOC Manager for the COVID-19 Response.
Ms. Graver is a graduate of St. John’s University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and homeland security. Ms. Graver holds a Master’s certification in Emergency Management from George Mason University and has completed over 30 FEMA training courses addressing exercise design and evaluation, ICS, and NIMS. Ms. Graver is also an active member of Arlington County’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and serves as a course instructor for the Terrorism unit.