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| Meet the Staff
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Liam O’Keefe,
Assistant Managing Director
Office Phone:
215-686-1450
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Liam O’Keefe currently serves as the Assistant Managing Director for Emergency Management. He is the principal advisor to the Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management and is responsible for overseeing and managing the agency’s operations and its staff members.
Previously, Liam served as a Management Consultant to the US Department of Homeland Security during 10 federally declared disasters throughout the United States including the World Trade Center (9/11) and Hurricane Katrina. He held various positions including Policy Advisor, Deputy Public Assistance Officer, Project Officer, & Training Instructor and managed a technical team responsible for performing policy reviews of over 7000 disaster grants valued in excess of $1.5B. Prior to that, he served as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist with the New York City Office of Emergency Management and played a critical role in coordinating the restoration of infrastructure immediately following the World Trade Center disaster, assisting in the coordination of debris removal operations, and supporting the management of $3.75 billion in federal disaster funding.
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John-Paul Bruno,
Training & Exercise Program Manager
Office Phone:
215-686-4987
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Serving as the Training and Exercise Program Manager for Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management, John-Paul Bruno works closely with various city, state, regional, and community organizations to develop, coordinate and execute community-wide disaster drills, exercises and training programs to enhance the City’s preparedness.
Prior to joining OEM, John-Paul worked in Human Resources for Johnson & Johnson’s Global Talent Management Team and served as a project manager for the global expansion of Johnson & Johnson’s Education and Development Service Center.
John-Paul holds a Bachelor of Science Business Administration Degree in Organizational Management from La Salle University.
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Chris Coforio,
Health & Medical Program Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-3497
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Chris Coforio oversees the development of the MDO-OEM Health & Medical Program. This program serves to promote community awareness of health and safety hazards and to engage agencies providing health care, emergency medical services, and environmental safety services in Philadelphia to conduct planning and test their abilities to respond to emergencies of all kinds.
Chris previously served as Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for the Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, and he concurrently served as co-chairman of the North Philadelphia Healthcare Emergency Support Zone, which is a forum for coordinating preparedness initiatives among the hospitals, continuing care facilities, and health centers in the North Philadelphia area.
Chris received a Bachelors degree from Temple University, where he studied Risk Management, Healthcare Management and Accounting.
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April Geruso,
Human Services Planning Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-4978
Email:
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April Geruso serves as the Human Services Planning Coordinator for the Philadelphia’s OEM. Her responsibilities with OEM include the development of plans for disaster assistance centers, mass care services, donations management, and long-term housing.
Prior to joining OEM, April worked as a project manager for a planning and urban design firm, where she developed plans for municipalities across the country, including a redevelopment plan for a brownfield in Jersey City, New Jersey and a corridor plan for Austin, Texas. Prior to that, she worked on the development of supportive housing for transitioning homeless in Austin at Foundation Communities, a nonprofit dedicated to generating affordable and supportive housing.
April received a Bachelors degree from Virginia Tech and a Masters degree in Community and Regional Planning from The University of Texas at Austin, where she focused on community development and housing.
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Michelle A. Harel, MA,
Emergency Planning Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-683-3252
Email:
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Michelle Harel currently serves as the Emergency Planning Coordinator for the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management. Her responsibilities at OEM include working on evacuation planning, environmental hazard response, hazard mitigation planning, and coordinating with vulnerable populations.
Prior to her tenure at OEM, Michelle began her career with the City of Philadelphia in 2005 as a consultant for the Neighborhood Transformation Initiative and the Philadelphia Empowerment Zone. Upon completion of her Master’s Degree in 2007, Michelle served on the planning staff for the Philadelphia City Planning Commission, in the division of Strategic Planning and Policy.
Michelle is a Temple University graduate holding her MA in Urban Studies and her BA in Sociology. She is currently pursuing an MS in Public Policy from Drexel University.
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George Jeffers,
Logistics Planning Coordinator
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George Jeffers serves as Logistics Planning Coordinator for OEM and brings a multitude of emergency management experience.
