(alphabetical order by last name)

Melissa Ahern; Central Virginia Incident Management Team
Melissa Ahern is a Firefighter/Paramedic with over 30 years of service in Chesterfield Fire & EMS, where she has served in roles ranging from company officer to Acting Battalion Chief. She is the Deputy Logistics Section Chief for the Central Virginia Incident Management Team (Type 3) and Training Coordinator for Chesterfield’s Type 4 IMT, leading more than 30 training exercises annually. A credentialed Type 3 Logistics Section Chief, Communications Unit Leader, and Communications Technician, Melissa has deployed to major incidents including hurricanes, wildfires, and regional disaster responses, and played a pivotal role in Operation IMT Convergence 2025 and Virginia’s COVID-19 response.
An Adjunct Instructor for the Virginia Department of Fire Programs and FEMA-certified All-Hazards instructor, Melissa teaches courses such as O-305, ICS-300/400, and LSC. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management and Development from Bluefield College and is a graduate of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. Passionate about mentorship and professional development, Melissa continues to advance IMT readiness and interagency coordination across Virginia and beyond.

Mark Becmer; Deputy Director of Training, The Response Group
Emergency Management and Response leader with 26 years of deployment, training, and exercise experience.

Certified Professional Emergency Manager (PEM), State of Michigan; Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP); and Instructor at the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

Kelvin Blevins; Deputy Director, Birmingham Department of Transportation

Michael Burke; Captain, Fire Department of New York
Michael Burke is a Captain in the FDNY with over 20 years of service in New York City. Michael has been a member of the FDNY’s Incident Management Team since 2013 and is currently one of the Deputy Incident Commanders. He was formally the Finance Section Chief for the FDNY IMT. Michael has been deployed with the FDNY IMT to numerous All-Hazard and Wildfire incidents and also teaches ICS classes and processes across the country.

Kristen Corkins; Emergency Management Specialist, U.S. Forest Service Fire & Aviation Management
Kristen Corkins has been with the U.S. Forest Service, Fire & Aviation Management, All Hazard & International Fire Support Branch as an Emergency Management Specialist for nearly three years. She joined the Forest Service after working for the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance as their Communications and Policy Director for six years. Her background is in incident management, wildland fire operations, and public information. She has been a member of Incident Management Teams since 2011 and has served as lead Information Officer on Eastern Area Type 2 IMTs and California Interagency Type 1 IMTs. She is Chair of the NWCG NIMS Integration Committee and serves on several other interagency committees. Kristen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and a Master of Science degree in forestry from the University of Florida. She has previously worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

James Courtright; All Hazard Response Specialist/Complex Incident Commander, U.S. Forest Service
James Courtright is All Hazard Response Specialist with the U.S. Forest Service, Fire & Aviation Management, All Hazard & International Fire Support Branch. He came to this position after serving in the Forest Service as Assistant Forest Fire Management Officer, Acting District Ranger, and Emergency Management Specialist. Prior to that, he worked in the National Park Service as Fire Management Officer of the Pacific Island Network. He is a Complex Incident Commander on California Team 6 and has a significant amount of ESF #4 experience at the local, regional, and national levels.

S. Michele Cosel; Special Events Coordinator, Henrico County Police Division, Assistant Training Officer, Central Virginia Incident Management Team
Michele Cosel has served with the Henrico County Police Division for 17 years and is currently the Division’s Special Events Coordinator, overseeing the planning and coordination of large-scale public safety operations across the region.
She has been an active member of the Central Virginia Incident Management Team (CVIMT) for nearly a decade, holding credentials as a Planning Section Chief, Situation Unit Leader, Resource Unit Leader, and Documentation Unit Leader. Michele served as CVIMT’s Chief Training Officer for four years, leading the team’s training and credentialing initiatives, and now continues to support those efforts as an Assistant Training Officer.
Her professional focus centers on strengthening multi-agency coordination, developing training programs that build IMT readiness, and integrating planning practices that enhance operational effectiveness during complex incidents and large public events.

Rich Deprima; FDNY Incident Management Team, FDNY Battalion Chief | Incident Commander | National ICS Instructor
Rich brings over 30 years of distinguished service to the New York City Fire Department, currently serving as Battalion Chief for Battalion 49 in Astoria, Queens. As a credentialed All-Hazards Incident Commander with the FDNY Incident Management Team, he has led responses to some of the most complex and high-impact emergencies of the past two decades—including hurricanes, wildfires, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Line of Duty Death funerals for FDNY members.
His career is marked by operational excellence and a steadfast commitment to preparedness. A nationally recognized instructor and exercise designer, Rich has delivered Incident Command System (ICS) training and facilitated full-scale exercises across the country, shaping the capabilities of emergency response teams nationwide.
Rich’s incident management expertise spans structure fires, severe weather events, wildfires, sheltering operations, mass care coordination, donations management, and public health emergencies. Whether commanding from the front lines or mentoring the next generation of emergency managers, he exemplifies leadership, resilience, and service.

