Shad Ahmed, Director
pbemdirector@portlandoregon.gov
Shad Ahmed, MS, CEM, has an extensive background in diverse emergency management leadership roles within local, state, higher education, public health, and public safety agencies across New England. He serves as a subject matter expert for and has coordinated many projects in emergency management for organizations at the local, state, and national levels. He contributes to advancing the profession through publishing articles and presenting on emerging best practices in the field. He is an instructor in topics ranging from the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) to Incident Command System (ICS) to Continuity of Operations (COOP), having taught for nonprofit, academic, local, state, and federal organizations across the country. He holds a master's degree with a concentration in critical infrastructure protection and was recently appointed to the International Association of Emergency Managers' Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) Commission where he is responsible for reviewing credentials of professionals who are certifying or recertifying as a CEM. He is also a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner, FEMA Master Continuity Practitioner, ASFPM Certified Floodplain Manager, is a graduate of the FEMA National Emergency Management Advanced Academy, and holds many other credentials and instructor certifications.
Prior to Portland, he served as an emergency manager with municipal, regional, higher education, and state agencies in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. He also served as director of a university-based research institute with work focused on connecting research to practical applications for public safety disciplines and training for senior officials. Director Ahmed's background includes experience intersecting related disciplines of law enforcement, emergency medical services, fire, fire marshals, environmental health, emergency communications, occupational safety, and risk management.
Chris Carey, Preparedness & Response Manager
chris.carey@portlandoregon.gov
Chris Carey brings extensive experience and leadership in emergency management to the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management. Most recently, as the Director of the Columbia County Department of Emergency Management, Carey spearheaded critical initiatives, including the county's first emergency alert and warning policy and first Integrated Preparedness Plan. Previously at the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, he played a vital role in coordinating emergency response functions and enhancing the city's capabilities during COVID-19 among other activations.
Carey's expertise extends to three combat deployments between his service in the active Army and Army National Guard. He continues to serve in the Army Reserve as a Civil Affairs officer. Carey holds a bachelor’s from American University, a master's in Threat and Response Management from the University of Chicago, and a variety of certifications from the Army, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
With his strategic planning skills and dedication to public safety, Carey is poised to contribute significantly to Portland's community preparedness and response efforts as the Preparedness & Response Manager.
Angela Carkner, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Regional Program Coordinator
angela.carkner@portlandoregon.gov
Angela joined the PBEM team in November 2017. In September 2022, she joined the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) team as a Coordinator II supporting the RDPO planning portfolio. Previously at PBEM, she administered the City and County’s public alerting program and software, helped ensure Portland Emergency Coordination Center (ECC) readiness, supported City emergency training and exercise, and was a PBEM Duty Officer.
Prior to joining PBEM, Angela worked as a project and emergency manager at Multnomah County Drainage District for four and half years, focusing on flooding and levee systems. Angela is a third-generation Portlander and studied Planning, Public Policy, and Management at the University of Oregon.
Carol Chang, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Senior Planning Coordinator
carol.chang@portlandoregon.gov
Carol joined the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) in June 2021 as a Regional Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. In her current role, she supports planning and preparedness efforts of the RDPO stakeholders through regional convening and collaboration.
Prior to joining the RDPO, Carol worked in New York City in the nonprofit and public sectors doing volunteer program management, and emergency management coordination for human services and logistics.
Jaymee Cuti, Public Information Officer
jaymee.cuti@portlandoregon.gov
Jaymee Cuti joined the Portland bureaus of Emergency Management and Emergency Communications in March 2023.
A FEMA-certified public information officer with a decade of experience in communications for the City of Portland, Jaymee previously served as Public Information Officer for the Portland Water Bureau (2014-2023) and Portland Housing Bureau (2012-2014).
She led and supported communications for regional emergencies, including an all-city boil water event, the Eagle Creek Fire, the COVID-19 pandemic, a shooting at Umpqua Community College, and Oregon's total solar eclipse response. Jaymee has experience in print and radio journalism.
