Michael J. Willis Appointed Colorado Emergency Management Director

Michael J. Willis begins his tenure as the Director of the Colorado Office of Emergency Management within the Division of Homeland Security and EmergencyManagement (DHSEM) on November 15, 2017.

Willis brings more than 28 years of leadership experience as an active duty and Colorado active guard/ reserve officer. Most recently he served as the Assistant Adjutant General of the Colorado National Guard for cyber, space and missile defense. He also served in numerous other leadership roles within the National Guard with broad responsibilities for strategic planning, complex operations, program management, logistics and financial management.

Willis also has extensive experience in disaster relief and all-hazards response and recovery operations including several missions within Colorado. During the 2013 Colorado floods, Willis served as the operational commander for the Colorado National Guard’s ground search and rescue efforts as well as the rebuilding of highway 36. His service to Colorado also includes support during the 2008 Windsor tornado and the 2008 Democratic National Convention

“Michael Willis is the right person at the right time and will provide critical leadership, guidance and direction for the Office of Emergency Management that will continue and enhance our success before, during and after disasters that impact Colorado”, states Kevin Klein, Director of the DHSEM. “We are fortunate to have his vast experience and knowledge to lead us forward.”

Willis holds a Master’s of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College and a Master’s of Science in space systems operations from Webster University. He received his Bachelor of Art’s degree in Psychology from the University of Colorado.

Willis was selected as the emergency management director after an extensive national search and over 60 applicants.

Registration Open for 2016 Colorado Integrated Emergency Management Conference

Capability and Capacity: Preparedness Isn't By Chance

Registration is now open for the 2016 Colorado Integrated Emergency Management Conference. 

Conference Logistics

Date:            March 8-10, 2016

Location:     Hotel Elegante Conference & Event Center

Address: 2886 S Circle Dr.,Colorado Springs, Colo., 80906

Conference Fee: $225 before February 1, 2016 and $275 after February 1, 2016.

Registration Information

• Registration closes on February 22, 2016.  No walk-in registrations will be accepted at the conference. 

• Conference attendees, speakers, vendors and volunteers registering for the conference please click register online.

• If you have any questions on registering for the conference please send an email to cemapresident@gmail.com (link sends e-mail)

Hotel Reservations

Reserve a room through the  hotel's reservation page.  Let hotel reservations staff know you are with the CEMA 2016 Emergency Management Conference. The CEMA hotel group code is 1421900.

Conference Hashtag and Social Media Updates

The  hashtag for the 2016 conference will be #COEM2016.  Updates will be posted on Twitter on @COEmergency and  @cemacolorado.  Updates will be posted on the COEmergency Facebook page.  Lastly, website updates can be found at www.COEmergency.com and www.CEMAColorado.com.

Congratulations Graduates of the 2015 Colorado Emergency Management Academy

Congratulations to the 2015 Colorado Emergency Management Academy Graduates.  Today, after six months of learning about the emergency management process before, during and after disasters and completing a full-scale emergency operations center exercise more than 30 individuals completed the academy.

Congratulations to the Class of 2015

Name	Agency
Mike Alexander	Douglas County SO
Don Angel	Montrose County
Karen Bellerose	San Miguel County SO
Jean Borrego	Pueblo City-County Health Department
Gordon Brenner	Colorado Springs OEM
Sally Broomfield	American Red Cross
David Burns	City of Evans
Ashley Cappel	Arapahoe County
Doug Caven	Boulder County
Ron Celentano	Jefferson County
Lisa Ciazza	City of Aurora
Garry DeJong	CDPHE-OEPR
Bart Evans	El Paso County
Ty Gates	Rio Blanco County
Andrew Glendenning	Weld County Public Health
Bob Heldenbrand	Phillips County OEM
Gus Hendricks	City of Grand Juntion EM
Bart Howard	Colorado Springs
Nathan Hunerwadel	DHSEM
Ken Jansma	Colorado Plains Medical Center
Mike Long	Grand Lake Fire Protection District
Jeff Newsome	Adams County
Robert Noel	South Adams Fire Department
Dana Reynolds	DHSEM
Steve Schroder	Delta County
Tracy Swearingen	Pueblo County SO
Don Taylor	City of Black Hawk
David Vitwar	Colorado Springs
Jeffrey Wright	Delta County Emergency Management

Announcement: DHSEM Division Changes

DHSEM Director Kevin Klein announced the following changes effective May 1 for the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

I wanted to update all of you on some important changes that are being made within the Division, some upcoming initiatives and highlight a few accomplishments.

