Jules Irick is a consultant specializing in disaster preparedness and recovery planning for archives, libraries, and cultural heritage institutions. Based in Seattle, she brings nearly two decades of experience building resilient frameworks to safeguard collections from natural disasters, infrastructure failures, and unexpected crises.

As Photo Archivist at the Seattle Municipal Archives (SMA), where she not only managed the city’s extensive historic and digital photo collections but also became a leading voice in cultural heritage disaster management, Jules recognized early on that the preservation of collections is inseparable from preparedness planning.

Jules has been an active leader in regional networks such as the Seattle Heritage Emergency Response Network (SHERN), where she has served at the board chair, coordinating cross-institutional training, supporting mutual-aid agreements and scalable emergency response protocols for museums, libraries, and archives.

She is known for her ability to translate complex disaster management principles into practical, actionable systems that institutions can adopt and sustain.

With a background that bridges archival science and emergency management, Jules offers consulting that strengthens not only individual collections but also the broader cultural heritage ecosystem. Her work ensures that institutions are not only prepared for the unexpected, but also positioned to recover quickly, maintain continuity, and protect material culture for future generations.