Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Management

Mission

It is the mission of Montgomery County OEMHS to plan, prevent, prepare, and protect against natural and man-made hazards that may threaten, disrupt, or harm our communities, commerce, and institutions and to effectively manage and coordinate the County’s unified response and recovery from the consequences of such disasters.

Vision

Our vision is to have a comprehensive emergency management program that incorporates prevention, protection, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation to promote disaster resilient communities. Montgomery County, in partnership with state and municipal governments, the private and nonprofit sectors, communities, and residents will work to develop a strong, secure, and resilient Montgomery County that is capable of protecting against major threats that may harm, disrupt, or destroy our communities, commerce, and institutions. A resilient Montgomery County will effectively manage its unified response, mitigation, support and recovery from the consequences of such disasters or events. Fundamental to this vision is cooperation between Montgomery County’s municipalities and departments, particularly those that participate within the EMG, to achieve our goal of protecting county residents, critical infrastructure, and key resources and to respond and recover from incidents that may occur.

Our Staff

		Director Luke Hodgson
		Deputy Director Nicole Markuski
Preparedness and Outreach Division Marianne Souders Division Chief		Risk Reduction and Resilience Division Chuck Magee Division Chief		Mission Support Division Nicole Markuski
John Burke EM Specialist II		Matthias Miziorko EM Specialist II		Danelia Quiroz Budget Specialist
Zach Estess EM Specialist I		Frank Roman EM Specialist II		Lauren Welty Grants Program Management Specialist
Juda Paniagua EM Specialist I		Michelle Lloyd EM Specialist II		Michelle Rhee Grants Assistant
Sareem Streater Emergency  Preparedness  Specialist		Ehsan Bahador EM Specialist I		Barbara Moore Hazmat Permitting  Specialist
Tyler Leone Emergency Preparedness  Specialist		Mara Parker Climate Adaptation Program Manager		Will Shepherd EM  Specialist I
		Paramjit Chibber Hydrologist		Lisa Mantel Emergency  Preparedness  Specialist

Luke J. Hodgson ,  MS, MA, CEM 
Director - [email protected]
Luke is responsible for overall management and strategic direction of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security. He works with other county department directors to ensure coordination of planning and response efforts. 

Nicole Markuski, MS, MEP
Deputy Director -  [email protected]
Nicole supports the overall management of the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and is also responsible for the Mission Support Division. The division is responsible for managing Federal, state, and regional homeland security grants for Montgomery County. The division also manages all budget, finance, procurement, and personnel responsibilities for the office.

Marianne Souders, MSEM, CEM, MEPP
Preparedness and Outreach Division Chief -  [email protected]
Marianne manages the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security’s Risk Reduction and Resilience Division, which is responsible for coordinating with multiple county departments, agencies, as well as public and private partners to develop emergency plans and preparedness initiatives. Additionally, the Preparedness and Outreach Division is responsible for community engagement and outreach activities that enhance the awareness and preparedness abilities of the citizens who live and work in Montgomery County.

Chuck Magee
Risk Reduction and Resilience Division Chief - [email protected]
​Chuck works with other County departments and partner agencies to ensure coordination of response and recovery efforts. This division manages the County’s Emergency Alert Notification systems, Emergency Management information systems, the National Incident Management program and management of the Emergency Operations Center. This division is also responsible for climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts as they related to the County's Climate Action Plan and works to keep all residents safe from the impacts of a changing climate. The division also conducts regular trainings and exercises to improve the County's local and regional emergency response capabilities.

Danelia Quiroz
Management and Budget Specialist III - [email protected]
Danelia reviews and analyzes budgets for County operations and Department of Homeland Security grants, including state, federal and regional.  She monitors budgets for fiscal implications of requests.  Danelia is also responsible for program evaluation and management analysis that requires detailed attention to obtain and analyze information, provide recommendations, author reports, perform research, data and trend analysis, financial reviews and reconciliation reports.  She identifies issues and/or problems related to budget and/or programs and makes recommendations to senior management for resolutions.  Danelia is also involved in project management and oversight as it relates to grant funding.

Ehsan Bahador, MPS
Emergency Management Specialist I - [email protected]
Ehsan is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division. He is responsible for the County's Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP), Extreme Temperature Plan, and the Threat and Hazards Identification Process (THIP). He is also responsible for the County's Pre-Disaster Recovery Plan (PDRP). 

John Burke
Emergency Management Specialist II -  [email protected]
John is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division. John is responsible for the County’s Workplace Safety program and assists with the Alert Montgomery program. He also works with all Montgomery County Government departments in the development of their Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans, and participates in regional planning efforts in the National Capital Region.

