Introduction

In 2021, she co-founded Resilience Think Tank, an independent guidance and research provider for risk and resilience. She has managed numerous high-profile crisis incidents, including pandemics, natural disasters, white powder, network & power outages, and terrorist incidents.

Ashley began her career as a member of the American Red Cross’ September 11 Recovery Program in NYC and served as the Director of Emergency Services for the MA Dept. of Mental Health. She was an adjunct Sr. Instructure-Disaster & Terrorism for healthcare administrators and specialized in Crisis Management, BC, and Operational Resilience for a Fortune 100 company.

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashley-goosman/

Introduction

Gabe Lavine has more than 19 years of experience in emergency services and management, public safety, first response, military combat arms, reconnaissance, specialized operations, diplomatic security, intelligence, special weapons and tactics, incident management team leadership, and recovery operations. He was an infantry and reconnaissance officer in the United States Marine Corps with multiple combat deployments overseas. His emergency management experience encompasses state and local service to include the city and county levels as well as with nationally deployable incident management teams as an incident commander. Gabe currently serves as the director of the Arizona Division of Emergency Management, one of five divisions in the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs. In this role, he manages the state’s emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts, and supports county and tribal emergency managers.

Key Positions

- Director Arizona Division of Emergency Management

- Administrator City of Sugar Land Office of Emergency Management

- Incident Commander / Region 2 Deputy Team Leader Texas All Hazards Incident Management Team

- Director Cochise County Office of Emergency Management

- High Threat Protection Specialist US Department of State Afghanistan

- Major, United State Marine Corps

- 4th Recon Battalion Delta Company Operations Officer

- III MEF Special Mission Branch Officer In Charge

- 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Charlie Company Commander

- Board Vice President Blacksburg Rescue Squad

- Field Supervisor Special Operations Division Blacksburg Rescue Squad

- Chair Houston UASI Technology Committee

- Co-Chair Southeast Texas Regional Advisor Committee South Corridor

- EM Representative Governors Homeland Security Regional Advisory Council

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriel-lavine-723260ab/

Introduction

Carley Fitzgerald, GISP, is an accomplished Geographic Information Science (GIS) Professional with 13 years of experience in the public and private sectors. With experience at transportation and engineering firms, as well as municipal, county, and regional government entities, Carley has a deep understanding of GIS applications across diverse industries.

Currently serving as a GIS Manager in the Critical Infrastructure Division at Highlands County, Carley oversees the management of a county-wide enterprise GIS system with over 100 users. Her role is 'Disaster Essential' and requires activation to the County EOC for significant events, including Hurricane Dorian (2019), the COVID-19 pandemic (2020/2021), Hurricane Ian (2022), and Hurricane Nicole (2022). Her remarkable contributions during Hurricane Ian earned her the esteemed 'Life Saver' Challenge Coin from the Highlands County Fire Department.

Carley's exceptional skills in leveraging GIS for impactful insights were recognized through her nomination and achievement as a finalist in the COVID Data Hero Awards. She also served as a guest panelist at the New England URISA's 2020 Conference, sharing her experiences on social justice and equality through her work with Women in GIS.

Carley Fitzgerald's dedication to GIS excellence, contributions to disaster management, and community engagement establish her as a valued expert in her field.

Key Positions

- Geographic Information Science (GIS) Manager, Highlands County, FL

- GIS Analyst, City of Plantation, FL

- GIS Analyst / Environmental Scientist, Gannett Fleming, Miami, FL

- Board Member & Professional Development Committee Lead, Women in GIS

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carleyacfitzgerald/

Introduction

Tim Cohen has over 15 years of Crisis Management, Emergency Management, and Incident Management experience. His career includes 15 years as an open source intelligence analyst, international crisis response coordinator, manager of global operations for a global risk consultancy, emergency manager, and crisis management program manager. He has responded to kidnappings, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, cybersecurity incidents as well as managing the response to the Covid-19 pandemic for one of the top business schools in the world. Tim is currently a Staff Security Incident Commander at ServiceNow.

Key Positions

- Staff Security Incident Commander, ServiceNow

- Manager, Corporate Incident Management, Twilio, Inc.

- Program Manager, Crisis Management, Twilio, Inc.

