Some people think that “you won't know what you're made of until you are faced with the worst day of your life.” We know this to be false. We absolutely can front-load resiliency in preparation for a day that we hope never comes. Unfortunately, the hospitality industry is a target for terrorism on a global scale, and we've seen many "worst day" scenarios happen to our hospitality family. There is a way that we can prepare ourselves, and our staff, so that we cannot only survive a traumatic event physically, but emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as well. This session will use personal and proven examples of how to not only recover from catastrophic events, but to flourish afterwards and experience an "upward spiral." For leaders or those with families, developing resilience is not an option.

Learning Objectives

• Assess "resilience" in the personal context, and using the "whole person" concept of the physical dimension, mental dimension, emotional dimension, and spiritual dimension
• Articulate the importance of developing resilience from a personal and professional perspective
• Create a plan for developing personal resilience using research and personal examples to illustrate not only how to survive, but also thrive after a terrorist attack

David Lau, Counterterrorism and Security Professional, Mindful Approach

David Lau is a counterterrorism and security professional who delivers leadership and counterterrorism training to U.S. federal agencies and military, as well as foreign law enforcement, as a Senior Instructor within the Leadership and International Training Division at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. David delivers leadership training to foreign partners globally and provides presentations and consultation to private groups upon request.

After 9/11, David spent over fourteen years serving as an international team leader with the Federal Air Marshal Service. David was also an instructor at the Federal Air Marshal academy. David retired from the U.S. Army in 2014 with 21 years of service. He served as the Deputy Team Chief of an Embedded Counterinsurgency Advisor mission to Afghan National Security Forces during his last deployment. David was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his actions in combat.

David has a degree in International Affairs. He remains active in the veteran community and enjoys giving back by serving as the Georgia Chapter President of Wind Sports for Wounded Warriors; a 501c non-profit that focuses on the physical and emotional health of combat veterans by participating in kite boarding, paddle boarding, surfing, and other ocean sports.

Domain F: Stakeholder Management or Domain C: Risk Management
1 clock hour