FEATURED STORY | EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
Strengthening Regional Disaster Preparedness for Access and Functional Needs Communities
OPERATIONAL READINESS | STAKEHOLDER & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
March 27, 2026 — St. Louis, MO. Regional resilience depends on the ability to protect every citizen, yet significant gaps often exist in how emergency systems serve those with access and functional needs (AFN).
In the Greater St. Louis region, a comprehensive assessment of service providers and public safety agencies revealed a critical disconnect in operational coordination. Data suggests that a majority of AFN service providers find current public alert systems only partially accessible to their populations, while many public safety officials characterize the existing working relationships with these vital community partners as an area requiring significant strengthening. These systemic communication and coordination hurdles create life-threatening vulnerabilities during Public Information & Warning, Transportation, Mass Care, and Family Reunification & Assistance.
Metropolitan Strategies & Solutions (MSS), in partnership with Hagerty, executed a data-driven strategy for the East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWGCOG) and the St. Louis Area Regional Response System (STARRS) to redefine regional AFN integration across the entire emergency management cycle. The process began with a comprehensive capability assessment and a regional survey to extract ground-level truths from both providers and civil servants. MSS utilized its local outreach team to conduct direct engagement via phone, email, and in-person visits to ensure a multidisciplinary representation of stakeholders. This methodology prioritized human-centered design by identifying specific barriers, such as the need for "built-in" rather than "added-on" accessibility, before moving toward collaborative solutions.
The cornerstone of this effort was a three-hour AFN Town Hall designed to facilitate high-stakes dialogue between agencies and the residents they serve. Participants engaged in structured "Neighbor Chats" and panel discussions that translated abstract planning into actionable next steps. The session achieved a high effectiveness rating of 4.6 out of 5 for promoting cross-agency understanding. By the conclusion of the event, participants moved from being strangers to sharing life stories and exchanging contacts, emphasizing that immediate support often stems from established community ties and proactive communication.
MSS extends its sincere gratitude to East-West Gateway Council of Governments, STARRS, Hagerty, and the dedicated AFN service providers and public safety professionals who contributed their expertise and insights to this vital regional mission.
Cutting Costs and Bottlenecks with Smarter Invoice Validation Processes
BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION | DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING
January 1, 2022 — A state department chose MSS to provide custom solutions for reviewing, validating, and reporting staffing vendor-submitted invoices. Due to limited human resources and the added stress caused by COVID-19, financial audits required user-friendly, efficient, and thorough templates.
During the multiple COVID-19 surges, the department had limited capacity to review
invoices from staffing agencies, which included information for hundreds of travel nurses at approximately $1.8 billion in total volume. As a result, the invoice review and validation process was inefficient, manual, and lacking rigor.
Our team analyzed the critical components of the invoice review process and structured
the needs for invoice validation according to the three-way match principle. We
developed a set of invoice review templates to meet validation reporting requirements for efficient data-driven decision-making.
Our efforts cut the average invoice review time by 60%, allowing the department to save
on labor costs and efficiently support hospitals during the COVID-19 surge. As a result, the department's leadership fully understood the process and could make data-driven decisions. Our work helped the department reduce financial risks and increase reliability for future audits.
Navigating Uncertainty in the Eye of the Storm
DATA-DRIVEN DECISION-MAKING | OPERATIONAL READINESS
December 15, 2020— During the COVID-19 pandemic, MSS provided analytics support to key emergency management agencies. We transformed a labor-intensive, manual reporting process into a fully-automated data pipeline using Google Cloud Platform and Tableau with integrations from over 40 data sources. We also designed, built, and managed a daily COVID-19 response dashboard, providing daily critical situational awareness to over 1,500 City Leaders.
COVID-19 presented a dynamic and high-stakes situation that strained the ability to
understand the pandemic’s impact accurately. The shift to remote work disrupted the
usual situational reporting mechanisms. Additionally, COVID-19 response and recovery
data sources constantly evolved in accessibility, reliability, and meaning. MSS provided end-to-end reporting products, wireframed solutions, developed dashboards and
automated data pipelines, and created ad hoc analyses to answer emerging questions.
We also conducted sessions with leadership to understand their questions and provide
insights regularly. Throughout this process, we crafted transformative solutions that
smoothly transitioned into operations and modeled an agile team dynamic that the
agency later formalized as the Emergency Data Team. We also provided dashboard
templates and data visualization training to ensure that future emergencies would benefit from these improvements.
New Hire Spotlight: Mona Mackary, Senior Associate
A PEEK INSIDE MSS
October 22, 2024 — Mona Mackary, Senior Associate at Metropolitan Strategies & Solutions (MSS), stands out for her dedication, expertise, and compassionate public health and emergency management leadership. Mona joined MSS to continue her career supporting vulnerable populations after earning her Master of Public Health (MPH) in Social and Behavioral Sciences and Global Health from Yale’s School of Public Health.
Before Yale, Mona worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and the International Rescue Committee (IRC), sharpening her program management skills and reinforcing her commitment to community service. Mona joined MSS to help tackle complex issues through data-driven solutions. "MSS' reputation for strategic consulting and its dedication to meaningful projects aligned perfectly with my professional passions," Mona reflects.
At MSS, Mona leads the Asylum Seeker Data Team (ASDT), ensuring that data collection, analysis, and visualization are conducted precisely to support city crisis response efforts. As Deputy Data Chief, she collaborates with multiple teams to shape policy changes and improve operational processes. Her leadership has been pivotal in building critical partnerships, making her a key figure in MSS' ongoing humanitarian initiatives.
"Working on this team has been incredibly rewarding," Mona shares. "It’s an experience I’ll never forget and has shaped my professional growth." In her role, she applies her extensive data management expertise while developing as a leader, reinforcing MSS’s mission of delivering high-quality strategic solutions.
Mona’s attention to detail, particularly in data integrity, and her ability to communicate complex information are central to her success. Always striving for excellence, she plans to take advanced data visualization and analysis courses to stay ahead of emerging trends. Her commitment to staying informed about evolving policies ensures that her team's work remains timely and impactful.
Outside her professional role, Mona is motivated by the tangible impact her efforts have on public health and vulnerable communities. "Knowing that my work contributes to improving public health and supporting those in need drives me daily," she says. She maintains a healthy work-life balance by setting boundaries and making time to unwind; something made more accessible by her supportive team.
Mona aims to deepen her public health and emergency management expertise while taking on more leadership roles at MSS. She is focused on tackling challenging projects that will continue to grow her skill set and have a lasting impact on the communities MSS serves.
Mona’s journey is a testament to the value of curiosity and a commitment to learning. She advises those interested in public health to gain hands-on experience through internships and volunteer work. Her biggest professional inspiration? A mentor whose leadership during the pandemic left a profound mark on her career path.