2025 National Disaster Resilience Conference Announces Award Winners

Nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) Recognizes Trailblazers Who Strengthen Families, Homes, and Communities

CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla., Nov. 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Disaster Resilience Conference (NDRC) today announced its 2025 Resilience Leadership Awards, recognizing individuals and organizations that champion disaster safety, resilience, and innovation. The NDRC and nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) honored the awardees during the conference luncheon in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

"These awardees exemplify the very best of leadership in disaster resilience," said FLASH President and CEO Leslie Chapman-Henderson. "Their tireless efforts and innovative approaches are helping families and communities prepare for and withstand disasters of all kinds. By advancing stronger building practices, fostering collaboration, and promoting resilience-focused solutions, they are shaping safer homes and more resilient neighborhoods across the nation."

The Dr. Ernst W. Kiesling Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals whose lifelong dedication makes a lasting, positive impact on the disaster safety and resilience movement. Award recipients reflect the achievements of Dr. Kiesling, who, through his leadership and research at Texas Tech Wind Science and Engineering, mentored generations of wind engineers and developed the life-saving tornado safe room.

2025 Recipients:

1. Max Mayfield, former Director of the National Hurricane Center (2000–2007) and WPLG-TV Hurricane Specialist, is renowned for his leadership during major storms, including Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, and for advancing hurricane forecasting and public safety. A longtime meteorologist and public educator, he continues to share his expertise through media and community engagement. Mayfield also serves as a FLASH Leadership Partner, contributing his knowledge and guidance to promote disaster resilience and safer homes nationwide.
   
   
2. Steve Winistorfer serves as Vice President of Product Engineering & Quality at Huber Engineered Woods, where he drives innovation and ensures the highest standards in building materials. A recognized leader in construction resilience and the design and application of engineered wood products, Winistorfer contributes to safer, stronger homes through engineering excellence and industry best practices. Steve has more than 40 years of experience in the certification, inspection, testing, quality, marketing, and design of engineered wood products in North and South America, Europe, and Japan.  He serves as a member of the American Wood Council's Wood Design Standards Committee and Subcommittee on Structural Design, serves on various ASTM and ICC standards committees, and, for 20 years, was a member of the US delegation of World Trade Organization (WTO) tri-lateral forest products trade meetings with Japan and Canada.  Steve is the author or co-author of more than 25 papers on wood engineering and wood products, and is a Registered Professional Engineer, holding registrations in seven states. He also serves on the FLASH Board of Directors, lending his expertise to advance disaster resilience initiatives and promote durable, sustainable building solutions nationwide.

The Board Member of the Year Award is given to an outstanding individual who serves on the FLASH Board of Directors with distinction.

2025 Recipient:

Kevin Kuntz, PE, CFPS, MIFireE, Vice President and ISO Chief Engineer at Verisk, is this year's recipient. He oversees property risk analysis and engineering strategies that advance resilient building practices. A recognized expert in fire protection, disaster mitigation, and property safety, as well as a longtime volunteer firefighter, Kuntz applies his technical expertise to strengthen homes and communities.

The Innovation Award recognizes individuals, organizations, or companies that have developed groundbreaking solutions, technologies, or practices that significantly enhance disaster safety and community resilience. Recipients of this award demonstrate leadership in advancing innovative approaches to building design, construction materials, preparedness strategies, or risk mitigation programs that protect homes, businesses, and communities from natural hazards. By promoting forward-thinking solutions, the award highlights contributions that not only improve structural performance and occupant safety during disasters but also foster long-term sustainability and resilience in the built environment.

2025 Recipients:

1. KB Home - Dixon Trail: Pioneering Wildfire Resilience - In recognition of innovative community design, forward-thinking planning, construction practices, and commitment to Wildfire Prepared Home™, a new standard for resilience excellence.
   
   
2. Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) - Dixon Trail: Pioneering Wildfire Resilience - In recognition of innovative research, engineering, and science that established Wildfire Prepared Home™, a new standard for resilience excellence.
   
   
3. California Building Industry Association (CBIA) - Dixon Trail: Pioneering Wildfire Resilience - In recognition of innovative community design, forward-thinking planning, construction practices, and commitment to Wildfire Prepared Home™, a new standard for resilience excellence.
   
   
4. Kitson & Partners - Babcock Ranch: Leading Resilience by Example - In recognition of visionary planning and innovative development that sets a new standard for resilient and sustainable communities, demonstrating how thoughtful construction practices create lasting value.

For more information, visit the National Disaster Resilience Conference website.

About FLASH
The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 100 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation, including FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Huber Engineered Woods, International Code Council, ISO - Verisk Analytics, MyRadar, National Weather Service, Renew Financial, Simpson Strong-Tie, State Farm, Travelers, and USAA. In 2008, FLASH and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes in Lake Buena Vista, FL. FLASH's signature program No Code. No Confidence. - Inspect2Protect.org provides consumers with a one-of-a-kind building code transparency tool to easily identify their community's building code. Learn more about FLASH and access free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org and www.Inspect2Protect.org, calling toll-free (877) 221- SAFE (7233), following @federalalliance on X, and Facebook.com/federalalliance.

SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)