From April 29 to May 2, over 2,400 public health professionals came together in San Antonio, Texas, for the 2025 Preparedness Summit. Attendees came to learn and share best practices and to both forge new connections and reconnect with colleagues across sectors. 

The conference theme, “Pathways to Recovery in the Aftermath of Disasters,” put the spotlight on recovery -- the last and often overlooked phase of the disaster life cycle. In talking about the theme during the opening plenary session, Preparedness Summit Planning Committee Co-Chair and Senior Director of Preparedness at NACCHO, Laura Biesiadecki, noted that as communities continue to face cascading disasters, “the long-term public health impacts and mental health consequences are unknown and challenging to quantify, let alone declare definitely concluded.” She emphasized that recovery remains a critical and ongoing process essential in building resilient communities.

Through over 300 educational and poster sessions, attendees explored the conference theme as well as issues including data modernization, emergency planning and operations, Medical Reserve Corps operations, communications, organizational recovery, mental health, partnerships, recruitment, and volunteer management.

Eight engaging Town Hall sessions shared important updates on pressing issues in preparedness and offered the opportunity for attendees to share feedback with presenters and peers.

The Preparedness Summit’s Exhibit Hall provided an opportunity to learn about services and products tailored to the needs of public health agencies and professionals.

Highlights from each day of the Preparedness Summit offer a more in-depth look at key moments from the conference.

• Click here to see highlights from the opening day of the conference, including the plenary discussion, Operating in the Gray: Exploring the Evolving Public Health Preparedness System.
• Click here to see highlights from day two of the conference, including the plenary discussion, You’re Still It: How to Lead in Recovery.
• Click here to see highlights from day three of the conference, including Town Halls and poster presentations.
• Click here to see highlights from the final day of the conference, including the plenary discussion, Bridging the Gap: Public Health’s Role in Long-Term Recovery. 

What’s Next?

Click here to see photos from the 2025 Preparedness Summit.

Save the Date for the 2026 Preparedness Summit in Baltimore, MD, April 13-16, 2026

A Summer Special on registration for the 2026 conference runs through September 30. For more about the conference, visit www.preparednesssummit.org. Subscribe to the Preparedness Summit e-newsletter to get the latest news on the 2026 Preparedness Summit.