DECEMBER 2023 9GOVERNMENT CIO OUTLOOKCan you give us a brief background about your roles in the organizations you've worked for? How does the experience augment your role and responsibility at your current organization?I began my career in the fire service more than 25 years ago where I was training in fire, EMS, ICS, and Emergency Management. In my career, I was a firefighter/EMT, a member of the Pinellas County Tech Team, Marine Response Team, and dive team. I was a promoted Driver Operator, Fire Lieutenant, Chief of Health and Safety and as of February 2017, hold the position of Division Chief of Emergency Management. My background in public safety has taught me the importance of proper planning and training and being constantly prepared for the what ifs. The events you encounter on a daily basis are not typically a concern. The concerns are those events that are infrequent, can spool up quickly, can create the loss of life or negatively impact a community. My experience has ingrained in me that to be successful; we must have plans for all emergencies, not just the common ones. We must develop partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders and be familiar with all of our resources both locally and statewide. We must also train and carry out these plans with our internal and external partners. Having a plan alone is not sufficient without testing it and working through its flaws and it does not benefit the community if your organization and its partners are not familiar with its processes.As an ending note, what is your advice for other senior leaders and CXOs working in the government space?On a final note, it is critical that we develop good partnerships with individuals, businesses, and our community stakeholders. Working with communities to understand their needs helps us to identify better ways to empower and assist them during preparation and recovery. This engagement also offers an opportunity to partner with individuals and organizations in lifesaving and life-sustaining actions to strengthen their role in emergency management. Business and community stakeholder involvement is crucial to community preparedness. Working together with the private sector, local government creates an opportunity to further enable private sector resources and capabilities to assist in recovery efforts and resilience building throughout communities. To stay proactive in emergency management, technology will become a major factor in the successful execution of all future incidents
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