Paramjit Chibber
Engineer III (Hydrologist) - [email protected]
Paramjit is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division who serves as the Hydrologist for OEMHS. He works closely with the County's Climate Leadership team on flood-related projects, including the County's Comprehensive Flood Mitigation Plan. 

Zach Estess, AEM
Emergency Management Specialist I -  [email protected]
Zach is a member of the Preparedness and Outreach Division who serves as the Training and Exercise coordinator for OEMHS, which includes the coordination of partners in the planning, development, and execution of training, drills, and exercises that test the numerous County emergency plans

Lauren Freitag
Administrative Specialist II - [email protected]
Lauren is a member of the Mission Support Division. She provides project and financial management support for the office. Lauren is responsible for managing homeland security state, federal and regional grants.  She is also responsible for a variety of administrative, fiscal, technical and human resources management functions.

Tyler Leone, MSL
NCR Emergency Preparedness Specialist - [email protected]
Tyler works for the Center for Health and Homeland Security as a contractor to OEMHS. He is responsible for the Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security's Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). Tyler is also supporting the updates to the County's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) as well as other planning initiatives. Tyler participates in regional planning efforts in the National Capital Region.

Michelle Lloyd, MS, NRP, MDPEMP, CEM
Emergency Management Specialist II - [email protected]
Michelle is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division. She serves as the liaison to the Montgomery County Healthcare Collaborative for Emergency Preparedness (MOCEP), the Region V Hospital Coalition, and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) initiative. Michelle also works with our mass care partners in the Department of Health and Human Services on the Shelter Operations Guide and the Family Reunification Plan.

Lisa Mantel, JD
NCR Emergency Preparedness Specialist - [email protected]
Lisa works for the Center for Health and Homeland Security as a contractor to OEMHS. She is responsible for the Radiological Ingestion Pathway Plan and Regional Planning. She also supports outreach efforts to promote emergency preparedness within the County through engagement with Age Friendly Montgomery and the Faith Community Working Group. Lisa participates in regional planning efforts in the National Capital Region.

Matthias Miziorko, MS, MDPEMP, CEM
Emergency Management Specialist II -  [email protected]​
Matt is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division whose primary responsibilities include: administration of the Alert Montgomery notification system, the operational readiness of the Emergency Operations Center, and serves as the administrator for the WebEOC program. Matt is additionally responsible for using Geographic Information System (GIS) software and its associated spatial data to support day-to-day and emergency operations within the office.

Barbara Moore
Hazmat Permitting Program Specialist -  [email protected]​
Barbara manages the county's hazardous materials use permit program, including helping businesses file online and pay their fees. The program is responsible for ensuring businesses are compliant with Executive Regulation 3-12 AM.

Leonardo "Juda" Paniagua
Emergency Management Specialist - [email protected]
Juda is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division. He coordinates the Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources (CIKR) program and consequence management planning for cyber events and water security. Juda also supports the Alert Montgomery Program. 

Mara Parker
Climate Adaptation Program Manager - [email protected]
Mara is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division. She coordinates climate adaptation and resilience programs for OEMHS. As a member of the County's Climate Leadership team, she works with partner agencies to track progress on the County's Climate Action Plan. She manages resiliency hub efforts as well as climate resilience community outreach. Mara leads the department's public information and social media efforts and supports other planning division initiatives.

Michelle Rhee
Grants Assistant - [email protected]
Michelle is a member of the Mission Support Division. She ensures quality control of sub-award spending reports as well as Capital Asset inventory reporting. She is also responsible for a variety of administrative, fiscal, technical and human resources management functions.

Frank Roman, CBCP
Emergency Management Specialist II -  [email protected]
Frank is a member of the Risk Reduction and Resilience Division whose primary responsibilities include the coordination of the County’s Facility Emergency Action Program, the operational readiness of the Emergency Operations Center, assisting with the Alert Montgomery program, and the Internal Alert System. Frank supports the OEMHS drone program. 

Will Shepherd
Emergency Management Specialist I - [email protected]
Will is a member of the Mission Support Division whose primary responsibilities include the coordination of the OEMHS 800 MHz radio fleet, OEMHS vehicle fleet, the Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC), Resource Management, and Supply Chain resilience. Will also supports the Alert Montgomery program. 

Sareem Streater, MS
Community Outreach Coordinator - [email protected]
Sareem works for the Center for Health and Homeland Security as a contractor to OEMHS. He is responsible for planning and executing the OEMHS Community Outreach program and outreach efforts to promote emergency preparedness and resilience within the County. Sareem coordinates community events, develops educational outreach materials, and maintains communications with community organizations. He also supports the Volunteer and Donations Management Plan and program