 

Building Our Leadership Depth

In order to further develop experience and knowledge within our leadership, effective today, 1 May directors Hard and Reynolds will exchange positions. Dave and Dana both possess unique skill sets, and the change in positions will add to their professional development and the Division’s depth of knowledge and resiliency.

This exchange in leadership will improve continuity at the director level. It will also allow more flexibility in management of day-to-day operations. There is a transition plan for Dave and Dana that includes the ability to backstop each other in specific areas where they have expertise, especially in emergency operations.

 

Program Moves

Also effective today, I am also transferring certain programs to other branches in order to enhance and streamline our efficiency and effectiveness and to eliminate duplication of efforts.

The Training & Exercise Section will report to Director Hard within the Support Branch. The move of the Training and Exercise Section is designed to broaden its programmatic areas and address span of control issues. I believe this move will help enhance our all hazards approach to our statewide, multi-disciplinary training and exercises capability.

Critical Infrastructure & Cyber Protection will report to Director Burt in the CIAC Branch. This is consistent with the increased role fusion centers are taking in cyber-security and intelligence sharing related to critical infrastructure protection. This change will help streamline the threat assessment process, classified briefings related to cyber and critical infrastructure threats and help expand the public-private partnerships that are currently being worked both in the CIAC and Support Services Branch. This change ensures better alignment of our prevention and protection efforts, and the expertise and passion that Jory brings to the program will significantly enhance the CIAC’s capabilities in these areas.

I recognize that restructurings can be challenging and create change fatigue within our Division. The Directors and I will work diligently to ensure a smooth transition. I am confident in the end that these changes will make us more efficient and effective while bringing value to all division stakeholders.

Call for Presenters: Colorado Emergency Management Conference

Comprehensive Emergency Management:  It Takes Remarkable People

 

2015 Colorado Emergency Management Conference
 

Request for Speakers

Planning for the 2015 Colorado Emergency Management Conference is underway. The Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Colorado Emergency Managers Association (CEMA), have joined forces with public health and medical, fire, law enforcement, local and county government, EMS, Non-governmental organizations, and private citizens to develop a comprehensive conference agenda with a focus on “Comprehensive Emergency Management – It Takes Remarkable People.” The 2015 Emergency Management Conference Committee is dedicated to improving the Colorado Emergency Management Conference by building on past success and we need your creativity and subject matter expertise.

We will host the conference February 24–26, 2015. This three-day conference will feature speakers from across the state on a range of topics from health and medical, emergency management, to emergency medical response, law enforcement and fire, designed to empower all emergency support functions to become better integrated risk managers in our fields. Although the conference is several months away, preparations are underway. This year’s call for speakers is one step toward producing a vibrant and educational conference.

Download the Request for Speaker Form.

DHSEM Hiring Six Emergency Management - Local Recovery Coordinators

An announcement is posted to hire six Emergency Management - Local Recovery Coordinators. These positions have an employment time period up to 24 months, specific to assisting local jurisdictions with recovery from the 2013 Colorado Flooding. To view the details for the open positions, please visit the State Employment page at http://bit.ly/17OnubK.

