About Me
My Journey
Hi, I'm Benjamin Kahn — an emergency management coordinator with a passion for whole-community preparedness, resilience, and public service.
I got my start through an early opportunity with government, where I was exposed to the complexities of national security and intelligence gathering. That experience laid the foundation for my interest in how systems respond to risk and uncertainty. Then, as an intern for a local city councilperson in Los Angeles, I got my first experience with real-world public policy. These early exposures sparked a passion for emergency preparedness and risk mitigation.
During my time in grad school at Ohio University and Penn State, earning degrees in Public Administration: Emergency Management and Homeland Security, respectively, I began focusing on the intersection of policy, emergency management, and all-hazards approach planning. If there was ever any chance of reversing course, the books Collaborate or Perish by William Bratton & Zachary Tumin, and Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security by Robert Block & Christopher Cooper sealed my fate. I was hooked.
Today, I work as the emergency management coordinator (it has a fancier name than that on my business card) for the Disability Community Resource Center, a non-profit supporting people with disabilities in Coastal and Western LA County in their journey to become more independent; where I engage in whole-community preparedness, response, recovery and resiliency efforts. Whether it’s preparing for disasters or coordinating during incidents, I’m passionate about building safer, more prepared communities for everyone.
As I continue to grow in this field, I’m always open to connecting with others and exploring new opportunities where I can contribute, learn, and make an impact.
Thanks for visiting — I’m glad you’re here.
Hope you take the opportunity to check out my resumé and get to know me.
Want to get in touch? email me at bkahn289@gmail.com or connect with me on LinkedIn below.
