2024 ACP Chapter of the Year

Take a moment to explore and support our valued 40th Anniversary Sponsors and Partners featured below. Their contributions help make our celebration possible!

40 years of Building Resiliency through Engagement in North Texas

Four decades ago, 1986 was a year of bold beginnings — not just for a new computer called the Apple Macintosh Plus, which was turning heads with its “cutting-edge” 1MB of memory, but also for a visionary group of North Texas professionals who recognized the growing need for preparedness, resilience, and collaboration. That year, The Association of Continuity Professionals (ACP) North Texas Chapter was born, committed to helping organizations stay strong through disruption and build a foundation for resilience that would stand the test of time.

Forty years later, that legacy has grown into the nation’s largest ACP chapter, with members who are leaders in business continuity, emergency management, and crisis response. The chapter proudly earned the 2024 Chapter of the Year recognition — a reflection of the energy, innovation, and community spirit that continues to define North Texas. Each month, members gather for meetings featuring compelling keynote speakers, case studies, and lively exchanges of best practices, always with an eye on the future while honoring the lessons of the past.

As the North Texas Chapter celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2026, it stands as both a witness to and a driver of progress — from the dawn of desktop computing to the age of AI-driven resilience. Much like that little beige Macintosh that changed how the world worked, ACP North Texas continues to redefine how resilience professionals connect, collaborate, and create a safer, more prepared future together.

As we celebrate four decades of resilience, leadership, and innovation, we invite you to become part of the next chapter in the #NorthTXACP story.  Step forward, join our community of visionaries, and help chart the path for the next 40 years of continuity excellence. 

Together, we won’t just honor our legacy — we’ll redefine the future of preparedness, one connection, one breakthrough, and one leader at a time.

Events are generally held on the first Tuesday of every month, but may vary due to holidays or speaker schedules. Events are for current members and invited guests only.  If you are not yet a member but would like to attend one of our events, please contact us, or consider joining the chapter.  Select - TX: North Texas (Dallas)

ACP Thought Leadership – Think Tank Thursdays

This quarter’s topic will be around the upcoming FIFA World Cup in June and July. Deb Michaels from FIFA, is in charge of D/FW security preparations, and gave a fantastic overview at our February Chapter meeting. Since we will all be impacted by the World Cup (both organizationally and personally), this is a great opportunity to share preparation activities, information sources, and other intelligence we gather as the Event approaches.

We will have three, one hour calls, with the first scheduled for next Thursday, February 26, 11:00AM Central time. We can use this time to cover the schedule and published FIFA resources, then go around the table so everyone can share their activities, questions, and ideas with the team. I’ll record everyone’s thoughts so we can put together into a final report for the Chapter Membership.

Please sign up at Signup Genius, #20, or e-mail me directly at swaken@att.net and I’ll send you the Zoom details

Thank you for participating in the Think Tank, and I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!

Upcoming Chapter Event 

March 3, 2026 (Virtual-Only Meeting)

Topic:  Ten Lessons in Organizational Resilience for BC/DR leaders

Presenter:  Jason Buffington, Data Protection Matters

Location:   Virtual-only meeting

President's Address

Hello fellow chapter members,

March is often associated with movement—longer days, shifting seasons, and the familiar phrase “march forward.” In our profession, progress doesn’t happen by chance. It happens because we intentionally strengthen, test, and mature our resilience programs over time.

As we close out the first quarter, this is a natural checkpoint. Many of us will be preparing our first quarter program metrics report for steering committees and leadership meetings. Are your business continuity and operational resilience initiatives gaining traction? Are your objectives clearly defined, measurable, and aligned to organizational priorities? March is an ideal time to validate that your program isn’t simply maintaining compliance—but actively advancing capability.

This month also presents an opportunity to evaluate engagement. Resilience does not live in a single department. Are business unit leaders clear on their roles during disruption? Do employees understand escalation paths and communication expectations? Consider hosting a focused discussion, leadership briefing, or scenario-based exercise to reinforce shared accountability. True maturity shows up in how confidently teams respond—not just in how well documents are written.

March weather can be unpredictable in many regions like we have seen recently in the northeast, bringing winter storms, flooding, or rapid operational shifts. That variability serves as a useful reminder: adaptability is one of our most valuable competencies. Preparedness must evolve alongside emerging risks, changing business models, and new interdependencies.

Momentum matters. Small improvements—updated contact lists, clarified decision rights, refined recovery priorities—compound over time into meaningful resilience gains. As we move deeper into 2026, I encourage you to keep marching forward with intention. Strengthen what works. Address what doesn’t. And continue building programs that are proactive, measurable, and resilient by design.

Wishing you a productive and forward-focused March,

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Chapter Event Information

Our events are 90-minutes.  Please join us for our next event!  Events (unless indicated) are also available to attend virtually.  However, we invite you to attend in person if possible.  Virtual event information will be provided with each event invitation.

Anyone interested in hosting an event or speaking at an upcoming event, please contact our Programs Director or President.

Note: Additional information for regular event locations can be found on the Events page.