January 9, 2025 —
How long have you been a PEF member?
20+ years.
What do you do in your state role?
I am the Outreach Training Branch Director for the Office of Emergency Management. In a nutshell, we deliver emergency management training to local officials and first responders (using federal grants) with a focus on training gaps, plans and needs to foster emergency planning, operational coordination, equipment, training and exercises. To accomplish this, I manage around 100 miscellaneous agency trainers and contract trainers to deliver more than 50 programs and two National Emergency Basic Academies per year.
What positions do you hold in PEF?
I am the Council Leader of Division 179, which includes 1,250 members at two statewide agencies — Homeland Security (DHSES) and Office of General Services (OGS), including the Business Service Center (BSC). I hold Executive Board Seat No. 127 – Homeland Security. I have been Labor Management Chair and co-chair of the Health and Safety Committee for Homeland Security and Emergency Services and have been a Convention Delegate for about 10 years.
Why did you get involved in the union and as a leader?
Before Homeland Security and Emergency Services was formed by consolidating six state agencies, I belonged to a small PEF Division, Division 330, at the Office of Emergency Management. Several things influenced me and helped me engage with the union. We had trouble maintaining officers because of our size and we didn’t know the rules. I became quickly educated to what bullying bosses are capable of without management training or emotional intelligence. Two key PEF leaders brought me the experience and coaching I needed to function (albeit at a minimal level) — Warren Lew, who was around when PEF was formed, and Tom Capone, a PEF Field representative at the time. They were both sages of wisdom who kept my inexperience in check. Then, when our new DHSES agency was formed combining the offices of Cyber Security, Fire Protection and Control, Emergency Management, Counter Terrorism, Disaster Recovery, and Interoperable Communications, we became a hosted agency under OGS. As the small Division Council Leader, I learned that someone said they consulted me about merging with OGS since our agency was now “hosted,” but they had not communicated with me at all. That was a different kind of motivation, so I agreed to the merge, which included merging with OGS Steward Council. I learned a lot from those Division leaders while I took to heart my mission to learn everything PEF does behind the scenes. After about three years I became Council Leader of the new combined Division.
Please comment on the value of public employees.
In my agency, it is easy to see the direct benefits we provide. Our work is often cited by the Governor in State of the State addresses. But we also partner with county officials and the 30 State Agencies that make up the the States Disaster Preparedness Commission (DPC). Under the authority of our agency and Article 2B, we (with the Governor’s office), bring the full capacity of state agency response to disasters and emergencies and initiate the federal assistance protocols provided in state and federal law.