Mayor Appoints Emergency Management Preparedness Advisory Group

Staff Report

Mayor Kasim Reed this past week convened the first meeting of a group he has appointed to offer advisory recommendations on preparing for, responding to, and managing emergencies that occur in the City of Atlanta.

The 30-member group brings together a variety of leaders and stakeholders in law enforcement, emergency response and preparedness, meteorology, utility companies, business, education and local, state and federal government agencies.

Reed announced his intention to form the group following the ice storms that took place in the metropolitan Atlanta region in late January and early February.

“My most solemn duty as Mayor of Atlanta is public safety,” Reed said in a statement. “That’s why I called for the formation of this Emergency Preparedness and Management Group earlier this year. Rather than work alone, I knew that making Atlanta better prepared for emergencies would take a collective effort. After all, while 400,000 people call Atlanta, more than 6 million people live in our region. And many of those six million commute in and out of the City of Atlanta every day.”

The group will offer recommendations to ensure the City of Atlanta is prepare to handle any natural disaster or severe weather event and ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

Members of the group:

• Natalyn Archibong, Council Member, City of Atlanta District 5
• Angela Barrett, Director, City of Atlanta E-911
• Mark Becker, President, Georgia State University
• Carlton Brown, President, Clark Atlanta University
• Markina Brown, Meteorologist, CBS 46
• Glenn Burns, Meteorologist, WSB TV
• Joann Butler, Director, City of Atlanta 311
• Kelvin Cochran, Chief Atlanta Fire & Rescue, City of Atlanta
• Bert Davis, General Manager, Georgia Power
• Charley English, Director, Georgia Emergency Management Agency
• Dwight Ferrell, Fulton County Manager
• Michael Geisler, Interim COO, City of Atlanta
• Bart Gobiel, COO, Gov. Nathan Deal
• Keith Golden, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation
• Joseph Henderson, MPA, Office of COO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Oz Hill, Retired Lt. Colonel, City of Atlanta
• Larry Hoskins, Deputy Supt of Operations, Atlanta Public Schools
• Matthew Kalmyer, Director Atlanta Fulton County Emergency Management Agency
• Bill Massey, Director, Hurricane & Emergency, Dewberry Consulting
• Richard Mendoza, Public Works Commissioner, City of Atlanta
• Hala Moddelmog, CEO, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
• Bryan Norcross, Management & Emergency Expert, The Weather Channel
• Keith Parker, CEO, MARTA
• Bud Peterson, President, Georgia Tech
• Frank Poe, Executive Director, Georgia World Congress Center Authority
• Marquenta Sands, Director of Safety and Security, Atlanta Public Schools
• Marshall Shepherd, 2013 President, American Meteorological Society, University of Georgia
• Keith Stellman, Meteorologist, National Weather Service
• Beverly Tatum, President, Spelman College
• Ronald Stephens, Executive Director, Atlanta Fed Exec. Board
• George Turner, Chief of Police, City of Atlanta
• Hans Utz, Deputy COO, City of Atlanta
• Tom Weyandt, Deputy COO, City of Atlanta
• John Wilson, President, Morehouse College
• Kristin Wilson, Deputy COO, City of Atlanta