BOARD MEMBERS

EMEAA is powered by dedicated members who share their professional expertise and passion. Guided by its bylaws, EMEAA is governed by the Board of Directors who are responsible for leading the association’s efforts based on its mission, vision and strategic objectives.

 


 

 

 

 

PRESIDENT
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, ROBERT (BOB) JENSEN

Bob brings more than four decades of experience inside and outside of government and has clients in the U.S. and across the globe.

 

Bob served as the Department of Homeland Security’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Deputy Director for External Affairs at FEMA and Director of News Operations for the Air Force News Agency among other positions during his 32-year federal career. Bob led the U.S. government’s on the ground crisis communications efforts after the massive earthquake in Haiti and provided senior oversight for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill response and 30+ major U.S. disasters including Hurricane Sandy. He also served as a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council and the U.S. Embassy Baghdad, and deployed on four combat zone tours to Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

He is a member of the International Advisory Committee for the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety and is a non-resident scholar with George Washington University.  

 

Bob advises and consults with nations and corporations on crisis, emergency and disaster risk management. Clients include the World Bank, U.S. State Department, U.S. Department of Defense, Emergency Management Victoria (Australia), energy and water sector organizations and national governments. Bob also speaks regularly at conferences, events and universities globally.

 

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VICE PRESIDENT
EMEAA FOUNDER, DAN STONEKING

Dan brings more than 35 years of private and public external affairs and crisis communications experience to EMEAA. Prior to joining EMEAA, Dan held the position of Regional External Affairs Director at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Preceding that role, Dan served as Director of Private Sector and Deputy and Acting Director within FEMA’s Office of Public Affairs.

 

Dan’s experience includes his pivotal roles during crises including the 9/11 attack at the Pentagon; serving as lead spokesperson for the National Guard in Louisiana during Hurricane Katrina; establishing the first-ever international joint information center in response to the catastrophic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, as spokesperson during response and recovery efforts after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, and creating a coalition with the private sector to implement the first national business emergency operations center.

 

Dan is the owner and principal of Dan Stoneking Strategic Communications LLC, author of Cultivate Your Garden: Crisis Communications From 30,000 Feet to Three Feet, a Columnist for Homeland Security Today, and an Adjunct Professor at West Chester University, PA.

 

 

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DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, DARRYL MADDEN

Darryl is a seasoned crisis communications director with decades of experience working in the areas of public safety, and disaster response and recovery.  

 

His professional postings have included roles in the administrations of two major East Coast city mayors in public safety.  His federal service has included assignments within the U.S. government within the Departments of Homeland Security-FEMA, Commerce, and Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General.

 

Darryl has held many leadership positions during a series of national disaster crises including 9/11, Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, and the U.S. government’s international response to the earthquake in Haiti.  He has also worked as the director of FEMA’s Ready Campaign for Disaster Preparedness, on FirstNet, created to enhance methods of communications for first responders, and re-engineering the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Disaster Response and Recovery.

 

He also serves as president of the Ernest C. & Dorothy M. Madden Foundation, LLC, the family philanthropic non-profit that awards higher education funding for graduating high school seniors.

 

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DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, IAN HAY

 

Ian has over two decades of  experience in homeland security, information sharing and emergency management operations.
 
While his primary expertise rests in critical infrastructure protection and high-level exercise simulation - His most recent work, has been predominantly focused on:  COVID-19 response & recovery, external affairs (social media messaging & management) and interagency coordination.
 
Ian is disciplined, intuitive strategist and pragmatic problem solver.  He has served as a vital translator between the ‘Red-tape’ of government and the bleeding ‘Red-ink’ of private sector security.
 
As the former President of the SouthEast Emergency Response Network (SEERN - US DHS-FBI HSIN-CI Information Sharing Pilot), he was a founding member of the:  FEMA National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC), Regional Consortium Coordinating Council (RC3) and the only member of the private sector, to serve as a subject matter expert (SME), to the State Local Tribal Territorial Government Coordinating Council (SLTTGCC), prior to the transition to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
 
When not on emergency management deployment contracts, Ian runs a boutique executive coaching business, helping people and organizations, make better decisions, faster.

