National Disaster Preparedness Training Center University of Hawaii
828 Fort Street Mall, Suite 320
Honolulu, HI 96813
Phone: 808-956-0600
https://ndptc.hawaii.edu
Dr. Karl Kim is Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and Director of the graduate program in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance. He studies transportation, cities, and resilience.
He served as the Chief Academic Officer (Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs) overseeing tenure and promotion, strategic planning, international programs and program review for the Manoa campus. He is Executive Director of the
National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (ndptc.hawaii.edu), authorized by the U.S. Congress to develop and deliver FEMA certified training courses for underserved, at-risk communities on natural hazards, mitigation and urban
planning. The Center has trained more than 65,000 first responders, emergency managers and leaders in 400 communities across the world. Dr. Kim has served as the Chairman of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (ndpc.us).
He has published many papers on disaster management, transportation, and urban planning. He is Editor-in-Chief of Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives (Elsevier) and is editing a 10-volume series on disaster risk
reduction and resilience (Routledge). He was educated at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has been a Fulbright Scholar to Korea and the Russian Far East. He has also led research and training programs
in Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia.
Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) Transportation Technology Center, INC.
55500 DOT Road
Pueblo, CO 81001
Phone: 719-584-0584
http://www.SERTC.org
Forrest Wieder, SERTC Executive Director Mr. Wieder has over 25 years of experience in emergency response to include EMT, Paramedic, Paramedic Supervisor, Hazardous Materials response team Chief, and Director of Special Operations
within the Office of Emergency Management. September 2010 Forrest joined the SERTC instructional staff. His position at SERTC was not new to him, Forrest was a student at SERTC long before he accepted the position as instructor;
attending the Tanks Car Specialist, Intermodal Specialist, and Incident Command courses. In June 2014, Forrest was appointed General Manager of SERTC-ERTC. Forrest has been involved with Hazardous Materials and/or Weapons of Mass
Destruction (WMD) response since 1986 and has responded to numerous Hazardous Materials/WMD incidents of significance, including; Hurricane Katrina and Rita. He has also served as a Director on a FEMA Type One certified Hazardous
Materials team, Rescue Specialist, Medical Specialist, and Hazardous Materials Specialist on both Federal and in-state USAR systems. Responder to numerous national level special events, including Presidential Visitations, Political
National Conventions, NFL preparations, and NASCAR pre-planning in cooperation with PA Department of Environmental Protection and the Environmental Protection Agency Region III.
200 Technology Way
College Station, TX 77845
Phone: 844-789-5673
Hank Lawson is the Interim Deputy Agency Director and Chief Administrative Officer of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a member of the Texas A&M University System. He assumed his current role in December of 2021. Prior to that, he was Director of TEEX’s National Emergency Response and Recover Training Center (NERRTC) which was established in 1998 to enhance the capabilities of emergency responders and local officials nationwide to prepare for, respond to, and recover from catastrophic events resulting from natural disasters, man-made accidents, or terrorist attacks. As a Teexan, Mr. Lawson also served as Director of Operations for NERRTC and Preparedness Director for TEEX’s Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI)where he was responsible for planning, training, technical assistance, and exercise programs that operated worldwide.
Mr. Lawson joined TEEX in 2002 after more than 27 years as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a Marine, he served in diverse assignments that included security and peacekeeping operations, contingency planning for US forces, and stints in the Offices of the Secretary of Defense, Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict and Secretary of the Navy, Manpower and Reserve Affairs. He was an instructor at Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the U.S. Naval Academy.
The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents honored Mr. Lawson in 2009 with the Regents Fellow Service Award. The annual award is the highest honor given by The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents and recognizes employees who have made exemplary contributions to their university, agency, and to the people of Texas and beyond.
Mr. Lawson has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD and a master’s degree in System Technology - Space Systems Operations from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA.
Center for Domestic Preparedness
61 Responder Drive
Anniston, AL 36205
Phone: 256-847-2000
Tony Russell is the Superintendent of the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala. Mr. Russell provides executive level management and leadership for the CDP as it provides unique, hands-on training to more than 50,000
emergency responders a year from state, local, tribal, and territorial agencies. He is also responsible for operations of the CDP’s 176-acre campus, which is home to the only training facility in the country where civilian responders
can train in a toxic agent environment and the Nation’s only hospital training facility dedicated solely to preparing the healthcare, public health and environmental health communities for mass casualty events related to terrorist
acts and natural disasters. Mr. Russell previously served as the Superintendent of the Emergency Management Institute (EMI). During his tenure at EMI, he was deployed and detailed in support of critical agency priorities. Mr. Russell
first assisted Superstorm Sandy response and recovery activities in New York in 2012. Then, in 2014, he was designated as the Acting Region VIII Administrator, serving as the Senior Executive for all FEMA priorities and requirements
in the states of Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. In 2009, Mr. Russell was appointed by the President as the FEMA Region VI Regional Administrator and served in that capacity until 2012. In this
role, he was responsible for all FEMA operational decisions and policy implementation within the States of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Director, Louisiana State University National Center for Biomedical Research and Training Academy of Counter-terrorist Education
3190 Pleasant Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: 877-829-8550
Jeff Mayne was appointed as the the Director of LSU NCBRT / Academy of Counter-terrorist Education on February 12, 2017. He retired as Colonel and Chief of Law Enforcement for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries in 2014 but remained employed with the agency for over 31 years until joining LSU NCBRT/ACE. Mr. Mayne brings significant experience, leadership and vision to LSU NCBRT/ACE. He works closely with his full-time staff of 65 to reduce threats to human safety, security, and critical infrastructure globally by influencing, developing and delivering training and education with over 360 subject matter experts providing the skills necessary to prepare for, respond to, and recover from complex threats and high consequence events. He currently serves as Chairman of the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC).
