National Capital Region
CERTCON
CERTCON began in 2011 from an idea by Greg St. James of Montgomery County Maryland CERT who wanted a way for CERT members in the national capital region to meet and train with people from other jurisdictions. The first CERTCON was held in Silver Spring, MD and featured a keynote talk by Craig Fugate the then FEMA Administrator.
In the ensuing years, an annual CERTCON has been hosted by multiple CERT organizations in the area, including Fairfax, VA, Washington, D.C., Prince Georges County, MD, Montgomery County, MD, Georgetown University, and the City of Alexandria.
While the conference has grown each year in size and scope, our fundamental purpose remains the same: To form lasting partnerships with fellow CERTs and facilitate our ability to work together should disasters strike.
In 2022, we were pleased that CERTCON was hosted by the National Capitol Region CERT Consortium (NCR CERT) for the first time. The NCR CERT Consortium is an organization that grew directly from the bonds of professional friendships formed over the years at CERTCON. We look forward to another wonderful conference in 2024, and the chance to meet friends old and new.
The short slideshow video below demonstrates our wonderful volunteers of CERTCON over the years. Everyone participating in the work, including the presenters, are 100% volunteers.
Most are members of the regional CERTs, who begin planning shortly after the New Year’s holiday season, with teams working through the days of the CERTCON events to provide everyone with meaningful and enjoyable opportunities to learn and to meet others.
As we all know, the time to meet other disaster responders is before the disaster happens, not during.
Director of Communications for Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown
Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA)
President, University of the District of Columbia
Jennifer Donelan is the Director of Communications for Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown. She joined the Office of the Attorney General in Spring of 2023. Jennifer is a twenty-year, Emmy award-winning former broadcast journalist who worked at WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, WDIV-TV in Detroit, and then as a National Correspondent based out of Chicago for all CBS affiliates across the country.
Her national and international assignments included Hurricane Katrina, the 2004 presidential election, space shuttle Discovery’s return to flight and the death of Pope John Paul II. She then returned home to the DMV, where she had grown up in Fairfax County, and spent a decade at ABC 7 News covering crime, police and fire in Washington, D.C.. She later joined the I-Team as an investigative reporter.
Throughout her award-winning television news career, her primary area of reporting was focused on matters of public safety. In 2016, she left reporting and became the Director of the Media Relations Division for Prince George’s County Police, one of the top thirty largest police departments in the United States. She expanded her work in communications in the field of public safety in 2020 when she took over as Director of Public Information for the Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department. In August of 2021, she joined DC Fire and EMS as the agency’s Chief Communications Officer.
In addition to managing the Media and Community Relations Division, media and incident responses, and serving as an advisor to the Executive Division, Jennifer helped lead the agency’s unprecedented efforts in celebrating its’ 150th anniversary with a parade along Constitution Avenue and a memorial for the department’s 102 Line of Duty Deaths at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. She also helped spearhead the agency’s first in-person awards ceremony at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center recognizing the heroic work of the men and women of DC Fire and EMS throughout the pandemic and beyond.
Since 2017, Donelan has served as the host of the United States Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) podcast, “The Beat.” Donelan is also the proud recipient of a Woman’s Day magazine Red Dress Award for her contributions in women’s heart health advocacy. Jennifer is a member of the board for Special Olympics Maryland and is a proud member of the Potomac (VA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She has appeared on NBC’s “Dateline”, ABC’s “20/20”, HBO’s “Black and Missing”, and has been featured in numerous national magazines for her prior reporting and her advocacy in raising awareness of women’s heart disease.
Dr. Christopher Rodriguez is the Director of the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA). In this role, Dr. Rodriguez serves as the Homeland Security Advisor and State Coordinating Officer for the District of Columbia. He also is the State Administrative Agent for all homeland security federal grants funding for the District and the National Capital Region. He led the agency through the COVID-19 Pandemic, the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, and numerous other critical incidents and planned special events. HSEMA is responsible for emergency planning, preparedness, response, and recovery for the city. HSEMA houses the District’s Emergency Operations Center, District Watch Center, and the District Fusion Center.
