About Us

We are a skilled group of health, safety, security, and education professionals who place a high value on family and community.  Our team has decades of experience in training, public health and safety, healthcare, security, law enforcement, infectious diseases—and for the past nine years, disaster readiness.

Defying Disaster™ principal Roz Potter, RN, MA, CIC, is an educator, disaster preparedness specialist, infection control expert, nurse, mother and grandmother with a comprehensive risk management, education, health, and safety background.

For over 30 years, Roz has worked to protect the public against health and safety threats.  In 2002, during her master’s studies, Roz’s focus turned to disaster preparedness.

In 2004, Roz began her affiliation with the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley, to provide expertise in disaster preparedness, bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and infection control for a CDC sponsored Disaster Preparedness Center.  Through 2008, she developed curricula, provided consultation and presented workshops and lectures to a variety of agencies and personnel, including medical directors, epidemiologists, nurses and administrators from public health agencies, hospitals, and the military.

In 2006, Roz undertook the creation and development of the Defying Disaster™ educational game series to establish a new, simulation-based method for teaching safety and preparedness to the public. The first Defying Disaster™ game, completed in late 2009, is patent pending. See The Game for more information. In 2010, Roz began providing classes, consulting, and in-home preparedness services to the public.

Roz is a former Rand Corporation researcher, co-author of a Rand study report, and CDC Expert Collaboration Group member. She has served as developer and manager of safety, employee health, infection control, and education programs, hospital epidemiologist, and subject matter expert for an educational publisher. She has lectured nationally on healthcare quality improvement and consulted for public and private sector clients.

An alumnus of U.C. Berkeley (BA with honors, Communications) and San Francisco State University (MA, Education), Roz received her nursing education and training at Napa Valley College and Sonoma State University. She has held national certification in infection Control and Epidemiology since 1997, and registered nursing licensure since 1974. Roz has earned both an award and commendation for her infection control work. She continues her post-graduate education in disaster preparedness and response with intensive self-study.

Senior Consultants, and Associates from medicine, law enforcement, emergency management, safety, security, healthcare, education and mental health, each with high-level credentials, experience, and commitment, along with a technical writer and administrative staff, round out the Defying Disaster team.

We are proficient speakers, teachers, analysts, program developers and managers, investigators, and advisers who are committed to improving individual as well as public health and safety.

See “ The Team” for more information