Bryan has had a rapid rise in our profession. He started (I think--he could have been somewhere before Walmart) with working at Walmart and then moved to take over the top position in Florida after Craig Fugate left for D.C. and a failed interim State Director imploded. If he is interested he might just aspire to become a future frustrated Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator at some point in the future. He has decades of service to go, so who knows?
A copy of the NEMA news release is below:
Lexington, KY – The director of Georgia’s Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA) has been elected to serve as president of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) for the 2013-2014 term of office. In this role Charley English will provide strategic direction and leadership for the non-profit organization that represents emergency management directors in the 50 states, U.S. territories and District of Columbia who are responsible to their governors for all hazards emergency preparedness, mitigation, response and recovery.
According to NEMA Executive Director Trina Sheets, Charley English “is highly regarded by his peers, has a common sense approach, works well across many disciplines, the private sector and faith-based community.”
“Charley does a fantastic job preparing for and responding to emergencies that strike our state, and he’s a great leader for his counterparts throughout the nation. He has a servant’s heart that will guide his actions as he provides strategic direction to the Association’s business. We’re proud of Charley and are glad to see that leaders in other states have so much respect for his ability,” said Georgia Governor Nathan Deal.
Upon assuming the role of NEMA president, English said, “I am grateful to my fellow state directors for allowing me to serve them as president and to Governor Nathan Deal for supporting me in seeking this leadership position. It is important that state emergency management agencies constantly improve our services to citizens and local governments in times of their greatest need. NEMA is instrumental in our ongoing quest to constantly improve disaster response and recovery as we share best practices and learn from each other’s experiences.”
English began his career in public service in 1980 as a local police officer. He joined the emergency management profession at GEMA in 1996 and was appointed director in 2006. He earned a master’s degree in Homeland Security in 2004 from the Naval Postgraduate School. English resides in Fayetteville, Georgia, with his wife, Ronda, and three children.
NEMA elected three other officer positions in conjunction with its 2013 Annual Forum. Bryan Koon of the Florida Division of Emergency Management will serve as vice president and assume the role of NEMA president in 2014. Dave Hard, director of the Colorado Division of Emergency Management will serve as treasurer and William “Bill” Hackett, director of the State of Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, will serve as secretary.