- Emergency and Business Continuity Manager, Stanford University Graduate School of Business

- Manager of Global Operations, TAM-C Solutions

- Special Project/Crisis Response Coordinator, TAM-C Solutions

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothy-cohen-3612b88/

Introduction

Tom Fargione joined FEMA in 2009 and served as Team Leader (SES) for the National Incident Management Assistance Team Blue from 2017 until his retirement in April of 2023. Tom was responsible for ensuring the team had the capability and capacity to respond immediately and effectively to the worst disasters likely to befall the country. In this role, he regularly engaged with the FEMA response organization to develop and promulgate doctrine, policy, and procedures to support the Agency’s mission to reduce suffering for all disaster survivors. Additionally, he is responsible for creating and maintaining a dialog with similar teams at the state and local level, and to participate in programs to continuously improve the Incident Management Team system at FEMA and elsewhere in the country as requested.

Tom was previously the team’s Operations Section Chief, charged with ensuring a synchronized, integrated, strategic, and tactical approach to federal response in support of survivor needs. Similar to this previous position, as Team Leader, Tom worked with other federal agencies and regional partners to assure operational integration and coordination through planning, training and exercise.

Experienced in responding to incidents and threats throughout diverse geographic, cultural, and demographic areas – from NYC to the Pacific and Caribbean U.S. territories and commonwealths – Tom has worked several benchmark disasters while, including the 9/11 World Trade Center response, Hurricane Sandy, and the historic 2004 and 2017 hurricane seasons. During the 2017 Hurricane season, Tom managed the response for assigned states and territories during the 2017 hurricane season and served as the Operations Section Chief for Hurricane Sandy in New York.

Mr. Fargione has supported FEMA disaster response in numerous key leadership positions including: Federal Coordinating Officer; Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for Response; Assistant FCO charged with overseeing and directing the Operations and Planning functions; Operations Section Chief; and Assistant Operations Chief for Planning (Planning Ops). Tom also spent six months as the Acting Regional Administrator for FEMA Region II (NY, NJ, PR, USVI) during the height of the COVID epidemic, and was the FCO for all 4 states.

Tom has commanded significant numbers of responders (20,00+) utilizing the concepts of Unified Command and Unified Effort across a wide range of incidents including: wildfires; large vessel capsize; missing person searches; human and animal disease identification/control; landslides; dam failure; severe flooding; snow emergencies; bridge failure; hurricane relief; mass fatality incidents, and major police tactical operations.

Before joining the National IMAT, Tom was the FEMA Region II IMAT Team Leader, where he was responsible for overseeing the development and maintenance of IMAT capability and capacity for the Region, including the development of deployment strategies that balanced response needs against the requirements for running the Regional Response Coordination Center.

Tom has also participated as a subject matter expert on working groups charged with developing doctrinal manuals for the FEMA Qualification System, Incident Response and Incident Action Plans.

In addition to his federal service, Tom has worked in various capacities as an emergency manager and first responder at both the state and local levels. Tom joined FEMA after serving as Deputy Director for Response for the New York State Office of Emergency Management and Incident Commander for New York State's Type 2 (All-hazard) Incident Management Team. Prior to his state and federal emergency management career, Tom served as a Police Officer for 31 years, spending 18 years in Special Investigations and 10 years in Critical Incident Management.

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-fargione-40a3a01b/

Introduction

Ryan Caughill is an experienced Technology Disaster Recovery and Crisis Manager for M&T Bank. Additionally, Ryan is the Director of the Buffalo Naval Park Office of Disaster Management & Preparedness, an all-volunteer position. Ryan is a volunteer with the Sullivans Division and Training Ship Little Rock of the US Naval Sea Cadet Corps in Buffalo, NY where he is in year 15 and currently serves as the Operations Officer. As the Ops Officer he has worked to introduce disaster preparedness to the 10-18 year old cadets through the establishment of the annual Horizon Guardian exercise which involves NYS, Erie County (NY), and the US Coast Guard. While he has spent a minimal amount of time in the field, he has activated for disasters such as Hurricane Ian, the 2023 Northeast Flooding, and the Blizzard of 2022, of which he was helping mange the impact as it occurred right outside his window, trapping him for 9 days. Ryan graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2020 with a BS in Emergency Management and a minor in communications.

Key positions:

- Assistant Vice-President, M&T Bank Crisis Management Office

- Director, Buffalo Naval Park Office of Disaster Management & Preparedness

- Lieutenant Junior Grade, US Naval Sea Cadet Corps

Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-caughill-6a1439129/

Introduction

Ed McCrane has over 21 years of Emergency Response and Emergency Management experience and is currently serving as the Emergency Management Chief for Sarasota County, Florida.

He is a Florida Professional Emergency Manager (FPEM) and has extensive experience in emergency management, including his role as the Region 4 Coordinator for the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). While with FDEM he served as state liaison for seven area emergency management agencies and responded to seven major hurricanes to provide state assistance to impacted counties.

