How Local Leaders Are Embracing Digital Tools for Resilience: Insights from the 2025 Forerunner Summit

At the 2025 Forerunner Summit, local leaders from Cedar Rapids, IA; Tangipahoa Parish, LA; Santa Barbara County, CA; and Lee County, FL, came together for a panel discussion on adapting to change from daily workflows to post-disaster recovery. Moderated around three key themes: preparedness and response, operations, and community outreach, the conversation surfaced shared challenges and creative solutions.

Adapting to Change

As natural disasters grow in frequency and severity, local departments are being asked to do more with fewer resources. Billie Jacoby of Lee County, FL shared how managing one of Florida’s largest counties means constantly evolving in response to major hurricanes. In Cedar Rapids, Mathew Langley described facing similar pressures in a riverine community with a small team.

Each panelist agreed that digital tools like Forerunner are helping shift floodplain management from reactive to proactive. By consolidating property data, tracking permits, and enabling mobile fieldwork, Forerunner is transforming how communities prepare for and respond to disasters.

Streamlining Operations & Workflows

The panel also explored the specifics of day-to-day operations. Nic Leblanc discussed how Tangipahoa Parish, LA digitized its Elevation Certificate (EC) review process with Forerunner -- saving time, reducing errors, and improving staff workflows. In Santa Barbara County, CA, Aurora Zemjanis shared how her team uses Forerunner to more effectively track Substantial Improvement/Substantial Damage (SI/SD) determinations, particularly during rebuilds.

Centralizing property-level information has been crucial for improving efficiency across the panelists’ communities.

Public Communication & Outreach

Residents are the most important audience, and reaching them quickly and clearly is no small task. Each community shared how integrating Forerunner’s public website into their communication strategies has helped reduce inbound inquiries by allowing residents to self-serve in one interface with accurate property information. Features like communication logs and letter generation have streamlined staff’s workloads while building public trust.

Key Takeaways

As disasters become more frequent and complex, the need for efficient, transparent, and adaptable systems has never been greater. From coast to coast, communities are demonstrating what’s possible when local expertise is paired with the right tools.

Thank you to our panelists, Mathew Langley, Nic Leblanc, Aurora Zemjanis, and Billie Jacoby, for sharing their insights. We’re inspired by the work these leaders are doing every day and proud to support them.