Prior to HSEMA, Dr. Rodriguez served as Director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness from 2014-17, where he led statewide strategies, policies, and operations on counterterrorism, resiliency, and cybersecurity. While serving in New Jersey, his home state, Dr. Rodriguez led the office during a national rise in homegrown violent extremism and established close relationships with the private sector and federal, state, and local law enforcement. Recognizing the critical role the public plays in stopping attacks before they happen, Dr. Rodriguez also increased the office’s engagement with the public—building and maintaining key relationships with faith-based communities.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), where he became a senior analyst in its Counterterrorism Center. In this position, he monitored terrorist groups in the Middle East and South Asia, closely collaborating with U.S. Intelligence Community partners at the federal, state, and local levels to identify and counter persistent threats to the United States and its allies. During his time at the CIA, Dr. Rodriguez also oversaw an analytic unit that handled global economic and energy security, as well as related counterintelligence and cyber threats. From 2009-11, while deployed at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels, Dr. Rodriguez was a key U.S. interlocutor with the European Union during the height of the Euro crisis. He has been recognized by the CIA and Director of National Intelligence for his leadership and professional achievements.
Dr. Rodriguez received a BA from Williams College and an MA and PhD in political science from the University of Notre Dame.
Maurice Edington, Ph.D. is the 10th President of the University of the District of Columbia and is an accomplished scientist, educator, and university administrator. He began his tenure at UDC in August 2023.
Edington brings over 20 years of higher education leadership experience to the University. Dr. Edington most recently served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Florida A&M University (FAMU), where he guided strategy for vice presidents and other senior administrators to improve institutional outcomes on key performance indicators and sustain operational excellence. Direct reports included the provost and vice president for academic affairs, vice president for student affairs, vice president for research, vice president for strategic planning, director of communications and executive director of Title III programs.
Dr. Edington previously served as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs (2018-2022). In that role, he was responsible for all matters pertaining to academic programs, activities and services in the 14 colleges/schools, including overseeing all institutional and specialized accreditation activities. He managed an annual operating budget of $99 million for 9,200 students and over 500 full-time faculty.
As Provost, Dr. Edington served as the university’s chief strategist and worked closely with FAMU’s President and BOT to establish and advance the university’s strategic priorities. Under his leadership, FAMU made tremendous strides in increasing student success outcomes, launched several new degree programs and experienced its highest performance (in 2021 and 2023) on Florida’s Performance-Based Funding Model. During Dr. Edington’s tenure as Provost, the university also climbed in the U.S. News & World Report rankings for national public universities from 123 to 103. FAMU has been the nation’s highest-ranked public HBCU for the past four years.
Dr. Edington established the Office of Undergraduate Research, the Office of Freshman Studies, and the Office of STEM Outreach to support his vision for increasing student success. He also previously served as the Chair of the State University System of Florida Council of Academic Vice Presidents, and he chaired the university’s Strategic Planning Committee that developed the recently approved 2022-2027 strategic plan.
Dr. Edington previously served as the Vice President for Strategic Planning, Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness at FAMU. In this role, he oversaw the university’s assessment, accreditation, academic program quality, institutional research, reporting and strategic planning functions. Several notable achievements marked his tenure in this role. These include leading the development and implementation of the university’s 2017-2022 strategic plan, coordinating the successful decennial accreditation review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), co-authoring the university’s annual Legislative Budget Requests and providing leadership on implementing strategies to improve the university’s outcomes on the Performance-based Funding Model.
Dr. Edington previously served as the founding Dean of the FAMU College of Science and Technology. Under his leadership, the college improved in several key areas, including increasing freshman retention rates, grant awards and graduate enrollment. He spearheaded the development of the college’s inaugural strategic plan, guided the revamping of the college’s tenure and promotion criteria and implemented several academic support initiatives that helped to increase student success rates in several science and mathematics gateway courses. In addition, Dr. Edington facilitated the college’s efforts in establishing strategic partnerships with several corporations and government agencies to garner support for the college’s strategic priorities.
Dr. Edington’s previous administrative experiences include serving as the Director of the FAMU Quality Enhancement Program (QEP), Chair of the FAMU Department of Chemistry and Director of the FAMU Office of Engineering and Science Support. Dr. Edington also has extensive experience with accreditation and strategic planning. Under his supervision as Dean, the FAMU computer science program completed a successful ABET accreditation review. Additionally, he has served as FAMU’s SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison since 2010.
Dr. Edington is a physical chemist by training with a research specialty in ultrafast laser spectroscopy. He also conducts research and provides training to faculty in the area of STEM education, with a focus on using active learning instructional strategies to enhance critical thinking skills.
Dr. Edington received his B.A. in chemistry from Fisk University, a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University, and he completed postdoctoral studies at Duke University, where he was a National Institutes of Health, National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellow.