Jaymee has a bachelor's degree in communications and art history from the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Glenn C. Devitt, Community Preparedness Coordinator
glenn.devitt@portlandoregon.gov
Glenn is a Duty Officer, and as a member of the Community Preparedness Team since 2018, he is privileged to serve the volunteers of the NET and BEECN programs, and other preparedness efforts throughout Portland. Glenn has chaired the regional UASI Citizen Corps Working Group and represented FEMA Region 10 on the board of the National CERT Association (NCA). His experience includes leadership of Sunnyside and Buckman NETs, civil rights and civil liberties advocacy, nonprofit governance, design of intercontinental computer networks, and 22 years as the owner of a website and app development firm. In his spare time he likes to get dirt under his nails in his garden, hike among very large trees, and play bocce.
Dan Douthit, Public Information Officer (Community Safety Division)
Dan is a member of the Portland Community Safety Division's communications team. He provides back up public information support to PBEM and the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC).
Dan started working at PBEM in 2008, first as a program specialist focused on regional coordination, and then as public information officer in 2013. He also previously served as a staff member in Portland Mayor Tom Potter’s office. Dan started working for BOEC in 2018 and the Community Safety Division in 2023. He holds an MA in political science and BA in Political Science and Canadian-American Studies from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA.
Mark Ferdig, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Managing Director
mark.ferdig@portlandoregon.gov
Mark Ferdig has more than 27 years of domestic and international non-profit experience. He has a breadth of experience supporting households and communities to be more prepared and resilient in the face of chronic and acute crises; and also supporting communities and households to recover post-crisis in a way empowers and prepares for future crises.
He has a strong collaborative executive leadership background with extensive history managing strategic change and solving complex problems. He has thrived living and working in multicultural contexts around the world and has led initiatives that fosters more diverse and inclusive work environments.
He previously spent 22 years in the international relief and development sector, primarily with Mercy Corps.
He earned a Master of Environmental Studies degree from Evergreen State College and a BS in ecology and environmental management from South Dakota State University, with supplemental coursework in field ecology at the University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station. Mark is a certified PRINCE2® Registered Practitioner and a PMD Pro Project Management Professional.
Laura Hall, Regional Disaster Messaging Analyst
Laura joined the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) in 2017. She oversees RDPO communications and coordinates regional disaster messaging work. She is chair of the RDPO Disaster Messaging Work Group and co-founder of the national Language & Accessibility in Alert & Warning Workgroup (LAAWW). She is also a member of Oregon’s Disability in Emergency Management Advisory Committee (DEMAC) and Oregon’s Sub-Committee for Recommendations in Alerting Practices (SCRAP) committee.
Prior to joining the RDPO, Laura worked as a Program Manager at several local colleges and universities. She has a BA in Sociology from the University of Kansas and an MA in Applied Linguistics from Portland State University.
Ginger Hintz
Grants Coordinator
ginger.hintz@portlandoregon.gov
Ginger joined the RDPO in January 2024 as the Grants Coordinator. In her current role, she is responsible for overseeing UASI federal awards, managing grantmaking processes, and administering a portfolio of projects aimed at enhancing disaster preparedness and resilience in the region.
Before joining the RDPO, Ginger worked for the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) providing program and analytic support to the California HIV/AIDS Research Program (CHRP) and UC Research Initiatives (UCRI) programs within the Research Grants Program Office (RGPO). She also worked for the Women Donors Network, a national donor organizing and grantmaking organization, as well as the Climate Justice Alliance while in the Bay Area. Prior to that, Ginger worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Ginger enjoys writing, creating poetics research projects, and looking for cats on her walks around the city.
Renate Garrison, Emergency Management Project Manager
renate.garrison@portlandoregon.gov
Renate Garrison has worked in the field of emergency management for 15 years and holds CEM and ORCEMS
certifications. Her career has spanned non-profit, county government, and local government. She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies and was drawn to emergency management after working a wildfire as a Red Cross intern.
