Partnering for the Future of Emergency Management
The emergency management threat landscape is changing—and so is technology. As new advancements come to market at a rapid pace, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is leading research and building partnerships to better understand the evolving hazards and technology needs. As a national laboratory located in Washington State, PNNL has a long-standing history of partnering to support local and regional preparedness, resiliency, response, and recovery. Through the Northwest Regional Technology Center and projects with the Department of Homeland Security, the laboratory has put unmatched focus on connecting with first responders and emergency managers to close the gap between emerging threats and challenges and science and technology solutions. In decades of operations, this has resulted in numerous technology pilots, operational field assessments, regional workshops, and more. This panel will convene PNNL researchers, local-area emergency managers, and other public safety stakeholders to share several of these efforts and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing first responder technology, emergency operation centers, and the overall emergency management field of tomorrow.
About the Moderator
Ryan Eddy serves as the director for Homeland Security Programs in the National Security Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). He oversees the work PNNL performs for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that encompasses nearly 50 diverse projects and over $100M worth of annual business. Eddy manages a team that engages with a multitude of components across DHS in such areas as explosives detection, nuclear security, and cybersecurity. By drawing on his years of experience in Washington, DC, Mr. Eddy oversees program development strategies for DHS sponsors that assure PNNL is delivering mission-relevant work. DHS sponsors at PNNL include the Combatting Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, Science & Technology Directorate, Customs and Border Protection, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and Transportation Security Administration among others.
About the Panelists
Ann Lesperance is the Director of the Northwest Regional Technology Center at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. She has over 30 years of experience as a researcher and project manager and her primary focus is developing regional programs to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of new homeland security technologies. Ms. Lesperance works with state and local emergency responders and public safety officials and builds regional coalitions of emergency management professionals to understand and help prioritize their operational needs and requirements. Ms. Lesperance serves on the NASEM Committee on Applied Research Topics for Hazard Mitigation and Resilience and has a joint appointment at the Northeastern University Seattle campus.
Curry Mayer is the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Seattle. Prior to working in Seattle, she served as the Emergency Manager in Bellevue, WA for four years. Ms. Mayer has 30 years of experience in emergency management and homeland security. She came to Washington State after 20 years in California developing and supporting state and local emergency management programs. Ms. Mayer started her career in Washington D.C., working for Booz-Allen Hamilton in Washington D.C. on contracts for the White House Military Office, United Nations, Department of the Army, and the National Guard Bureau.
Robert Ezelle serves as Director of the Washington Military Department’s Emergency Management Division, which is responsible for leading and coordinating mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery activities to minimize the impact of disasters and emergencies on the people, property, environment and economy of Washington State. During his tenure, the State has successfully supported the response to and recovery from numerous major disasters to include the COVID-19 pandemic, the SR 530 Oso Landslide, the record-setting wildfire seasons of 2014 and 2015, and a host of devastating weather events. Before joining EMD, Mr. Ezelle served for 30 years in the United States Air Force and Washington Air National Guard, culminating in various senior leadership roles.