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2024 – 2025 Executive Committee

Kelly Wheeler | Board Chair

Kelly has worked more than 15 years in the emergency management field, starting out as a Police Dispatcher in Washington State.  Her service includes being a Certified Training Officer, FEMA Telecommunicator Emergency Response Team Lead and Trainer, building department training plans and SOPs, and providing security assessments and design reviews for over 35 public facilities across Oregon & Washington. She now uses her knowledge to help public owner’s manage building new public safety facilities and K-12 facilities to ensure they fit with agency needs and operational requirements.

Celia Taylor | Vice Chair

Celia Taylor is a Senior Manager in the King County Office of Emergency Management (OEM).  She leads OEM’s Planning and Finance Section, which includes planning, financial recovery, and grants management.

She has directed and supported efforts to develop emergency management plans, implement training and exercise programs, and inform and educate the public about hazards and risk reduction for local, state, and federal organizations.

Gail Harris | Director of Sponsorship

Gail recently retired after being in Emergency Management for over 11 years. She oversaw the operational readiness and emergency management plans of Shoreline, WA; did exercise design and implementation for police, fire, and city staff; and provided public education and planning for businesses and neighborhoods. Prior to that she served 24 years as a law enforcement officer and attained the rank of Commander in Redmond, WA.

Jade Jeter-Hill | Director of Marketing

As an Emergency Management and Security Professional I am a committed to developing and maintaining effective relationships with members of campus communities, emergency response, law enforcement, local businesses and community members. I am known for being responsive and creative in developing emergency preparedness and safety presentations as well as encouraging professional growth and ongoing education for teams I work with and manage. With over 10 years in training and leading teams across a number of volunteer, training, and corporate organizations I bring solid problem solving, leadership and strategic planning skills.

Heidi Rock | Treasurer

Heidi Rock is an Emergency Preparedness Program Manager for MultiCare Health System with 22+ years of healthcare experience, to include pre-hospital, emergency room and 8 years in Emergency Preparedness. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and has a passion for all aspects of healthcare preparedness and response. Family is the most important thing in Heidi’s life and she is inspired daily by her husband, two daughters and her 4-year-old granddaughter.

Kelly Kasper | Secretary

As the owner of HT2 Consulting, Kelly helps you get prepared for earthquakes, windstorms and other interruptions likely to occur in the Pacific NW. She’s also the Executive Director of the Certified Safety Specialist Apprenticeship Program. For almost a decade she worked for the American Red Cross in Seattle, WA. This included being project manager for Safe in the Sound, an awareness campaign aimed to better prepare 1 million people within Western Washington for disasters and emergencies.

Sarah Nuss | Education Chair

Sarah Nuss (she / her) is a public health and safety professional, with enthusiasm for community preparedness, public education/engagement, and working collaboratively across diverse jurisdictions and sectors. Sarah holds master’s degrees in public health and homeland security from Tulane University.

Sarah’s professional experience includes public health work, focusing on reducing violent crime and recidivism, implementing public health programs for incarcerated populations, evaluating information sharing across law enforcement agencies, maritime security, and emergency management/homeland security focused projects.

Sarah’s passion lies at the intersection of public health and emergency preparedness, focusing on promoting safe and resilient communities through engagement with the whole community.

Currently, Sarah serves as the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Spokane.

Ted Buehner | Past Board Chair

As the owner of HT2 Consulting, Kelly helps you get prepared for earthquakes, windstorms and other interruptions likely to occur in the Pacific NW. She’s also the Executive Director of the Certified Safety Specialist Apprenticeship Program. For almost a decade she worked for the American Red Cross in Seattle, WA. This included being project manager for Safe in the Sound, an awareness campaign aimed to better prepare 1 million people within Western Washington for disasters and emergencies.