Renate has been the disaster director at the Carmel, CA Red Cross, the Emergency Manager at Columbia County, Oregon, and the Emergency Manager for the City of Beaverton, Oregon.
She is a certified CERT Instructor, FEMA Basic Academy Instructor and FEMA Level I: Professional Continuity Practitioner. She enjoys public speaking and delivered an EM Vision talk at the 2019 International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) conference.
Renate is passionate about the inclusion of volunteers in emergency management and helping disaster volunteer groups access funding and resources. She’s an advocate for mentoring the next generation of emergency management professionals and is a CEM featured mentor.
When she’s not working, you can find Renate exploring the outdoors, gardening, or rockhounding. She’s enjoys learning new preparedness skills and is an OSU Extension Services certified Master Food Preserver.
Regina Ingabire, Community Preparedness Outreach Manager
regina.ingabire@portlandoregon.gov
Regina Ingabire joined PBEM in January 2018 to lead public engagement initiatives focusing on disaster risk awareness, community resilience, and household preparedness in historically underserved communities.
Before joining PBEM, Regina worked with Oregon Public Health Institute as Community Engagement and Equity Manager, where she managed projects addressing social determinants of health, mainly to increase health access services to low income communities in East Portland. She also worked with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Rwanda coordinating public health projects. She obtained a master's degree from Brandeis University in Sustainable International Development and Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from National University of Rwanda.
Patrick Kramer, Procurement Analyst
patrick.kramer@portlandoregon.gov
Patrick joined PBEM in January 2022 as the Procurement Analyst for the Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO). Patrick has worked for the City of Portland for almost 22 years, mostly at the Portland Bureau of Transportation. He has served in many roles, including as a Parking Enforcement Officer, Regulatory Program Specialist, and Towing Coordinator.
Rachit Nerwal, Business Continuity Planner
rachit.nerwal@portlandoregon.gov
Rachit joined PBEM in November 2018 as the bureau's Business Continuity Planner. He is a project manager with experience working in humanitarian relief and response, disaster risk reduction planning, and community needs assessment.
Rachit holds a master’s degree in Disaster Management from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India. Previously, he worked on inclusive risk reduction planning and long-term recovery for hazards like floods, drought, landslides, and earthquakes in India and Nepal. Before starting to work in human development sector, Rachit worked as a software tester for an IT firm.
Angelique Nomie, Administrative Specialist
angelique.nomie@portlandoregon.gov
Angelique joined PBEM in September 2023 as an administrative specialist. She supports grant tracking, community outreach, records management, and other administrative functions. Prior to joining PBEM she was an administrative assistant with Clackamas County Public Health, where she supported their COVID response and Environmental Health licensing team, and after that served as Assistant City Recorder for the City of Oregon City.
Angelique has a bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Washington State University and studied French language and literature at Portland State University.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, engaging with her nieces and nephews, and spending time with her dog Marge.
Lisa Oreskovich, Executive Assistant
lisa.orskovich@portlandoregon.gov
Lisa joined the PBEM team February of 2023 as the Executive Assistant. She supports the Director as well as provides administrative assistance to the rest of the Bureau. Prior to joining PBEM, she worked for nine years at the City of Oregon City, first in Public Works and then as the Executive Assistant to the City Manager and Risk Administrator. She holds a BA and studied criminal justice at Portland State University as well as earning a Project Management Certification.
Outside of work, she is an avid reader and enjoys spending time with her husband, three children, and three dogs.
Mike Phillips, Disaster Response Planner
michael.phillips@portlandoregon.gov
Mike joined PBEM in February 2017 as the bureau’s Procurement manager. In December 2019, he became the bureau’s Disaster Response Planner, where he is responsible for leading collaborative planning processes and developing and documenting emergency response plans for the City.
Prior to joining PBEM, Mike was a Contracting officer for the Department of Human & Health services and served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Army. Mike currently holds a BA in German Studies and an MA in Administration of Justice and Security.