Dr. Edington is married to Tonya Edington and is the father of Gabriella Edington, M.D.
| ROOM | 10:45 - 12:00 | 13:00 - 14:15 | 14:30 - 15:45 |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD | Dr. Phronie Jackson & Monique Coles: Mental Health First Aid During Time of Crisis | Jeanna Pryor: Emergency Financial First Aid | Jeanna Pryor: Emergency Financial First Aid |
| TBD | Alonzo Joy: Overview - Becoming a Well-Prepared Exercise Evaluator | Bronlea Mishler M.Ed: Crisis Communications Before, During, and After Disaster Response for VOADs (Virtual) | Grelia Steele & Lucia Cortes: Going beyond language and focusing on culture in disaster response |
| TBD | Dawn Fox-Senior Preparedness | Cody Leadbetter: Severe Weather Awareness | Peggy Keller: Climate Change, Health & Disasters |
| TBD | Paul Bowling: S.T.A.R.T. Triage | James Morrow & Paul Bowling: Volunteer to Career | Stop the Bleed Course |
| TBD | Helga Luest: Climate Change and Health | Jamie Sokolis: Human Trafficking - It's happening in your community | Paul Taskier: How to Prepare yourself and your family for emergencies |
| TBD | Michael McLean: Amtrak Passenger Response | Marjorie Windelberg: Hazmat Safety & Awareness | Michael McLean: Amtrak Passenger Response |
| TBD | Paul Taskier: How to Prepare yourself and your family for emergencies | Missy Tuttle & Anita Van der Merwe: The Duct Tape Mindset for CERTs | Missy Tuttle/Anita Van der Merwe: 'Wear It Well' Emergency Preparedness Class |
| TBD | Rachel Choate: Sheltering Basics with American Red Cross | Kelly Boyd: Disability Access & Functional Needs Pt. 1 of 2 (Virtual) | Kelly Boyd: Disability Access & Functional Needs Pt. 2 of 2 (Virtual) |
| TBD | Brett Warnick: Scene Safety & The Killers | Laurel Hester: Triage-Beyond the Basics | Beth Mahar: Stroke Smart |
| TBD | Don Lewis: Introduction of Ham Radio Support of Emergencies/Disasters | Darrell C. Spears: Podcasting for Emergency Volunteer Organizations | Darrell C. Spears: Podcasting for Emergency Volunteer Organizations |
| TBD | Katelyn Keegan: VERT | Stop the Bleed Course | Paula Hughes: Emergency Chef |
| TBD | Kim McCall: Active Shooter Awareness | Kim McCall: Active Shooter Awareness |
Alonzo Joy is a certified emergency manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers and the Maryland Emergency Management Association. He is also a member of the National Emergency Management Association. Mr. Joy has a range of experiences and progressive education in Emergency Management, Crisis Management, and Human Resource Development; coupled with over 30 years of professional law enforcement expertise. Among his various activities, he currently provides emergency management training to the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area in their campus public safety institute to recruit special police officers. He enjoys opportunities like this: where he and students can share information in a learning session and jointly gain new knowledge. Mr. Joy is a graduate of FEMA’s National Emergency Management Basic Academy and is trained as a FEMA Basic Academy instructor and ICS instructor.
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Paul has been involved in healthcare for over 50 years; first as a first aid provider, EMT, Paramedic and as a Physician Assistant since 1979 working in Trauma and Critical Care. Paul now serves as the Emergency Manager for University of Maryland, Capital Region Health. He received his BS in Health Sciences with a major of Physician Assistant from the George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences and has served as Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine for the past 15+ years. He has attended numerous training classes at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (AL), Energetic Material Testing Center (AZ), and other Homeland / FEMA classes. He holds certifications as a Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP) and other healthcare emergency management credentials. He is an active member of Anne Arundel – Annapolis CERT where he serves as Treasurer and the Team Leader for the First Aid Support Team (FAST).
Session Details
During this course: You will learn with global warming, severe weather events have been increasing and are more intense. Climate change is already having an impact on communities around the DMV, having a direct impact on health and wellbeing. This presentation will cover the potential health and mental health risks associated with climate change that every CERT or other disaster preparedness professional should be aware of. This presentation will also cover the importance of promoting resilience and encouraging adaptation to prevent health harms.
Helga Luest is the chief executive officer of Progress Pollinators, a consulting firm that supports federal, industry, and nonprofit clients in communications and technical assistance. Helga has accomplished some notable work including leading a USAID- funded malaria elimination branding effort for the Health Ministry of Zimbabwe, an EPA lead and drinking water awareness campaign, and several federal campaigns including the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline,
the ZIKA public health campaign, the National Bullying Prevention Initiative, the National Sarcopenia Campaign.