A U.S. Army veteran of 22 years, his experience includes Multi-National Force & Observers, Sinai Egypt, Operation Just Cause in Panama and JTF 94-95 Operation Sea-Signal, Cuban mass migration in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After the attack on September 11th, he was instrumental in training the Florida National Guard to work in Florida’s airports, seaports, and nuclear power facilities.

While serving as EM Chief for Sarasota County, Ed has served as the Incident Manager for 3 Major Hurricanes, 7 Tropical Storms, 1 Tornado, H1N1 Pandemic, Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill, and the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Ed has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Ashford University and is a recipient of the Florida Distinguished Service Medal.

Key Positions

- Chief (Director) Sarasota County Emergency Management

- Chair Sarasota County Local Mitigation Strategy Working Group

- Regional Response Coordinator (Region 4) Florida Division of Emergency Management

- Military Support to Civil Authorities Coordinator, Department of Military Affairs (FLNG)

US Army:

- Senior Enlisted Advisor to the 53rd Infantry Brigade, Florida National Guard

- Battalion Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge 2nd Bn/5th Inf 25th Infantry Division

- Rifle Platoon Leader & Logistics Support Platoon Sergeant 2/9 Infantry

- U.S Army Recruiter San Antonio, Texas

- U.S. Army Drill Instructor Fort Jackson, South Carolina

Contact Information

linkedin.com/in/Edward-j-mccrane-jr

[email protected]

Introduction

Craig Biscuiti has a had a long career in the field of Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Management. Becoming a member of the youth squad of the Woodhaven Richmond-Hill Volunteer Ambulance Corps. in 1986, he knew that he wanted to pursue a career in EMS. He became an EMT in 1991, and in 2002 obtained his Paramedic certification and is also a New York State certified Hazardous Materials Technician. Craig is also an EMS Educator, teaching for EMT and Paramedic programs and has been with NewYork-Presbyterian since 1998 where he currently serves as the Supervisor of Emergency Management.

In 2014 Craig took a position with New York City Emergency Management as a Watch Command Supervisor where he was able to hone his skills in Emergency Management Operations with a concentration in leveraging several platforms in intelligence gathering. He was the recipient of several certificates of commendation for his work involving several high-profile incidents that took place in New York City, including the 2015 2nd Avenue explosion and building collapse as well as the 2016 Tribeca terrorist attack.

In 2017, Craig returned to NYP as a Supervisor of Emergency Preparedness where his responsibilities include overseeing the teaching of the Stop the Bleed Program and CPR instruction for the Security Department as well as overseeing the implementation of several intelligence gathering platforms that are utilized in the NewYork-Presbyterian Emergency Operations Center. In addition, Craig teaches several classes to hospital staff in decontamination. Craig received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Management in January in 2023.

Craig currently resides in Queens with his wife and three children.

Contact Information

https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-biscuiti-300a5725/

Introduction

-Tim Marshall is the Director of Public Safety for Steuben County New York. He has been an employee by Steuben County since September of 1997 serving as the Deputy Director of Emergency Services, then Director in 2012. Tim was appointed as Director of Public Safety in 2021.

-Tim is a Certified Emergency Manager with the International Association of Emergency Mangers. He holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Protection Technology from Corning Community College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Emergency Management from State University of New York Empire State College.

-Tim has nearly forty years of Fire and Emergency Management experience, teaching and lecturing on various different topics. A rural Emergency Manger from Upstate NY, Tim has 15 Federally Declared Disaster Declarations under his belt. He has worked such disasters as the World Trade Center Attacks on 9/11, Severe Weather Events and other local emergencies. Most recently he served as the Operations Section Chief for the County’s COVID-19 response which was the largest activation in County history.

-Tim oversees the Office of Emergency Services as well as the Enhanced 911 Department. As Director of Public Safety he serves as the Emergency Manager, Fire Coordinator, EMS Coordinator, Director of 911, Radio Communications Officer, and also oversees the County’s Coroner’s Office.

-A longtime member of the Bath Volunteer Fire Department, Tim also served as the Disaster Chairman of the Northern Steuben Chapter of the American Red Cross. He served on the chapter’s Board of Directors for seven years and held the position of Board Chairman in 1995.

https://youtu.be/Lt6oZ_XQbtE

https://www.weny.com/story/44581738/woodhull-town-hall-offering-help-to-flood-victims

https://www.weny.com/story/44573872/woodhull-community-gives-back-to-those-hit-by-flash-floods

https://www.mytwintiers.com/news-cat/local-news/flooding-clean-up-and-recovery-efforts-are-underway/

Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-marshall-6779b82a/