Toni Slightam, Regional Disaster Preparedness Organization (RDPO) Grant Coordinator
tonia.slightam@portlandoregon.gov
Toni joined PBEM in April 2022 as the RDPO Grant Coordinator. Toni’s educational background is in Public Administration, but she has a myriad of experience in all sectors—public, private, and non-profit. She’s worked for the Oregon Health Authority, a strategic communications consulting firm, the US Department of State, an international adoption non-profit, a petroleum distribution wholesaler, taught English in Korea, and most recently, she worked as an independent management consultant for state and local governments in the Pacific Northwest while living in Japan. Toni has a BA in history from Oregon State University, a Project Management Certificate from Willamette University, and a Masters in Public Administration from Portland State University.
Jeremy Van Keuren, Community Preparedness Manager
jeremy.vankeuren@portlandoregon.gov
Jeremy manages the bureau’s volunteer programs and is a duty officer. He has worked for the City of Portland since 2003. He has been a policy manager in Portland City Hall (advising two mayors and one commissioner), worked in finance, housing, and economic development. Jeremy has graduated from Portland State University with a bachelor’s in anthropology and an Executive Masters of public administration.
Ben Weaver, Operations Coordinator
Ben joined PBEM in September of 2023. In his current role, he serves as a Duty Officer, maintains the operational readiness of PBEM's fleet and technology, and serves in the EOC during citywide activations including the 2023 January ice storm, the CrowdStrike IT outage, and the 2024 elections.
Before joining PBEM, Ben led orientations for new volunteers, tutored existing volunteers, and revised curriculum for a teen-to-teen suicide and crisis line in Portland. Prior to moving to Portland, Ben spent the Covid-19 pandemic developing and leading a free state-wide community Covid-19 mass testing program in Washington State.
Ben graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor's in political science and a communications minor. He relocated to Portland from Tacoma, Wash., and spends his free time riding bikes, cooking and fishing.
Marissa Walden
Program Specialist
marissa.walden@portlandoregon.gov
Marissa joined the RDPO in December of 2023. In her current role, she is responsible for providing comprehensive administrative support and managing complex administrative functions within the RDPO.
Marissa’s educational background is in Public Health Services. Prior to joining the RDPO, she worked in specialty healthcare providing leadership in both clinical and administrative roles. She is excited to bring her strong service-oriented mindset and her passionate spirit to the RDPO.
Marissa enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and three children.
Amanda Westervelt, Operations Specialist
amanda.westervelt@portlandoregon.gov
Amanda (she/her) joined PBEM in 2021. Among other things, she serves as a duty officer, supports the ECC during emergency activations, supports training and exercise, and helps coordinate Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) deployments. Before shifting to the Operations team, she worked for two years for PBEM’s Community Resilience (now Preparedness) Team, where she coordinated advanced training and managed deployments for the NET program.
Prior to joining PBEM, Amanda worked as a lead production chemist in California, a managing attorney in North Carolina, a Girl Scout leader and leader mentor, and Richmond NET Team Lead. She is a proud mother of two, and has a Bachelor’s in Biology from Cornell University and a Juris Doctor from Wake Forest University.
Jordan Wiley, Deputy Director
jordan.wiley@portlandoregon.gov
Jordan brings more than 20 years of experience leading emergency management programs and operations in complex contexts. Most recently, he was a Regional Emergency Coordinator for the Administration of Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) under the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in Federal Region 10 (Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington States). Jordan focused on ensuring states' access to Federal resources and facilitating response capabilities for major disasters.
Prior to HHS ASPR, he was the Deputy Director of Operations for the Covid Response and Recovery Unit (CRRU) at Oregon Health Authority (OHA) where he led a myriad of initiatives, projects and equity-centric teams focused on helping people in Oregon during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before OHA, Jordan was a country director for Doctors without Borders (MSF). He led a multitude of teams that supported marginalized populations suffering the impacts of human-caused and natural disasters. Jordan spent 12 years working full time in 10 different countries with MSF.
Prior to his international experience, he worked for Legacy Health System in Portland as a safety, security and emergency manager, preparing Portland area hospitals for disaster response.