Captain Robert Joseph Faas Jr.; , Montgomery County, MD, Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS)
Robert Faas Jr. is a career captain with Montgomery County, MD, Fire & Rescue Service (MCFRS) who has 31 years of experience in the fire service. He is a member of Maryland Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team, a hazmat officer on the county Hazardous Incident Response Team, a member of the county Technical Rescue Team and an instructor at the Public Safety Training Academy. Faas serves as the vice president of F.O.O.L.S. International and is an instructor for On Scene Training Associates. He has served with fire companies in Charles Town, WV, the Schooley’s Mountain Fire Protection Association in Long Valley NJ, the Rindge, NH, Fire Department and the Sharpsburg, MD, Volunteer Fire Company. Faas was part of committees that were responsible for the development of the New Hampshire RIT program and the MCFRS RIT program and for the redevelopment of the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute's Safety and Survival Program.

Steve Genteluomo; Fire Department of the City of New York
Captain Steven Gentiluomo is a career member of the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) and currently serves as Captain of Ladder 78 in Brooklyn. Since joining the department in 1992, he has built a distinguished career marked by leadership, professionalism, and dedication to operational excellence.
He is a member of the FDNY Incident Management Team’s Operations Section and the Exercise Design Team, where he develops and leads full-scale and quarterly training exercises. Captain Gentiluomo has also served as a controller, mentor, and evaluator for multiple interagency exercises, including those with the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Tracey Hayes; Deputy Director, Birmingham Department of Planning, Engineering and Permits

Tommy Hicks; Deputy Executive Director, NAPSG Foundation
Mr. Hicks is an Engineering Technology graduate from the Oklahoma State University Fire Protection and Safety program and has been engaged in the public safety sector since 1982. As a prior Fire Chief, he is acutely aware of the sensitive balance between political and governmental interactions, engaging and collaborating with Federal, State and County executives regularly. Prior operational and administrative positions within both career and volunteer Fire/EMS organizations have rendered a leader in bringing individuals and entities together to meet their operational goals.

Sarah Jahnke; ,

Jonathan Jones; State Fire Marshal, South Carolina State Fire
Jonathan Jones has more than 30 years of experience in the fire service, ranging from a small municipality, a Special Purpose District, and a county-wide fire-rescue department. His career has progressed through every rank in the fire service, including Chief of Training, Deputy Chief of Operations, and now, State Fire Marshal. Jonathan was appointed as State Fire Marshal in March of 2017 by Governor Henry McMaster. He is qualified as a Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Commander and has served in that capacity during numerous statewide and federally-declared disasters. He serves as an Incident Commander/Incident Support Team Leader with the Palmetto Incident Support Team. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina - Aiken, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. A Past President of the South Carolina State Firefighters’ Association, he has spent his career serving South Carolina in fire and emergency response. A decorated fire officer, he has been the recipient of awards including the Medal of Valor, Meritorious Action Award, the S.C. Fire Service Educator of the Year, and is in the South Carolina Firefighters’ Hall of Fame.

Tobias Jones; , Battalion Chief of Logistics Division, Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service

Keith Kern; FDNY Incident Management Team
Keith Kern is a highly experienced incident management professional with over 25 years in emergency response and leadership. He currently serves as one of the Planning Section Chief (PSC) for the FDNY Incident Management Team (IMT), bringing 13 years of expertise in managing complex, large-scale incidents. Keith's extensive background includes multiple deployments as a PSC and Situation Unit Leader across a wide range of all-hazards and wildfire responses.
Keith’s career began in 2002 with the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), where he has served for 22 years as a firefighter with Ladder 175 in East New York, Brooklyn. Alongside his FDNY service, Keith has dedicated 27 years as a volunteer firefighter in his hometown of Seaford, NY, including 9 years as Chief. His deep commitment to service extends to his role as the full-time Training Coordinator for the FDNY IMT. He also serves as a part-time instructor, sharing his knowledge of incident management and emergency response across the country.
Keith has been part of several major disaster responses, including Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Ian in Florida, and Tropical Storm Helene in Asheville, North Carolina, where he supported Buncombe County. His wildfire response experience spans Type 1 to Type 3 incidents in Arizona, Montana, California, Oregon, and Idaho.
A seasoned leader and entrepreneur, Keith also owns a general contracting business. In addition to his professional work, he is passionate about coaching. Keith is an active coach for his son’s travel hockey team, school hockey team, and PAL lacrosse. Married for 18 years and a father of three children (ages 11-17), Keith enjoys spending time with his family and playing hockey in his free time.