 

 


 

 

 

 

HISTORIAN
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, ED CONLEY

Ed served nearly three decades with FEMA, leading teams around the globe in response to some of history's most significant disasters. He has also managed national incidents and international emergencies with the (US) Coast Guard, Secret Service, Centers for Disease Control, and Department of State. Appointed as a US Liaison Representative with NATO, Ed traveled throughout Europe on emergency preparedness assignments. Before joining FEMA, he spent seven winters on the National Ski Patrol. Ed is also a public speaker and the author of Promote the Dog Sitter: And Other Principles for Leading During Disasters. He resides in Seattle, Washington.

 

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DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, JENNA PALFREY

Jenna brings more than 20 years of external affairs and crisis communications experience to EMEAA. She has served in roles supporting the Office of Public Affairs at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

Jenna has also served in external affairs and crisis communication roles for some of the largest oil and gas companies in the world.

 

During her time in the private sector, Jenna was selected as a contributing representative for external and public affairs committees for two prestigious private sector associations, and has also volunteered her time and expertise to global crisis response and recovery organizations for some of the largest crises over the last decade.

 

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CHIEF OF STAFF
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, ASHLEY SMALL MONTGOMERY

Ashley brings a wealth of knowledge to this critical role, including her experience as a Senior Communication Specialist for over 15 years and as a Director of Public Affairs and Acting Deputy Chief of Staff the past eight years. Ashley has served in private sector, local government, and federal government (Department of Health and Human Services, FEMA, and CISA).

 

Ashley currently serves a the Chief of Staff for the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She Previously worked for DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where she served as the Acting Deputy Chief of Staff for the National Risk Management Center (NRMC). 

 

Her clear understanding of leadership requirements, organizational needs, and the need for clear and transparent communication will make her a huge asset. We look forward to working with her as she takes on this critical role not only within OCHCO but within the Department.

 

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MEMBERSHIP DIRECTOR, GABE LUGO

Gabe Lugo is a seasoned homeland security and emergency management professional with a proven track record in emergency public information, crisis communications, and government external affairs. He currently works as a consultant for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

 

Previously, Gabe was the Lead Public Information Officer for FEMA Region 3, the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, and the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. An early innovator in social listening and crowdsourcing, he played a pivotal role in developing Virtual Operations Support Teams (VOST), earning industry recognition for his efforts.

Gabe holds a degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is passionate about enhancing community resilience through effective communication and strategic partnerships.

 

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SENIOR ADVISOR TO THE BOARD 
EMEAA FOUNDING MEMBER, MARY HUDAK

Mary has more than 40 years of experience in emergency management. She previously served as the External Affairs Director for the southeast region of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) where she managed all functions of the regions public, media, and internal communications programs, as well as external engagement with the agency’s stakeholders including congressional, intergovernmental, tribal, and private sector partners.

 

Mary began her government career with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as an interim employee, and later joined HUD’s Emergency Preparedness staff, and became a FEMA legacy employee when the agency was created with the merging of five disaster-related federal agencies. Mary has served as an FEMA External Affairs lead for many major events and has coordinated External Affairs functions on hundreds of declared disasters. She has also received numerous awards for her work on task forces, special assignments, and in the field of disaster response.

 

Mary is active in her neighborhood Civic Association, the Atlanta Chapter of the Pitt Alumni association, the Delta Zeta Sorority Alumni, and serves as the President of the St Vincent de Paul conference of the Sacred Heart Church. 

 

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ADVISORS 

As a member-driven organization that aims to serve the community of external affairs professionals, the Board of Directors relies on a group of advisors to help the organization navigate key issues that impact our members and the field of emergency management. 


 

 

 

 

 

DISABILITY INTEGRATION ADVISOR, DAWN BRANTLEY

Dawn Brantley has dedicated her over 16-year career to inclusive emergency management as an attorney, certified emergency manager, and certified ADA Coordinator. She is the Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency and has chaired NEMA’s Diversity & Equity Committee for three years. Dawn has held key positions in local, regional, state, and federal emergency management, including Emergency Programs Manager in Anchorage, Alaska, and Strategic Planning Branch Chief for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

 

She founded the Inclusive Emergency Management Community and co-founded the International Association of Mass Care Professionals and has contributed to national guidance and published articles on accessibility in emergency management with her work being featured in National Academies of Science publications. Dawn holds degrees in human services, psychology, and law, with a focus on applying non-discrimination laws to emergency management.