George served 22 years in Air Force Fire Protection with a diverse background in emergency management operations, fire and life safety code enforcement, anti-terrorism planning, prevention and methodology. He worked on several planning groups focused on anti-terrorism and life safety throughout the US and Middle East.
George has certifications in emergency management from Texas A&M, University of Maryland, Bucks County College, Air Force Academy and FEMA.
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Robert Keehfuss, Resource Inventory Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-4997
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Robert Keehfuss serves as the Resource Inventory Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management and is currently building a database to identify city owned assets that could be used in emergencies.
Prior to joining OEM, Robert has spent 16 years with the Philadelphia Housing Authority as a Non-Routine & Emergency Supervisor. He has also worked with numerous city departments including Licenses & Inspection and the Philadelphia Fire Department. He was a member of the Pennsylvania Urban Search & Rescue Team as a Logistics Manager being deployed to Hurricane Floyd in North Carolina and to the World Trade Center in New York City.
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Caitlin Kelly, Training & Exercise Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-1151
Email:
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Caitlin Kelly is the Training and Exercise Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management. In this position Caitlin’s responsibilities include developing, coordinating, executing and evaluating disaster drills and exercises and training programs in order to enhance the City’s preparedness for emergencies. In addition, she is responsible for assessing and tracking the training needs and requirements for local emergency response organizations and ensuring compliance with state and federal requirements.
Prior to joining OEM, Caitlin worked as a meteorologist and weather producer for the NBC affiliate in Lancaster, PA. In this position she was primarily responsible for synthesizing complex technical data into cogent daily forecasts and promoting public information through internet based discussions, and instructive graphics and icons.
Caitlin currently holds a BS in Meteorology and a MS in Emergency Management from Millersville University. |
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Amy Meyer,
Recovery Planning Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-683-3253
Email:
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Amy Meyer serves as the Recovery Planning Coordinator for the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management. Her responsibilities at OEM include developing damage assessment and debris removal plans as well as coordinating reimbursement through the Public Assistance Program.
Prior to joining OEM, Amy served as a Destination Fellow with the City of Philadelphia where she worked for both the Office of Housing and Community Development and the Philadelphia City Planning Commission. In her role at OHCD she implemented a pilot performance management and incentive program as well as proposed best practices for structuring housing and economic development agencies. At PCPC she developed ideas to revitalize Walnut Hill with a focus on transit-oriented development around the 46th and Market Subway Station. Previously, she was employed as a staff architect at a firm in Philadelphia that specializes in nonprofit institutions.
Amy received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Samantha Phillips, MPH, Deputy Director, Planning
Office Phone:
215-686-4465
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As Deputy Director for Planning for the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Sam is responsible for overseeing the Planning Division which includes Health and Medical, Human Services, Recovery, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Hazard Specific planning programs. Prior to her role as Deputy Director for Planning, Sam held positions as Human Services Planner and Human Services Program Manager. In addition to her position at OEM, Sam is the Chair of the Human Services Workgroup for the Southeast Pennsylvania Regional Task Force and is the Acting Coordinator of the Philadelphia County Animal Response Team.
Prior to joining OEM, Sam worked with The George Washington University’s Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management (OPSEM). She also served as a member of the National Preparedness and Response Corps (NPRC) with the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Sam received her Bachelor’s of Science from American University and her Master’s of Public Health from George Washington with a concentration in International Health Policy.
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Joan Przybylowicz, Deputy Director for External Affairs/ Public Information Officer
Office Phone:
215-686-4474
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As Deputy Director for External Affairs/Public Information Officer, Joan Przybylowicz oversees Ready Region/ReadyPhiladelphia, which is a citizen education campaign for personal preparedness. She also leads a five-county marketing effort for ReadyNotifyPA, a community alert system that provides text messages to the public during emergencies. Additionally, she chairs the Public Information Subcommittee of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Task Force.