In in 2018, Helga ran for Maryland State Delegate which was the starting point for her environmental focus and climate action advocacy. Helga has her certification in climate change and health from Yale, was trained by former Vice President Al Gore to join the international Climate Reality Leadership Corps, and has her Climate Change Professional (CC-P) certification by the Association of Climate Change Officers and the state of Maryland. She also chaired the climate action plan evidence-based communications effort that is currently being implemented by the county.
In 2018, she co-authored the trauma- informed care resolutions that passed unanimously the U.S. House and Senate. In 2011 she was awarded the Congressional Unsung Hero Award for her effective advocacy work on violence prevention and response.
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Session Details
We will cover the basic elements of disaster and emergency preparedness for individuals and families, addressing the critical survival issues following a disaster, and providing common sense preparation tasks, checklists, and recommended supplies and equipment.
Originally a Boy Scout, then an EMT, a Wilderness and Disaster First Responder, Paul Taskier has studied and practiced emergency preparation and response for over 20 years.
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Session Details
Would you be able to help your family or neighbor until professional help arrives? This class answers key questions about the treatment of life-threatening conditions such as severe bleeding, breathing and shock. In this class, you will learn how to recognize and treat these critical needs while maintaining your personal safety.
Brett Wernick has been involved with Montgomery County CERT since 2018 and became a certified instructor and EMR in 2022. With over 10 years of corporate learning and development experience, she enjoys connecting with her students in CERT basic courses (often plying them with baked goods...her other passion). Brett works with the broader team on continuous improvement in the training methods employed to make CERT Basic more engaging and increase learning "stickiness" including games such as Jeopardy and Kahoot. She is currently the MC CERT registrar and a member of the training team.
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James currently is an Emergency Management Specialist for FEMA, a Past President of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) of Clinton, MD, and is retired from the United States Army since 2003. During his service, he worked in communications, security, training, and administration; he has served as a security professional for ten years.
He received a BA in Emergency Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus in 2017. He has actively pursued FEMA Independent Study courses and many face-to-face classes in emergency management. He has achieved certificates in Professional Development Series, FEMA COOP Level I & II Professional Continuity Practitioner, the Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Certificate, and several National Incident Management System certificates. He is also a FEMA-certified CERT train-the-trainer and CERT Program Manager. He is married and is the father of one daughter. James enjoys competitive sports, fitness, cycling, and family time.
Paul has been involved in healthcare for over 50 years; first as a first aid provider, EMT, Paramedic and as a Physician Assistant since 1979 working in Trauma and Critical Care. Paul now serves as the Emergency Manager for University of Maryland, Capital Region Health. He received his BS in Health Sciences with a major of Physician Assistant from the George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences and has served as Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine for the past 15+ years. He has attended numerous training classes at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (AL), Energetic Material Testing Center (AZ), and other Homeland / FEMA classes. He holds certifications as a Physician Assistant-Certified (PA-C), Certified Healthcare Emergency Professional (CHEP) and other healthcare emergency management credentials. He is an active member of Anne Arundel – Annapolis CERT where he serves as Treasurer and the Team Leader for the First Aid Support Team (FAST).
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Session Details
Dangerous hazardous materials are everywhere – at home, in businesses, on trucks and rail cars, and more! First,
we’ll discuss what kinds of hazardous materials are in your home and how to manage them safely. Then we’ll delve
into hazmat incidents that can affect our communities: how to recognize their dangers and what hazmat can do to
people, animals, and the environment, how to stay safe, and how to report to 9-1-1. The second half of the
session will show ways to identify hazardous materials at commercial facilities or being transported. The last part
of the presentation will explain how professional responders handle hazardous material incidents.
Marjorie Windelberg, Ph.D., has been the CERT Coordinator for the City of Alexandria since 2017. She teaches CERT Basic Training and has been instrumental in launching Alexandria’s Teen CERT program in Fall 2023. She also teaches workshops such as Active Bystander, damage assessment, traffic and crowd management, hazardous materials, and triage. Marjorie holds numerous FEMA certifications, as CERT Train-the-Trainer and CERT Program Manager, and for the Incident Command System and Emergency Operations Center. Prior to becoming a CERT volunteer, Marjorie taught graduate level courses in disaster management for 8 years at the University of Maryland Global Campus.
Session Details
In times of crisis and disaster, it is essential to harness every resource at our disposal to make a difference. That’s the essence of ‘The Duct Tape Mindset,’ a powerful approach we’re excited to share.
Building on what you learned in your Basic CERT course, this session will equip you with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to respond effectively to emergencies within your community. It’s about empowering you to act, even when faced with uncertainty.
