Roadmap developed for planning tabletop exercises

Kassie Conner, Auburn University – Chair,  NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee
The Communicator: Volume 6, Issue 9, September 2025

Have you considered holding a tabletop exercise in your state to work through a plant health emergency with regulatory partners? The NPDN Regulatory Relations Committee (RRC) held its first tabletop exercise in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and USDA on December 10, 2024. This type of exercise is critical for all of us to understand how each group works, our roles and responsibilities, and to help identify communication gaps prior to an actual event. The exercise was successful, and all participants took away knowledge that will help in future events.
 
The RRC has developed a roadmap to help plan future tabletop exercises, including a timeline to coordinate an exercise, roles for facilitating an exercise, and example invitations, PowerPoint, and agenda. You can find this information on the Regulatory Relations Committee page (NPDN login required).
 
If you would like to host a tabletop exercise in your state, contact Kassie Conner (connekn@auburn.edu) or Sara Wallace (sara.wallace@okstate.edu).