The James Lee Witt, Innovative Emergency Management, Hurricane Pam axis

As previously discussed, JLW was originally part of team put together by IEM to create a "Catastrophic Hurricane Disaster Plan" for New Orleans. The June 3, 2004 press release on this is here:

IEM, Inc., the Baton Rouge-based emergency management and homeland security consultant, will lead the development of a catastrophic hurricane disaster plan for Southeast Louisiana and the City of New Orleans under a more than half a million dollar contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
In making the announcement today on behalf of teaming partners Dewberry, URS Corporation and James Lee Witt Associates, IEM Director of Homeland Security Wayne Thomas explained that the development of a base catastrophic hurricane disaster plan has urgency due to the recent start of the annual hurricane season which runs through November.

Madhu Beriwal, the President & CEO of IEM:

received a Special Merit Award from the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association for "her outstanding contribution to the civil defense agencies of southeast Louisiana in the development of the Hurricane Survival Plan."

Oddly enough, as explained here with screengrabs, that press release was removed from their site. Then, it was put back.
On Sep. 3, Blanco hired Witt to head her response.
There are many more links about this here.
Could someone please put all this together into a coherent whole? Thanks.