Our class dives into practical scenarios and real-world situations, teaching you how to leverage your immediate surroundings and available resources to provide aid, comfort, and support when it’s needed most.
Together, we’ll learn to adapt, improvise, and make a positive impact in an emergency. It all begins with the Duct Tape Mindset. Let’s get started!
Missy Tuttle has 30 years of leadership and business management experience. She teaches communities, corporations and individuals how to prepare for emergencies, whether large or small scale. Missy is certified by the Emergency Management Institute as a CERT Program Manager and is an adjunct Instructor with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. She is actively involved in numerous charities and community organizations, a member of The Greater Springfield Volunteer Fire Department as an EMT and a Search & Rescue Technician for Delmarva Search and Rescue. She currently serves on the board of the Fairfax County CERT Volunteer Association.
Anita Van der Merwe has a passion for emergency management. She combines business continuity management and planning, technology recovery planning and exercising, emergency response, and emergency preparedness in her overall skill set. She currently works as clinic operations manager to support COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and wellness services.
As a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) her background includes the planning and rehearsal of disaster recovery and business continuity strategies, plans, and capabilities for corporations in the financial and technology industries.
Anita also works In the capacity of Adjunct Instructor for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Training Division, as well as an EMS educator actively involved with Emergency Medical Technician and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training.
Anita maintains the Emergency Medical Technician certification and is an operational member of the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company in Virginia.
Anita is certified by the Emergency Management Institute as well as Fairfax County Fire and Rescue as a CERT Instructor and served as the Training Officer for the Fairfax County CERT program.
Kelly Boyd is an Access & Functional Needs Planner for the NJ Office of Emergency Management. Previously, she served as the AmeriCorps Program Officer for the New Jersey Commission on National & Community Service and as the Disaster & Disability Services Coordinator for the NJ Governor’s Office of Volunteerism. Ms. Boyd was also a disaster reservist for FEMA Region 2 and an Emergency Management Specialist at the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities.
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About The Trainer
Founder at Elite Conversations
Executive Producer at Elite Conversations Podcast Media
Over 25 Years of Business Experience
Over 10 Years of Business Coaching and Strategy Planning for Small Business
Certified Executive Producer at Prince George's Community Television
Darrell C. Spears is a polished leader, business coach & public speaker, with over 25 years of business management, development, and leadership experience in both Corporate America and Ministry. He is well-rounded business background includes stints with several fortune 500 companies, including: Sprint, GE, British Telecom and EY. Mr. Spears key attributes include his expertise in business development and his ability to provide guidance and coaching to business owners and entrepreneurs at all levels. He is well known in the business and ministry community for having great character and a desire to see others succeed.
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Session Details
You will focus on the importance of taking culture into account when engaging multilingual communities in emergency preparedness training and awareness efforts. The message extends to methods to engage with community partners who are a source of trust and where relationships exist in multilingual communities.
Lucia's responsibilities encompass developing emergency preparedness initiatives through volunteer and partnership programs, as well as community education activities like the Until Help Arrives program, ensuring equal and accessible opportunities for all. She was honored with the 2023 Public Information Excellence Award by the Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA.)
Lucia also spent over five years managing Arlington County Commuter Services’ marketing and outreach program promoting sustainable transportation modes to Arlington’s Hispanic/Latino community, engaging 15,000 community members through ground-up work with community-based organizations, local businesses, and various partners in the community.
She has contributed to increasing the engagement of volunteers from the Arlington Community Emergency Response Team with the local government. Lucia is experienced in educating a wide variety of community members, including students from elementary to high school, senior adults, immigrants, and refugees.
Grelia Steele is a certified emergency manager and a UAS pilot with over 13 years of experience preparing communities for adverse times. Twelve of those years were spent in three Northern Virginia jurisdictions, where she developed preparedness programs to improve the readiness of multicultural and under-resourced communities. Her last assignment in local government was creating a multilingual program throughout Fairfax County. In 2022, she transitioned to the private sector as Crisis and Continuity Manager for corporate security at Guidehouse, Inc. Her work has been highlighted by national media; received the 2020 Latino National Security & Foreign Policy Next Generation Leaders Award and the Northern Virginia 40 Under 40 Award. She lives locally with her family and enjoys flying drones in her free time.
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Session Details
You will cover the basic elements of disaster and emergency preparedness for individuals and families, addressing the critical survival issues following a disaster, and providing common sense preparation tasks, checklists, and recommended supplies and equipment.
Originally a Boy Scout, then an EMT, a Wilderness and Disaster First Responder, Paul Taskier has studied and practiced emergency preparation and response for over 20 years.