Paige Levanti; Training Center Manager, City of Sugar Land, TX
Paige Levanti is currently the Training Center Manager for the City of Sugar Land’s Office of Emergency Management and is a member of the State of Texas Incident Management Team (Region 4). Before moving to Texas, she worked as the IMT Program Manager for the State of Florida and within both state systems has deployed with regional teams to all-hazard incidents around the country as a Planning Section Chief. She is also EMAC A-Team certified and has deployed in this capacity, while also frequently supporting reimbursement processes for assisting state deployed resources.

James E. Mason; Vice President, Arkansas Search and Rescue Association
Arkansas Search and Rescue Association, Benton Co. (AR) Search and Rescue Team (2012-2022), Buffalo National River Search and Rescue Team (1983-1995), National Association for Search and Rescue SARTECH I, Instructor & Lead Evaluator

Daryl Louder; VA-IMAT mmeber, Virginia Department of Emergency Management - IMAT
Daryl Louder is currently a member of the Virginia State Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT), contract IMT for Federal agencies, and an ICS/IMT instructor for numerous entities.
Previously, Mr. Louder served as the program manager for the National Capital Region-Incident Management Team for over five years. Prior to the NCR-IMT, he served as the fire chief for the Contra Costa County (CA) Fire Protection District for 3.5 years. Prior to Contra Costa County, Daryl served 27 years with the Fairfax County (VA) Fire and Rescue Department. During his tenure with Fairfax County, Daryl served in a number of positions from firefighter to assistant chief. He held positions in the Special Operations Division, and served two tours in the Training Division.
Mr. Louder was a charter member of the NCR-IMT in 2004 and has served on incident management teams in VA and CA for 21 years. He is qualified as an IC3, PSC3, OSC3, and LOFR, through the VA IMT Qualifications System. Daryl responded to a number of significant incidents/events including the 2001 attack on Pentagon, 2002 Winter Olympics, Hurricane Katrina, support of FEMA’s NRCC for Haiti earthquake mission, Hurricane Irene, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Irma, Ellicott City, MD flood, COVID-19 pandemic, Tropical Storm Debby flood recovery, tornados, large wildland fires, civil unrest, etc. During his professional career, Mr. Louder has worked extensively with local, state, and Federal agencies from many different disciplines.
Mr. Louder is an adjunct instructor with the Emergency Management Institute, several academic institutions, state training agencies, and training companies. He has made presentations at numerous conferences and seminars across the nation.
Daryl has earned a Master of Science degree in Management and Bachelor of Science degree in Fire Science and Administration from the University of Maryland. He has completed the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard University.

Tod Lemuiex; FDNY Incident Management Team
With over 24 years of service in the New York City Fire Department, Tod has built a career rooted in leadership, safety, and technical expertise. His career has taken him through Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx in both engine and ladder companies, gaining a broad perspective of fire operations across the city’s most challenging environments.
Now assigned to Marine Company 6 in one of the FDNY’s most specialized divisions, Tod is also responsible for helping with the instruction and development maritime firefighting, rescue, and incident response procedures that require precision and adaptability. In addition to the above field experience, he serves as the Lead Safety Officer of the FDNY Incident Management Team.
Tod has deployed across the United States and Canada as an NWCG Line Safety Officer, supporting wildfire incidents in California, Montana, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, and beyond. Tod also served as the Lead Safety Officer during the Ann Street Collapse in NYC, coordinating with and training members of NYC Emergency Management. His career reflects a dedication to safeguarding responders, advancing fire service training, and protecting communities at home and abroad.

Steven North; Incident Commander, Pacific Northwest Team 10; Homeland Security Region 3
Steve is an experienced fire service, ICS/NIMS instructor, and practitioner. He recently retired after 40 years in the fire service, the last 18 years serving as Fire Chief. He is an Incident Commander with Northwest Incident Management Team 10 – a Complex Incident Management Team. In addition, he is an Incident Commander with a regional Type 3 IMT. He serves as the chair of the Washington IMT Coalition and Steering Committee member of the Western Washington Interagency Type 3 Team. Steve has extensive all-hazard experience including responses to Hurricane Helene, the World Trade Center attacks, and the SR 530 landslide in Washington State. Steve has extensive teaching experience, instructing ICS/NIMS related courses across the United States and internationally.

