During the October Board meeting in Franklin, Tennessee, Mike Dossett (Kentucky) was voted to succeed Mr. Art Faulkner (Alabama) as the next Chairman of the Board. Director Dossett previously held the positions of Vice Chairman and Secretary/Treasurer and has been a long-standing advocate for CUSEC and multi-state coordination for earthquake mitigation, planning, response, and recovery efforts.
In September, Faulkner retired from his post as Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency. During his time as Chairman, Faulkner oversaw several major efforts including helping to establish the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) Earthquake Subcommittee. The Subcommittee meets regularly to help NEMA advance important earthquake-related program and policy recommendations. Director Faulkner was recognized for his commitment to earthquake risk reduction and CUSEC during the October Board meeting in Franklin, Tennessee. CUSEC thanks Director Faulkner for his service and wishes him the best in his retirement.
James Joseph (Illinois), who had previously held the Secretary/Treasurer post, was elected as Vice-Chairman however in mid-November, he was appointed to head FEMA’s Region V office in Chicago, Illinois. Since 2015, Joseph served as Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). As Regional Administrator, Joseph will oversee FEMA’s operations for a six-state region that includes the CUSEC states of Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. He will serve under FEMA Administrator Brock Long. CUSEC extends congratulations to Director Joseph.
Following Director Joseph’s appointment to FEMA, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner appointed Mr. Joe Klinger as acting Director of IEMA. Klinger has worked for the State for nearly 30 years, most recently as IEMA’s deputy director since February 2015
Also during the October Board meeting, Patrick Sheehan (Tennessee) was named Secretary/Treasurer. Sheehan has been active in CUSEC initiatives since joining the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) in 2016.
The position of Vice Chairman will be voted upon at the January 2018 Board meeting.