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Session Details
In our ‘Wear It Well’ Emergency Preparedness Class, we’re diving into the invaluable qualities that can turn anyone, from Community Emergency Response Team members to laypeople, into a beacon of hope and support during times of crisis.
‘Wear It Well’ signifies not just what you wear on your person but the attitude and mindset you carry within you. Our mission is to instill a blend of courage, adaptability, and determination – that can mean all the difference when facing the unexpected.
You will discover that preparedness isn’t just about having the right gear; it’s about knowing how to use it effectively and creatively. From simple tools to personal essentials, we’ll show you how to transform what’s at hand into lifesaving assets.
Whether you’re a seasoned CERT member or a concerned community member, you’ll leave with a newfound sense of empowerment and preparedness. Together, we’ll learn that it’s not about what you have; it’s about how you ‘Wear It Well’ that truly counts in an emergency.
Missy Tuttle has 30 years of leadership and business management experience. She teaches communities, corporations and individuals how to prepare for emergencies, whether large or small scale. Missy is certified by the Emergency Management Institute as a CERT Program Manager and is an adjunct Instructor with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department. She is actively involved in numerous charities and community organizations, a member of The Greater Springfield Volunteer Fire Department as an EMT and a Search & Rescue Technician for Delmarva Search and Rescue. She currently serves on the board of the Fairfax County CERT Volunteer Association.
Anita Van der Merwe has a passion for emergency management. She combines business continuity management and planning, technology recovery planning and exercising, emergency response, and emergency preparedness in her overall skill set. She currently works as clinic operations manager to support COVID-19 testing, vaccination, and wellness services.
As a Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) her background includes the planning and rehearsal of disaster recovery and business continuity strategies, plans, and capabilities for corporations in the financial and technology industries.
Anita also works In the capacity of Adjunct Instructor for the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Training Division, as well as an EMS educator actively involved with Emergency Medical Technician and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation training.
Anita maintains the Emergency Medical Technician certification and is an operational member of the Fair Oaks Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company in Virginia.
Anita is certified by the Emergency Management Institute as well as Fairfax County Fire and Rescue as a CERT Instructor and served as the Training Officer for the Fairfax County CERT program.
Kelly Boyd is an Access & Functional Needs Planner for the NJ Office of Emergency Management. Previously, she served as the AmeriCorps Program Officer for the New Jersey Commission on National & Community Service and as the Disaster & Disability Services Coordinator for the NJ Governor’s Office of Volunteerism. Ms. Boyd was also a disaster reservist for FEMA Region 2 and an Emergency Management Specialist at the NJ Division of Developmental Disabilities.
Beth retired from the US Air Force Reserves in 2009 as a Colonel in the Nurse Corps, as well as continued to work for the federal government until she retired in March of 2021. Beth has experience in emergency responses to unknown substances in mail facilities, planning and evaluating active shooter drills, and training and drilling first responders to multiple scenarios. Beth also volunteers for the City of Alexandria CERT team and is an active member of her local Health Department Medical Reserve Corp. Beth has responded to the influx of evacuees from Afghanistan, working at the COVID-19 call center as well as in several vaccine clinics supervising the flow staff and administering Influenza, COVID and Monkeypox vaccines.
About The Trainer
Founder at Elite Conversations
Executive Producer at Elite Conversations Podcast Media
Over 25 Years of Business Experience
Over 10 Years of Business Coaching and Strategy Planning for Small Business
Certified Executive Producer at Prince George's Community Television
Darrell C. Spears is a polished leader, business coach & public speaker, with over 25 years of business management, development, and leadership experience in both Corporate America and Ministry. He is well-rounded business background includes stints with several fortune 500 companies, including: Sprint, GE, British Telecom and EY. Mr. Spears key attributes include his expertise in business development and his ability to provide guidance and coaching to business owners and entrepreneurs at all levels. He is well known in the business and ministry community for having great character and a desire to see others succeed.
Session Details
Teams will compete to create a tasty breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack from shelf-stable food, canned/packaged fruit, and spices.
Paula Hughes is the President of, South County CERT, Prince George’s County, MD; Program Manager, Community Emergency Response Team. Ms. Hughes is a FEMA-certified CERT Train the Trainer, providing training sessions to team members, in addition to members of the general public. Ms. Hughes also conducts the Are You Ready Symposiums and, in addition, hosts CERT Basic Training Classes throughout the year.
Paula is also a FEMA-certified instructor for the Department of Homeland Security Basic National Planner’s Course, which she uses as a platform to push the benefits of including voluntary organizations active in disasters on the expanded/collaborative planning teams as communities of interest to federal, state, local, and tribal exercise planners.