Holly Payne; Response Teams Coordinator,Holly Payne is the Response Teams Coordinator for Incident Management Teams (IMTs) at the Washington State Department of Health, where she leads statewide coordination of public health emergency responses. With nearly 20 years of experience in public health programs, Holly is a certified Type 3 Liaison Officer and serves as the state lead for Emergency Support Function 8 (ESF8), specializing in mobilizing IMTs and fostering collaboration across local, state, and federal partners during health crises. 
Previously, Holly served as a contract manager and policy monitor for the Washington State WIC Nutrition Program, overseeing compliance, program implementation, and policy development. Her career reflects a deep commitment to health equity, community resilience, and effective cross-sector response planning.

Jennifer Pearsall; Founder & Chief Empowerment Officer, EM Wellness LLC
Jennifer Pearsall is an emergency management professional with over a decade of service spanning FEMA, NYC Emergency Management, and the American Red Cross.
She has responded to both traditional weather-related disasters and unusual incidents. These have ranged from a neighborhood-wide sewage backup and a steampipe explosion with asbestos risk, to a failed citywide GPS firmware update that disrupted traffic signals, police data systems, and other agency operations, and even a mass influx of seaweed that was blocking the sole-water intake pipe for a location.
Her experience spans both steady-state and disaster operations. At NYC Emergency Management, she worked in Learning & Development in steady state and shifted to a variety of roles during activations, including serving as Planning Section Chief during the COVID-19 pandemic. She later served as a member of FEMA Region 2’s full-time Incident Management Assistance Team. Whether coordinating from an EOC, pioneering hybrid virtual and in-person operations, or deploying to the field, she brings a perspective shaped by both training and operational response.
Building on this experience, Jennifer is the Founder of EM Wellness LLC, where she empowers purpose-driven professionals and organizations through mentorship development, supported by training and coaching.
As part of her graduate work at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, Jennifer explored how life-changing experiences cultivate unique “superpowers” that enhance effectiveness in emergency management. Drawing from both operational response and her 2025 research, she delivers an interactive approach that blends storytelling, real-time audience engagement, and practical application to help individuals recognize and harness skills gained from adversity.

Gregory J. Pijar; IMT Program Administrator, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
Greg Pijar is an Emergency Management professional with over 30 years of experience in emergency services and disaster response. As Program Manager for the Pennsylvania Incident Management Team, Greg has led teams through high-stakes situations with a focus on preparedness, leadership, and collaboration. Known for his inspiring and approachable style, he brings real-world expertise and a passion for guiding others to succeed under pressure.

Jen Rabuck

Chad Roberson

Jim Rooney; West Metro FireJim Rooney has 40+ years of service within the SAR, Military and Fire Service. He is currently serves as COML on the Rocky Mountain CIMT-2 team and is qualified as both a NWCG and Colorado All-Hazards Communications Unit Leader. During his extended youth, he also served with Appalachian Search & Rescue. He is currently a member of the teaching cadre for State of Colorado's Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

Gordy Sachs; Chief, All Hazard & International Fire Support, U.S. Forest Service
Gordy Sachs currently serves as Chief, All Hazard and International Fire Support with U.S. Forest Service Fire & Aviation Management. Gordy is the Forest Service’s National ESF #4 Coordinator and the primary agency liaison to FEMA, and also serves as Chair or member of several national and international committees.
Gordy has been with Forest Service Fire & Aviation Management for over 18 years in various roles related to wildfire, emergency, and disaster response. He spent six years as Liaison Officer on a National Type 1 Incident Management Team. Prior to coming to the Forest Service, he worked 10 years at FEMA’s U.S. Fire Administration and has 27 years of structural fire service experience, including over ten years as a chief officer in both career and volunteer fire/EMS departments.
Gordy is a graduate of the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program and has a master’s degree in public administration, a bachelor of science in education, and three associate in applied science degrees in fire science disciplines.