Previously, Joan served as staff coordinator for the Public Information Subcommittee of the City of Philadelphia’s Emergency Preparedness Review Committee. She also served as the Public Relations Manager for the Philadelphia Water Department, and chaired the Public Relations Committee for the Pennsylvania Section of the American Water Works Association.
Joan holds a Bachelors of Science in Marketing from LaSalle University.
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Rick Stechman, Information Technology Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-1139
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Rick Stechman currenlty serves as Information Technology Coordinator for OEM. He has been with the Office of Emergency Management since January 2005. He has ten years experience in IT and 33 years experience in electronics.
Rick began his career with the City of Philadelphia in May 1995 with the Department of Public Property with primary concentration on improving the City’s radio system. He was employed at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard from May 1982 until its closing in 1995. At the Shipyard, he performed repair and overhaul of complex electronic equipment for naval ships. He also served in the U.S. Navy maintaining ships’ weapons systems.
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Tracy Tisbo, Geographic Information Systems Program Manager
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As OEM's Geographic Information Systems Program Manager, Tracy Tisbo is responsible for production, maintenance, analysis, and support of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and geospatial systems for emergency planning and operations.
Prior to joining OEM, Tracy worked for TriData in the Washington DC area and has experience with GIS related to Enhanced 911. She has held previous positions in both the government and private sectors, where she built and maintained GIS data to support 911 mapping and computer-aided dispatch applications.
Tracy holds a BA in geography from the University of Illinois and a graduate certificate in Geographic Information Science from St.Cloud State University.
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Hilary Turner, MPH, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-686-4994
Email:
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As the Weapons of Mass Destruction Planning Coordinator for OEM, Hilary’s responsibilities include planning, developing, and coordinating emergency preparedness activities pertaining to the mitigation of security and hazardous material threats as well as environmental health and safety issues in the City of Philadelphia. Additionally, she is responsible for the collection and maintenance of hazardous material records and coordinates the Philadelphia Local Emergency Planning Committee (PLEPC).
Prior to joining OEM, Hilary was the Curriculum and Training Specialist for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health where she was primarily responsible for training professional and community audiences to use a stroke awareness program. As the Research Coordinator for a phase 3 clinical trial at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Hilary served as a liaison between clinical staff, patient families, and researchers in order to advance the study’s activities.
Hilary received a bachelor’s degree in history from Syracuse University and a master’s degree in public health (MPH) from Emory University with a concentration in behavioral science and health education.
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Edward Vassallo,
Ready Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-683-3250
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Edward Vassallo works as the Ready Coordinator in the External Affairs Division of the Office of Emergency Management. There he manages the Ready Philadelphia Public Outreach Campaign, which focuses on educating the citizens of Philadelphia on the importance of emergency preparedness.
Through press events, websites, brochures, newsletters, community outreach and social media, Ed promotes the Ready Philadelphia campaign in order to prepare the public for all possible emergencies. He's even been known to appear as the Wally Wise Guy, Shelter-in-Place Turtle, all so that the citizens know what to have in their head, home and hand during an emergency.
Ed joined OEM in June 2008 after years in print media and public relations. He also holds a BA in Journalism from Penn State University.
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Derek Ziegler, MCP,
Operations Planning Coordinator
Office Phone:
215-683-3254
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Derek Ziegler is the Operations Planning Coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management. In this capacity, he is responsible for documenting policies and protocols for operational functions, such as public notification and command facilities. He is tasked with the development of Incident Action Plans for special events and large scale responses requiring interagency cooridination. He also assists in OEM’s Geographic Information Systems (GIS) program.
Prior to his arrival at OEM in 2008, Derek was Executive Director of a non-profit in Camden, New Jersey, focused on expanding community access to data and information. He was also employed as a Management/Financial Analyst for a transportation planning and consulting firm in Philadelphia. In both of these roles, he was responsible for synthesizing information from multiple sources and providing concise analysis for a broad audience.
Derek has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Drew University and a master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Pennsylvania.
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