Ms. Hughes is a former Hazardous Materials Technician (ProBoard)/First Responder in the Operations Division for Sasol North America- Sasol is an international integrated energy and chemicals manufacturing company with employees in 37 countries.
Ms. Hughes holds a Bachelor of Arts from Morgan State University in Baltimore, majoring in Political Science, minoring in Environmental Engineering
David Steele is a FEMA instructor, Training Coordinator for the Montgomery County Community Emergency Response Team, and a Moulage technician who has conducted CBRNE and other mass casualty training and evaluations overseas and throughout the United States. He helped design and conduct U.S. government and coalition military functional exercises, and multi-national full-scale mass casualty exercises. His Moulage training program for the U.S. Embassy was also used by the U.S. Ambassador's Tactical Response Teams. Mr. Steele has custom-created scene-specific Moulage appliances for military training, airport emergency plan exercises, county exercises, police department active shooter exercises, and fire department skills training.
Kristen Wear is a Moulage Technician and the Moulage Coordinator for the Montgomery County (MD) Community Emergency Response Team and has received intensive training from professional makeup artists, mentors, and through independent study. In this role, Ms. Wear designs mass casualty field and tabletop exercise scenarios and has developed extensive victim lists for local Fire Rescue Service, CERT, and private companies. Ms. Wear developed a system for allowing victims to take an active role in choosing their level of involvement while enabling the team to maintain the scenario-driven injury "hit list" with pre-determined victim triage categories. In addition, she has provided realistic scene-specific Moulage services, and controller/evaluator roles for numerous airport emergency plan drills, extensive military CBRNE exercises, and police department active shooter training.
James Sobecke is a member of the Fairfax County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). James joined CERT in 2008 and holds a host of leadership roles – Operations Division Lead, Lead Instructor, Traffic and Crowd Management Instructor, Community Volunteer Training Coordinator, and Radio Team Manager. Now retired from a military and government contractor career, James volunteers with CERT and several community organizations to keep active and give back to the community. For his years of leadership and dedication to a more resilient community, James was awarded the 2018 Fairfax County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services Award for CERT Member.
As a longtime ham radio operator, Don was recently elected president of Alexandria Radio Club after previously serving as vice president. After becoming CERT trained in 2013 Don became an advocate of amateur radio licensing for CERT-trained personnel and will speak about amateur radio (ham radio) for CERT volunteers.
Sean P. Gallagher is a licensed Amateur (Ham) radio operator and Vice President of the Alexandria Radio Club. Sean completed CERT training in 2018 and has participated in many follow-on CERT-related training events and several CERT activations. As a liaison between the Alexandria CERT Communications Team and the Alexandria Radio Club, Sean developed and manages CERT Communications efforts for Alexandria CERT Team and the Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Sean also serves as a volunteer member of the Fairfax CERT Radio Team, helping to support radio capabilities development and functional integration with Alexandria City CERT capabilities.
Greg St. James has been the Program Manager of the Montgomery County Maryland CERT Program since 2007. In 2010 and 2011 Greg led CERT Teams to Haiti to train and assist residents of Leogane near the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake. In 2011, Greg created and helped produce the first CERT CON event in Silver Spring Maryland. Under his leadership, Montgomery County CERT has created the innovative and award-winning Virtual Emergency Response Team (VERT), the unique family outreach program Storm Camp, and the active CERT Go Team.
Greg is also a co-founder of the NCR CERT Consortium and its President.
Greg is a Maryland EMT-B, CPR instructor, and CERT Trainer. He is a lifelong radio and television broadcaster and lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his wife and fellow Michigan native Jennifer.
Jennifer St. James is a FEMA-trained CERT Basic and ASHI CPR instructor in Montgomery County Maryland. She has been a CERT volunteer for over 10 years, and serves as the HR coordinator and is part of the IT/Digital team, managing the website and social media platforms, as well as participating in area events with the Montgomery CERT Go Team.
Jennifer also works with Montgomery County Auxiliary Communications Service, (MCACS), and is a licensed ham radio operator. She has served on the MCACS board as their treasurer for the past 5 years.
Jennifer is originally from Michigan, and has lived in Gaithersburg, Maryland since 2011 with her husband Greg. She has an extensive IT and broadcasting background throughout her career in the radio industry as an announcer and broadcast/sound engineer, and many years of experience as an IT network and systems administrator. Jennifer currently works as a Sr. Project Manager contracted to the federal government, and has a Master's in IT Information Systems.