 

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDS ADVISOR, MATTHEW ALLEN


Matthew Allen serves as the Senior Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Threats at FEMA. His two-decade background in strategic communications and crisis management includes serving as a spokesperson for the Secretary of Defense, consulting with Fortune 100 clients, as well as active-duty military service. He has worked on crisis management and policy issues across the spectrum including international conflicts, natural disasters, oil spills, legal and investigative issues, as well as policy and personnel matters. He resides in Quantico, Virginia with his three children and slobbery Mastiff. He holds a Bachelors in Business Administration from Eastern Washington University and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Utah.

 

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TRIBAL ADVISOR, KELBIE KENNEDY

Kelbie Kennedy is a proud citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma that was born and raised on her Tribal Nation's reservation. In 2022 Kelbie was sworn into office as the first National Tribal Affairs Advocate for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She served as the first Tribal Affairs political appointee in the history of FEMA and in the history of the Department of Homeland Security and worked to ensure that FEMA lived up to its treaty and trust responsibility to Tribal Nations across the country. Kelbie is a national expert in the areas of tribal emergency management, tribal homeland security policy, and is an attorney that specializes in Federal Indian Law. Before joining FEMA, Kelbie spent over four years working in Washington D.C. for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) as the Policy Manager and Policy Lead – National Security and Community Safety. In her role with NCAI, Kelbie worked on national policy issues surrounding tribal emergency management and resilience, tribal homeland security, tribal border issues, violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, public safety and justice, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Indian child and family welfare, and international indigenous rights. Before NCAI, Kelbie worked as the Assistant Attorney General for Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. In her role as the Assistant Attorney General, she prosecuted both criminal and civil cases on behalf of the State, negotiated indigenous land claims, advised the Chuuk Governor, and testified before the Chuuk State legislature. The National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development named Kelbie as one of the 2022 Native American 40 under 40 award recipients. In 2023 she received the Excellence in Government Service Award from the Native American Bar Association of Washington D.C.

 

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PRIVATE SECTOR ADVISOR, BRUCE BRODOFF

Bruce Brodoff is a public affairs and communications professional with more than 27 years of significant experience in public service. Bruce joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s New England office as a Public Affairs Officer in January 2023 after spending 12 years with FEMA Region I in Boston, Massachusetts, during which he served as the region’s Private Sector and Tribal Liaison, External Affairs Officer for its Incident Management Assistance Team and as a primary external affairs office/private sector liaison for 14 major disaster operations across the country (including the COVID-19 response operation).

 

Previously, Bruce held senior public affairs positions at the NYC Mayor’s Office of Emergency Management (where he was the agency’s primary spokesperson and liaison to the business community and created the agency’s very first website and an award-winning Hurricane and Flood Safety Awareness public service advertising campaign), the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the American Red Cross 9/11 Recovery Program and the Alliance for Downtown New York. Much of his work during this time centered on private sector outreach and engagement, media relations and immediate/long-term recovery efforts in Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

Bruce earned a B.A. in Political Science from Brooklyn College and attended USC’s Graduate School of Cinema-Television. He also graduated from the FEMA Fellows Leader Development Program and completed numerous external affairs and crisis leadership programs at Harvard University, the National Emergency Management Institute and the Center for Domestic Preparedness.

 

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COUNTER HUMAN TRAFFICKING ADVISOR, SANDRA DENNIS-ESSIG

Sandra Dennis-Essig is an emergency management professional and anti-human trafficking advocate dedicated to contributing to positive change. Her emergency management background includes previous roles at FEMA and current positions as a team member of the RRS Patient Decontamination, Disaster Duty Officer for the American Red Cross in San Diego and Imperial County, California, and DCS - Long-Term Recovery - Grants Program Volunteer Partner. As a survivor and subject matter expert, she offers insights informed by her lived experience, aiming to bridge emergency management and anti-human trafficking efforts.