The closing date for application of these positions is Wednesday, October 23, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Position duties

Local Long Term Flood Recovery Technical Assistance

• Assist the local leader for the assigned community(ies).
• As requested, help local officials identify specific and achievable solutions to ongoing recovery challenges.
• Work with local government, DOLA Regional Managers, and DHSEM Mitigation and Recovery, Field Services, and Operations staff to identify stakeholders for a local long-term recovery planning process.
• In support of local communities, work with CWCB, COEM, FEMA, NRCS and other stakeholders on stream restoration projects.
• In partnership with DOLA staff, DHSEM Mitigation and Recovery, Field Services, and Operations Staff, FEMA and other relevant state and federal partners, support and document the local recovery planning process.
• Identify and, at the local government’s request, pursue funding sources for local recovery projects.
• Support implementation of identified projects in local long-term recovery plans; track and document progress.
• Support local efforts to engage and inform the public throughout the local planning process and implementation of projects; schedule, support and attend public meetings as requested by local government.
• Support local government in efforts to maintain engagement of stakeholders throughout the long-term recovery process.
• Assist local governments with coordination, administration, and facilitation of activities with any established non-governmental agencies, Long-Term Recovery Groups or non-governmental agency coalitions supporting individual and family recovery.
• Work with FEMA, local government agencies and non-governmental agencies to assess ongoing individual unmet needs and connect individuals to FEMA Individual Assistance or non-governmental agency resources as available.
• Identify gaps in local recovery efforts; work with local, state, federal and non-governmental partners to connect resources to the community.
• Provide quarterly reports to OEM on employee’s activities in progress or completed, actions to be taken and a proposed schedule of those actions.

FEMA Recovery Programs Support

• Support development of Public Assistance project worksheets for FEMA Disasters 4145-DR-CO.
• Assist the communities or at the community’s request function as the communities’ project manager/liaison for FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects.
• Assist the communities or, as requested by the local government, function as the communities’ grant administrator/liaison for grants associated with the FEMA Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs.
• Support local governments in the identification and oversight of contractors necessary to implement Public Assistance projects.
• Support identification of FEMA Public Assistance 406 Mitigation projects.
• Support identification and development of scopes of work for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects.
• Work with FEMA Public Assistance Coordinators, State Public Assistance Coordinators, DHSEM Mitigation and Recovery, Field Services, and Operations Staff, and local government representatives to implement local Public Assistance or Hazard Mitigation Grant Program projects.
• Where feasible, help local communities identify potential Public Assistance Alternate Project opportunities; support development of acceptable and achievable alternate project scopes of work.
• Support local governments in the tracking of expenses, submission of reimbursement requests and closeout of projects.
• Support communities in identifying, scoping, implementing projects and tracking finances for projects that require multiple funding streams, such as Public Assistance, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the Natural Resources Conservation Service Emergency Watershed Protection Program, or other federal and state programs.
• Assist communities in lining up technical assistance options.
• Support local communities in the identification and tracking of local matching costs, including volunteer hours.
• Work with FEMA and COEM to track progress, assess effectiveness and identify any improvements with the Individual Assistance Program and housing operations.
• Provide quarterly reports to OEM on employee’s activities in progress or completed, actions to be taken and a proposed schedule of those actions.

Save the Date: 2014 Colorado Emergency Management Conference February 25-27

Planning for the 2014 Colorado Emergency Management Conference is underway. We are developing the conference agenda with a focus on “Partner Integration – Your Piece of the Puzzle”. The 2014 Emergency Management Conference Committee is dedicated to improving the Colorado Emergency Management Conference by building on past successes and opening the door to new ideas that will attract all of our partners to participate.

The conference will be held February 25-27, 2014 in Loveland Colorado at the Embassy Suites. This three-day conference will feature speakers from across the state on a range of topics from health and medical, emergency management, to emergency medical response, law enforcement and fire, designed to empower all emergency support functions to become better integrated risk managers in our fields.

Our conference is more than emergency management based (although this remains an important topic). We are committed to integration, all-hazards community risk reduction, instructional methodology and program improvement. Colorado has faced unprecedented disasters in the last few years. These disasters have highlighted the need to improve coordination and collaboration through multidiciplinary, integrative preparedness activities. We are looking forward to providing exciting learning opportunities that will attract participation across our whole community.

If you are interested in speaking at the conference, please submit your proposal here: https://docs.google.com/a/state.co.us/forms/d/1f57SzGnvGFSjJclXFTWQqyS-jGzD7XkCK1YXXt7x2Ac/viewform?edit_requested=true

For more information, please go to: www.cemacolorado.org