Prior to his employment with LSU NCBRT/ACE, he worked for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries where he held the roles as Chief of Law Enforcement, Member of the Joint Terrorism Task Force Executive Board US DOJ, Louisiana
State Analytical and Fusion Exchange Executive Steering Committee, Chairman of the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council’s Law Enforcement Advisory Panel, Chairman of the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Law Enforcement Committee,
Louisiana’s Boating Law Administrator and Legislative Liaison for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Mr. Mayne has earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Louisiana State University a Bachelors degree in Arts
and Science minoring in Criminology, Political Science and Social Work.
Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center New Mexico Tech
801 Leroy Place
Phone: 575-835-5312
Dr. Van Romero serves as chief official of the New Mexico Tech Research Division responsible for the encouragement, leadership, and support of research at the Institute and for the administrative and policy making activities of the division; offers dynamic research and administrative leadership to stimulate, coordinate, and provide support for the research at New Mexico Tech; acts as advocate for research within the Institute. He serves as director of the Geophysical Research Center; manages the research support functions of the Research Division; serves as the Institute's representative and on-campus administrator for the Waste-Management Education and Research Consortium. He acts as an external advocate and representative for New Mexico Tech's research activities; serves as mentor to new faculty to help them establish their research programs at the Institute; strongly encourages diversity and affirmative action; identifies research opportunities and actively encourages development of interdisciplinary research at the institute; ensures that high quality proposals are submitted by the Institute.
Center for Radiological Nuclear Training At The Nevada National Security Site
PO Box 98521
M/S NLV 126
Las Vegas, NV 89193
Phone: 877-963-2867
Dr. Van Romero serves as chief official of the New Mexico Tech Research Division responsible for the encouragement, leadership, and support of research at the Institute and for the administrative and policy making activities of the division; offers dynamic research and administrative leadership to stimulate, coordinate, and provide support for the research at New Mexico Tech; acts as advocate for research within the Institute. He serves as director of the Geophysical Research Center; manages the research support functions of the Research Division; serves as the Institute's representative and on-campus administrator for the Waste-Management Education and Research Consortium. He acts as an external advocate and representative for New Mexico Tech's research activities; serves as mentor to new faculty to help them establish their research programs at the Institute; strongly encourages diversity and affirmative action; identifies research opportunities and actively encourages development of interdisciplinary research at the institute; ensures that high quality proposals are submitted by the Institute.
Assistant Director, IT, Louisiana State University National Center for Biomedical Research and Training Academy of Counter-terrorist Education
3190 Pleasant Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: 877-829-8550
Brian Parker joined LSU NCBRT/ACE in 2005 as a computer analyst and was tasked with consolidating and updating an aging, fragmented data processing system. His background in programming, databases, and information system planning has helped LSU NCBRT/ACE modernize and automate many work processes over the years. He currently serves as Chair of the IT Committee for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium (NDPC). Mr. Parker earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Louisiana State University.
Assistant Director, Training and Outreach, Louisiana State University National Center for Biomedical Research and Training Academy of Counter-terrorist Education
3190 Pleasant Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: 877-829-8550
Deyvon Cooper has been the Assistant Director of Training and Public Affairs and Outreach at LSU NCBRT/ACE since 2014. Ms. Cooper began working at NCBRT as a student worker in 1998. Since then, she has held the positions of Class Coordinator, Assistant Manager, and Program Manager in the Operations Division Training Section at NCBRT. As the Assistant Director, she oversees the training section responsible for the scheduling and delivery of mobile and virtual classes. She works with her team of Regional Training Managers to ensure successful class deliveries for state, local, tribal and territorial communities. She is an enrolled member of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb in Louisiana and is very driven to continue to develop the NCBRT Tribal Program. She works closely with the NCBRT Tribal Liaisons to continue building relationships with the tribal communities. She also oversees the Public Affairs and Outreach Section, which works diligently to expand outreach for both NCBRT and NDPC programs. This is Ms. Cooper’s second term in the position as the NDPC Operations Committee Chair. Her first term was from 2013 – 2017. The Operations Committee works with state administrative agents and local training officers to support training initiatives such as preparing for National Special Security Events. In 2021, she was also a member of the Training Forward Mobile Working group, which was established to transition the return to mobile class deliveries. As a member of the NDPC Operations Committee Chair, she also serves on the planning committee for the National Preparedness Symposium. Ms. Cooper graduated from Louisiana State University with a Bachelors of Arts in Mass Communication.
