UCF Alumna Joins JetBlue to Manage Emergency Response

Kaylie Savitz, a 2022 graduate of the University of Central Florida’s Master of Emergency and Crisis Management program, was promoted to senior analyst of business continuity and emergency response at JetBlue in February 2026. The airline created the specific role for her as she moved into a senior position within the company’s flight operations and safety team.

Savitz works out of Orlando International Airport, where she coordinates with local stakeholders to maintain emergency plans and business continuity strategies. Her duties include identifying risks, facilitating training opportunities, and ensuring response readiness across JetBlue operations in Central Florida.

Before joining the airline industry’s management ranks, Savitz held a commercial pilot’s license and an aeronautical science degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2020 with plans to fly commercially. The disruption caused by the pandemic stopped airline hiring, prompting her to seek a new path within the aviation sector.

She enrolled in UCF’s MECM program, which is the first emergency management graduate program to receive accreditation from the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration. Savitz stated that the coursework allowed her to apply her aviation knowledge to crisis management. She noted that she made every project in the program focus on aviation disaster response or related legislation.

During the program, Savitz was paired with Keila Walker-Denis, a UCF alumna who served as the assistant vice president of airport operations for emergency management at the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority. Walker-Denis became a mentor to Savitz, helping her connect her aviation experience with emergency management roles. Savitz said she was excited to find a career path that combined her two professional interests.

Savitz accepted an internship with Delta Air Lines in Atlanta while completing her degree. The position focused on environmental health and safety. She learned about Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements and regulatory language. The three-semester internship rotation converted into a full-time role with Delta’s environmental health and safety team.

After completing her master’s degree, Savitz joined JetBlue’s flight operations and safety team. In that role, she performed data work, managed change, and reviewed safety reports from pilots. She described the work as keeping a pulse on safety using the Swiss Cheese Model. This model illustrates how different holes in safety layers can align to cause an accident. Her team worked to prevent those holes from lining up.

Savitz connected with JetBlue’s director of emergency management and completed an emergency response apprenticeship with the team. This experience led to her promotion in February 2026. She now helps write and maintain emergency plans that involve airport employees, administrators, emergency response liaisons, and crew members.

Her current role requires coordination with internal JetBlue teams and external partners. Savitz explained that in an actual emergency, her team coordinates with the airline, airport first responders, and government agencies. She emphasized the importance of building relationships before a crisis occurs. Knowing what to expect from these partners helps streamline the response during real-life events.

Savitz credited UCF’s program with providing a baseline for her professional work. She maintains an ongoing professional relationship with her mentor, Walker-Denis. Through that connection, Savitz now works with Walker-Denis’s team at Orlando International Airport, bridging her academic training with her current responsibilities at JetBlue.