 

She emphasizes survivor-centered approaches, collaborative emergency response and support for vulnerable populations with heightened urgency during disasters. Sandra was involved with the New Jersey Coalition Against Human Trafficking (NJCAHT) as a survivor, where she shared her story. Through NJCAHT's supportive network, she found empowerment as a survivor of human trafficking. Their resources enabled her to share her experiences, participate in speaking engagements and surveys, contributing to critical awareness and advocacy initiatives.

 

Sandra's published works include "Emergency Managers' Role in Response to Human Trafficking" in Homeland Security Today (co-authored with Dan Stone King), "Invisible Chains: Human Trafficking, Drug Abuse, and Support" in Domestic Preparedness and "A Critical Imperative: Natural Hazards" in Domestic Preparedness.

 

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DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION ADVISOR, LANILE DALCOUR

LaNile Dalcour is a 30-year veteran in emergency preparedness, life safety and security. LaNile has served as VP of Portfolio Security for Brookfield Properties, DC, Virginia and Maryland regions where he oversees the security and life safety program for all commercial properties since 2006. LaNile also serves as Brookfield’s National Training Coordinator where he spends time conducting tabletop exercises and emergency preparedness training for Brookfield staff and tenants throughout the US portfolio. LaNile also served as Brookfield Business Continuity Plan Coordinator. For 8 years LaNile worked at the world-renowned Sears Tower as the Security Special Project Coordinator pre and post 9/11. LaNile has served a rotation as FEMA’s Private Sector Representative in which he coordinated FEMA’s emergency assistance to the private sector during weather related emergencies during spring and summer of 2011. LaNile is a board member on AOBA’s Emergency Preparedness Committee, a member of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), and since 2014 has served as Chairman for the ASIS Commercial Real Estate Council as well as 4 years as President of the Washington Area Security Manager’s Association. 

 

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FUNCTIONAL MANAGERS

EMEAA's functional managers support key operations and responsibilities that allow our organization to grow, remain engaged, and have a positive influence on the emergency management community. 


 

DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, AMANDA HANCHER

 

Amanda Hancher brings over 15 years of experience in emergency management, public affairs, and intergovernmental coordination to her role as the Digital Communications Manager for EMEAA. She spent the last decade at FEMA Region 3 serving as the lead for digital and visual strategic communications for the mid-Atlantic region. A tried-and-tested emergency management professional, she has used her skills to help survivors in disasters such as Hurricane Helene, Ida, Irma, Sandy, Oregon wildfires, and COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Amanda serves the public in her current role as the Senior Press Officer for EPA Region 3, supporting environmental protection and public health across the mid-Atlantic states. She has three mischievous cats, one fiancee, and many plants. 

 

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COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER, SARAH LUX


Sarah Lux has practiced Public Relations for 10 years, specifically focusing on community education, government affairs, and crisis communications. She is part of the Florida Association of Public Information Officers’ deployment team and is certified as a Type-3 All Hazards Incident Management PIO. She has been deployed by the state of Florida to aid communications in other counties four times, including Fort Myers Beach after Hurricane Ian. Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Central Florida and a master’s degree in public relations from Full Sail University. She earned her Master PIO accreditation in 2024 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Sarah prides herself on her ability to clearly explain complex governmental matters to citizens in her community.

 

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COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CHARLIE ELISON 

Charlie Elison has nearly two decades of external affairs experience serving in various communications roles in the federal government, private sector and military. He is currently a Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service, and also leads the New Jersey National Guard’s Battle Simulation Center at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst as a Senior Non-Commissioned Officer in the New Jersey Army National Guard. He previously served in both media relations and community preparedness roles at FEMA Region 3, where he focused on supporting state partner PIOs and public information campaigns before, during and after disasters.

Charlie’s major disaster deployment experience includes serving as a lead spokesperson during Operation Allies Welcome, FEMA’s COVID-19 response and recovery, and supporting military joint information efforts following Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. His overseas deployment experience includes several combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, peacekeeping deployments in the Balkans, and several training missions throughout Eastern Europe, West Africa and Latin America.

Charlie is a FEMA Master Public Information Officer, and enjoys training future PIOs across all levels of government. He is a proud Philadelphian, and can often be found volunteering in his South Philadelphia community.  He is currently enrolled in the U.S. Army’s Sergeants Major Academy. 

 

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