How long have you been an FCCMA member and why did you join?
I have been a member since 2018.
Are you an ICMA member? Why did you join, and how long have you been a member?
Yes, since 2018. I have been in public service for over 30 years and in the past several years I have looked to grow beyond public safety into a greater leadership role in local government.
Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education.
Bachelor’s Degree in Organizational Management from Palm Beach Atlantic University
Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Palm Beach Atlantic University
Also hold Florida Professional Emergency Management Certification.
Why did you select a career in public service?
My family has an extensive history of service especially in public safety. My father worked as an EMT and volunteer firefighter. He also served in the Air Force Reserves and we would regularly go with him when he did his annual training. These experiences left me with a desire to serve in the military and pursue public service. I started my career by joining the Air Force Reserve as a flight medic and ultimately that background led me to the fire service.
Have you always been in the public sector, or have you had experience in the private sector?
Before joining the Air Force, I worked at a hospital and trauma center. During my career, I have also assisted my wife in forming a design firm. My role included representing the firm in gaining new clients, managing clients, and various other support. We also did consulting in areas of emergency management. While we did not have employees, we did use contractors for specific needs depending upon the project.
Please tell us about your current position and give a brief job description if you are not a City Administrator/Manager.
I serve as the Director of Emergency Services for Sarasota County. Emergency Services has 630 employees serving across four main divisions including the Fire Department, Lifeguards, Emergency Management, and Public Safety Communications. The majority of the team works in the Fire Department where we have 25 fire and EMS stations. My job is to provide leadership, strategic direction, and support to the various division managers. During disasters I work directly with County Administration to ensure successful response and recovery across the community.
Please describe your typical day.
The majority of my time in a typical day includes moving strategic level initiatives to fruition. It truly takes a team, and I am grateful for having great leaders in emergency services. We work to advance our public safety initiatives especially in areas that leverage technology to advance effectiveness and efficiency in our services. I spend a good deal of time building relationships across county departments and community partners. Additionally, we have experienced multiple activations of our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) over the past several years. I work very closely with our Emergency Management Team to prepare for disasters as well as assess our activations for any enhancements to our operations.
What is your favorite part of the job?
Being in Emergency Services, I am fortunate to readily see the impacts of our work in the community. No county wants to have a disaster in their community; however, being prepared is essential to the role. As an Emergency Manager, I find fulfillment in the collaboration of working with multiple departments and agencies in preparing for and responding to disasters. Seeing the team come together to solve issues, implement the plans, and support one another truly exemplifies the essence of public service.
What is your least favorite part of the job?
It is hard to find something that you don’t like when you believe you have one of the best jobs in the world. My dad told me when I was young to do something you love and you will never work a day in your life. Sure, I have challenging days, but I remember my dad’s advice and I focus on being grateful for the opportunity to serve in my community.
If you are involved in any volunteer or leadership activities in your community, please share with us a bit about what you do and why it is important to you.
I enjoy providing career guidance and mentoring to those interested in public service careers. I mentor several individuals both inside and outside of the county on career advice related to educational pursuits, certification attainment, and general leadership.
What is your most memorable experience on the job?
There are many; however, if I pick one of the most recent, it would be our response to COVID. Most specifically, the distribution of the CARES Act funding in our community. As part of COVID, our County Administrator asked Emergency Services to oversee the development of programs and distribution of funding. We put a great team together with leaders and employees across the County and Constitutional Offices. The team worked tirelessly to build a program that met Treasury guidance, included excellent fraud controls, and ultimately distributed over 64 million dollars to the community in less than 4 months.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I enjoy photography, wood working, and fishing. But my most favorite hobby is cooking. I find it a great stress relief and enjoy smoking BBQ and cooking anything from the Mediterranean region.
If you could give one piece of advice to people interested in a career in public service, what would it be?
It is important to know that it is never about you; it is about Ms. Smith. Everything you do should be about the citizens. And, in everything you do, it should also be about making it better for those coming up behind you. If you keep those two things in sight, your decisions should always be in alignment with the service to the community.
Who were your mentors and how have you passed this information down to other aspiring public administrators?
I have had incredible mentors in my life. I would not be here if not for each of them and the things they have taught me. My most recent mentor is my current County Administrator, Jonathan Lewis. I let him know the areas in which I wanted to grow, and he has regularly given me challenging assignments; which have stretched my growth. He has great trust in his team and has a great way of providing guidance without giving you the answer. I work to implement these same concepts in my leadership and when I mentor team members.
What career would you pick if you were to pick another?
If I had to pick any other occupation it would involve culinary such as owning a food truck or restaurant. I truly enjoy cooking for others.
Do you have a story you can share about how being a member of FCCMA has helped you or impacted you in a positive way?
I am relatively new to FCCMA and have joined the conference committee this year. I am enjoying the experience as well as meeting and working with members from across the state. I am grateful for the ability to grow and learn from others.