Chuck Schuler; Sacramento Regional Fire/EMS Communications Center

Dr. Arthur J. Simental; , Simental Industries Ltd. & EM Disaster Gaming

Dan Smiley; Washington State Maritime Cooperative

Sue Smith ; Response Operations Manager, Washington State Department of HealthSue brings extensive experience in emergency response and incident management, having served in over 20 incident responses in key roles including Planning Section Chief, Resource Unit Leader, and Group Supervisor. As the Planning Section Chief for the Washington State Department of Health’s COVID-19 response, Sue was activated for 750 days-both in-person and virtual activation, overseeing statewide response coordination, strategic process improvement, and interagency collaboration.
In this role, Sue led cross-functional teams responsible for data collection and situational reporting to executive leadership, facilitated stakeholder briefings, and supervised all Planning Section units. Sue also coordinated COVID-19 data efforts directly with the acting State Health Officer to improve data sharing and visualization across the agency.
Sue has served as the Response Teams Coordinator, and was responsible for the readiness, training, and deployment of Incident Management Teams and public health responders across the state. This includes recruiting personnel from local, tribal, and state entities; maintaining ICS training standards; and developing tools like job aids and training programs for all IMT positions.
In addition, Sue served as the agency lead for Information Sharing Capability and as a national Health Alert Network (HAN) coordinator, supporting the advancement of public health data systems. A trained EMAC Deployment Support team member, Sue contributed to national-level workgroups creating deployable public health mission packages.
With over 100 hours of FEMA and leadership training, extensive experience leading planning operations, and a deep commitment to training and readiness, Sue is a recognized leader in incident management and a strong advocate for effective, scalable virtual IMT operations.

Kimberly Speorl; Zoning Administrator/IMT Planning Section , City of Birmingham
Kimberly Speorl has been serving the citizens of Birmingham, Alabama over 18 years. She began her career in 2006 as a Planner, specializing in zoning and subdivisions. In 2016, Kimberly moved to the long-range planning division and began her service as a Senior Planner. During this time, Kimberly worked on long-range planning initiatives, sustainability projects and grants, and assisted the Hazard Mitigation Team during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, Kim was promoted to Zoning Administrator. In this role, she was responsible for managing the short-term planning staff and the administration of the City’s Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Regulations. Also in 2021, Kim was appointed to the Planning Section for the 2022 World Games. After the World Games in 2022, Kim was appointed to the City’s Incident Management Team as the Deputy Planning Section Chief.
Kim received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration from Samford University. She also has a Master’s in Public Administration from The University of Alabama at Birmingham. Kim is an avid sports fan and enjoys volunteering in the youth group at her church and going on mission trips.

Pete Suver; Incident Commander, Homeland Security Region 3
Pete Suver has been serving the community for over four decades, bringing valuable expertise in fire safety, emergency response, and EMS to local, regional, and national responses. With a career starting in 1979, Pete has filled roles as a firefighter, paramedic, and instructor for 45 years. He has responded to all-risk emergencies at all scales, including Type 2 and Type 1 events, as part of Complex, Type 2, and Type 3 IMTs. He was also a field paramedic and EMS system manager for 34 years. Notable responses include Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the World Trade Center terror attacks, the Northridge Earthquake, and many Type 2 and Type 1 wildland fires. He has been instructing Incident Command System courses since 2010.

Kevin Wickersham; Response Section Manager, Washington State Emergency Management Division
Kevin Wickersham, MS, CEM, serves as the Response Section Manager at the Washington State Emergency Management Division in the US. Over the past 15 years he has served in EMS special operations and as an emergency manager in healthcare, higher education, public health and state government. Kevin is a qualified Type 3 All-Hazards Incident Commander and serves as a Planning Section Chief for the US Department of Health and Human Services Incident Management Team for the National Disaster Medical System. He is a graduate of the FEMA National Emergency Management Advanced and Executive Academies and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology from Boston College and a Master’s in Healthcare Emergency Management from the Boston University School of Medicine.

Becky White; Sgt., IMT Law Enforcement Branch Director , Birmingham Police Department

Dr. Edward C. Wolff; Director, L2 Defense, Global Preparedness and SecurityDr. Wolff is the Director of Global Preparedness and Security for L2 Defense. A seasoned sworn law enforcement investigative supervisor and trainer with over four decades of experience conducting and leading complex law enforcement, civil and specialized investigations both domestically (US) and internationally. Holding a Ph.D. in Education and a Master's degree in Executive Leadership, Dr. Wolff combines academic rigor with practical expertise to address multifaceted challenges in intelligence and investigations. With a proven record, Dr. Wolff has worked across diverse operational landscapes, integrating advanced investigative techniques with a deep understanding of global security and investigative dynamics in unclassified and classified environments. Having held key leadership roles at the local, state, federal, military, and international levels, Dr. Wolff has successfully managed high-profile incidents, collaborated with multinational teams, and provided critical insights into dynamic environments. Renowned for integrity, accountability, and operational excellence, Dr. Wolff brings unparalleled expertise and leadership to every investigative and intelligence endeavor

Lori Zazzaro