Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe

My focus

Drawing on more than 30 years of experience, I work with private, public, and nonprofit entities to develop and implement forward-thinking strategies that prepare clients for today’s emerging risks and map out resilient futures.

In today’s complex and dynamic world, organizations must identify active and emerging risks that could jeopardize the health, safety, and well-being of their people or disrupt the continuity of services. I team with NP attorneys to assess the legal and strategic needs of organizations in this challenging environment. Together, we identify opportunities for clients to bolster their response to high-stakes disruptors including public health emergencies, active shooter incidents, civil unrest, severe weather events, cyberattacks, and more.

I work closely with organizational leadership and boards of directors to pinpoint these challenges, prepare strategies to address them, and drive the best outcomes. I bring deep experience in formulating, innovating, and delivering client-specific solutions to manage and mitigate these risks.

As a senior government leader for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I helped fortify public safety efforts by building responsive coalitions across business sectors and jurisdictions. All complex organizations face coordination challenges, and I use my experience in public-sector response to help clients open clear paths of collaboration and align on shared goals with internal and external stakeholders.

In my previous role, I directly supervised six different public safety state agencies, including the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Fire Services, the Commonwealth Fusion Center, the Massachusetts National Guard, and the Homeland Division of the Office of Grants and Research. I served as the Secretary of Public Safety’s primary liaison to state and federal partners, including FEMA and the FBI, Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Governors Association. My versatility and consensus-building skills inform my guidance to organizations of all types.

In addition, I was instrumental in developing the first-ever statewide Cyber Security Incident Response Team (CIRT). During the COVID-19 pandemic, I coordinated the efforts of the Commonwealth’s public safety agencies to distribute desperately needed personal protective equipment to first responders and others exposed to the virus. Our team also established a comprehensive mobile testing program across all Department of Correction facilities and implemented strategic testing plans for first responders and essential workers.

Looking ahead

We live in turbulent times. From conflicts and global pandemics to natural disasters, organizations have an acute need to bolster and fortify their preparedness strategies, moving from reactive to resilient.

Insights

• “Global Terrorism Rises Again: ISIS-K, Hamas, Iran, and the Resurgent Threat to the West,” Rebel Global Security Webinar, August 27, 2024
• “What Happened to the Plans,” Future of Public Health Emergency Enterprise: After-Action Report (AAR) sponsored by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine. (Operational subject-matter expert)