David Steele is a FEMA instructor, Training Coordinator for the Montgomery County Community Emergency Response Team, and a Moulage technician who has conducted CBRNE and other mass casualty training and evaluations overseas and throughout the United States. He helped design and conduct U.S. government and coalition military functional exercises, and multi-national full-scale mass casualty exercises. His Moulage training program for the U.S. Embassy was also used by the U.S. Ambassador's Tactical Response Teams. Mr. Steele has custom-created scene-specific Moulage appliances for military training, airport emergency plan exercises, county exercises, police department active shooter exercises, and fire department skills training.
Donna Reuss has been a volunteer and the Volunteer Reception Center Manager with Volunteer Alexandria’s emergency preparedness program for over 10 years. Ms. Reuss is a retired national security emergency planner. She worked in the Federal government at both the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Defense, and has experience in all aspects of emergency management policy, planning, operations, training, exercises, and program assessment.
Friday, October 20, 2023
1800 – 2030
– CERTCON Meet and Greet
Saturday, October 21, 2023
All Day
– Assorted Vendors
0900 – 0912
– Registration (will continue till noon)
– Safety Announcements
– Color Guard Flag Presentation by Young Marines
0912 – 1006
– Welcome Remarks and Introduction to UDC President
– Plenary Speaker Dr Chris Rodriguez; HSEMA Mayor’s Proclamation
– Conference Welcome Jermaine Dillon, Interim Director, Serve DC
– Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker Jennifer Donelan
– Plaque Presentations
1007 – 1033
– Roundtable Sessions
1045 – 1200
Morning Breakout Sessions
1200 – 1300
Lunch
1315 – 1415
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 1
1430 – 1535
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 2
1540 – 1600
– Day 1 Closing Remarks & Networking
Sunday, October 22, 2023
0900 – 0955
– Registration
1000 – 1145
– Begin Moulage
1200 – 1500
– Mass Casualty Exercise
– Disasterville Game
– Animal Preparedness
Friday, October 20, 2023
1800 – 2030
– CERTCON Meet and Greet
Saturday, October 21, 2023
All Day
– Assorted Vendors
0900 – 0912
– Registration (will continue till noon)
– Safety Announcements
– Color Guard Flag Presentation by Young Marines
0912 – 1006
– Welcome Remarks and Introduction to UDC President
– Plenary Speaker Dr Chris Rodriguez; HSEMA Mayor’s Proclamation
– Conference Welcome Jermaine Dillon, Interim Director, Serve DC
– Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker Jennifer Donelan
– Plaque Presentations
1007 – 1033
– Roundtable Sessions
1045 – 1200
Morning Breakout Sessions
1200 – 1300
Lunch
1315 – 1415
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 1
1430 – 1535
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 2
1540 – 1600
– Day 1 Closing Remarks & Networking
Sunday, October 22, 2023
0900 – 0955
– Registration
1000 – 1145
– Begin Moulage
1200 – 1500
– Mass Casualty Exercise
– Disasterville Game
– Animal Preparedness
Friday, October 20, 2023
1800-2130: CERTCON 2023 Meet and Greet:
Saturday, October 21, 2023
All Day
– Assorted Vendors
0900 – 0912
– Registration (will continue till noon)
– Safety Announcements
– Color Guard Flag Presentation by Young Marines
0912 – 1006
– Welcome Remarks and Introduction to UDC President
– Plenary Speaker Dr Chris Rodriguez; HSEMA Mayor’s Proclamation
– Conference Welcome Jermaine Dillon, Interim Director, Serve DC
– Opening Ceremony & Keynote Speaker Jennifer Donelan
– Plaque Presentations
1007 – 1033
– Roundtable Sessions
1045 – 1200
Morning Breakout Sessions
1200 – 1300
Lunch
1315 – 1415
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 1
1430 – 1535
Afternoon Breakout Sessions Group 2
1540 – 1600
– Day 1 Closing Remarks & Networking
Sunday, October 22, 2023
0900 – 0955
– Registration
1000 – 1145
– Begin Moulage
1200 – 1500
– Mass Casualty Exercise
– Disasterville Game
– Animal Preparedness
George Washington Middle School is located in the Del Ray section of Alexandria near the Braddock Road Metro station, not far from the center of Olde Towne.
From the South (I-495/I-95) From the North (Crystal City) From Interstate 270 From Interstate 395 / King Street From the MetroTHANK YOU to everyone who attended the 2022 CERTCON and thank you to all our wonderful sponsors.
A special thank you to everyone who helped plan the event and to those of you whom volunteered during the event.
We look forward to seeing you all again for CERTCON 2023!
