Community
The Certification Commission is composed of representatives nominated by their respective sponsoring Council Board and approved by the USA Board. There are 18-30 Commission seats depending on workload/volume of applicants.
The Certification Commission reflects the spectrum of emergency management expertise, including all levels of governmental emergency management programs (local, state, tribal, federal) and all environments of practice including but not limited to private sector, military installations, not-for-profit/volunteer-based, campuses and healthcare organizations. This ensures that all candidates are peer-reviewed. All Certification Commission members must hold a current CEM certification.
The Certification Commission is a peer-review body and ensures that the Certification Program remains open, fair and impartial; retains integrity; and implements the mission of emergency management by certifying that successful applicants have met the minimum standards outlined in the program. See the listing of Past Certification Commission Chairs.
Glenn H. Jones, CEM Emergency Management Coordinator City of Peoria Peoria, AZ 623-773-5207
Jon Fessler, CEM Director of Environmental Health and Safety Fox Corporation Simi Valley, CA 310-369-5362
Jon Fessler, CEM Director of Environmental Health and Safety Fox Corporation Simi Valley, CA 310-369-5362 Second Term – Private Industry
Jason Higginbotham, CEM, LEM Director of Emergency Management Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans New Orleans, LA 504-585-2015 Second Term – Academia
Sean Holland, CEM Manager, Airport Operations Center – JFK The Port Authority of NY & NJ, John F. Kennedy International Airport Hampton, NJ 518-369-5431 First Term – State
Thomas Ignelzi, CEM Program Manager Securing the Cities Program - New Orleans Region Belle Chasse, LA 504-874-0450 First Term – Local EM
Lanita Lloyd, CEM GA Director The Salvation Army Villa Rica, GA 404-550-3707 First Term – Non-Profit
Alexander Markowski, CEM Director of Business Continuity Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. Brooklyn, NY 718-986-1768 Second Term – Private Industry
Sarah Miller, CEM Consultant S.K. Miller Consulting Auburn, WA (253) 293-5781 First Term – Consultant
Gary Teeler, CEM Manager - Public Safety Support Lower Colorado River Authority Kyle, TX 512-484-2865 First Term – Non-Profit
Libby Turner, CEM Turner Associates, LLC Lawrenceville, GA 770-513-4546 First Term – Federal
Shad Ahmed, CEM Emergency Management Salem, NH (401) 709-9472 First Term – Local EM
Lawrence Cattano, Jr., CEM Director OEM City of Perth Amboy Perth Amboy, NJ (732) 324-3850 First Term – Local EM
Daniel Dunn, Jr., CEM Operations Officer United States Coast Guard Daphne, AL (781) 927-4559 First Term – Military
Heather Long, CEM Area Emergency Manager Veteran’s Health Administration Pittsburgh, PA (412) 736-0832 Second Term – Healthcare
Kimberly Nagel, CEM Emergency Manager INOVA Fairfax Medical Campus Woodbridge, VA (703) 919-2162 First Term – Healthcare
Michael Riedy, CEM ESF11 Regional Emergency Coordinator for Region X USDA Bothell, WA (425) 286-9990 First Term – Federal
Billy Anderson, CEM Sr. Emergency Management Specialist Sound Transit Seattle, WA (817) 903-6885 One Year Term – Local
Billy (B.J.) Dvorak, CEM Emergency Management Coordinator Linn County Emergency Management Cedar Rapids, IA 319-892-6501 First Term – At-Large
Carlos Garcia, CEM Director, IUPUI Campus Emergency Management & Continuity Indianapolis, IN 317-274-1802 Second Term – Campus
Peter Hirai, CEM Emergency Management Specialist U.S. Army Pacific Honolulu, HI 808-786-0257 First Term – Military
Glenn H. Jones, CEM Emergency Management Coordinator City of Peoria Peoria, AZ 623-773-5207 Second Term – Local EM
Pamela L'Heureux, CEM Emergency Manager Retired local EM; FEMA Reservist East Waterboro, ME 207-793-8799 Second Term – Local EM
Douglas Mayne, CEM Senior Consultant, Disaster Management Witt O'Brien's LLC Olympia, WA 360-481-7145 First Term – Military & State
Patricia A. McIntosh, CEM Emergency Management Coordinator College of the Mainland Texas City, TX 409-933-8267 Second Term – Campus & Academic
Michelle Oblinsky, CEM VEST Director Virginia Department of Emergency Management North Chesterfield, VA 804-629-5474 First Term – State
George Patterson, CEM Emergency Management Coordinator Winston Salem/Forsyth County Emergency Management Winston Salem, NC 743-900-3756 First Term – Not-for-profit
Michael Ripley, CEM Global Crisis Management The Walt Disney Company Burbank, CA 818-560-6246 First Term – At-Large
IAEM-Africa Representative Open
IAEM-Asia Representative Kyoo-Man Ha, CEM Adjunct Professor Inje University Changwon, Gyeongnam, South Korea +82-(0)10-2511-2593 First Term (completing term 12-31-2025)
IAEM-Canada Representative David Day, CEM Manager, Emergency and Safety Services City of St. John's St. John's, NL Canada (709) 576-2721 First Term (completing term 12-31-2025)
IAEM-Canada Alternate Representative Jennifer Smysnuik, CEM Manager Emergency Management City of Toronto OEM Toronto, ON M3C 3N3 Canada 416-392-3829 Second Term (completing term 12-31-2025)
IAEM-Canada Alternate Representative Open
IAEM-Europa Representative George Karagiannis, CEM Engineering Leadership Group Director Resilience First London, England gmkaragiannis@gmail.com First Term (completing term 12-31-2025)
IAEM-International Representative Open
IAEM Latin America and Caribbean Representative Open
IAEM-Middle East Representative Open
IAEM-Oceania Representative Christopher Ainsworth, CEM, MBA Executive Officer - Principal Emergency Management - Business Continuity 'raemec' austraia / KP3 Collaboration Blackwood, SA, Australia +414374096 First Term (completing term 12-21-2023)
NEMA Representative Open
FEMA Representative Tony Russell, CEM Superintendent Center for Domestic Preparedness Anniston, AL
Lead Instructor Daryl Lee Spiewak, CEM, CFM Emergency Action Coordinator DLS Consulting Woodway, TX H: 254-776-7117; C: 254-640-1076 Local EM/military representative since 2005
Board Liaison Justin Kates, CEM IAEM-USA 2nd Vice President Director of Emergency Management City of Nashua, New Hampshire USA2ndVP@iaem.com
Staff Liaison Kate McClimans Program Manager International Association of Emergency Managers 201 Park Washington Court Falls Church, VA 22046-4527 (703) 538-1795 kate@iaem.com
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