EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT association OF TEXAS

The EMAT Board of Directors consists of eighteen (18) members; 12 regional members, five at large members and one corporate member. The EMAT Executive Committee is selected from the current Board of Directors.

EMAT Executive Committee

Mark Chadwick, CEM, TEM - President

Mark Chadwick is the author of “Organizing Chaos: A Comprehensive Guide to Emergency Management.” He has over 36 years of experience in disaster response and Emergency Management and currently serves as the Emergency Management Specialist for the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management. Mark and is responsible for Response and Recovery operations for disasters and emergencies and, additionally, is a member of the Region 6 State of Texas Type III IMT. Mark is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), Certified Texas Emergency Manager (TEM), Master – Military Emergency Management Specialist (M-MEMS), and Certified Texas Fire Inspector.

Mark has served on several Boards, Committees, and Task Forces over the years. Currently, he serves on the Region 6 representative for the EMAT Board of Directors, the EMAT Awards Committee, the All Hazards Incident Management Team Association (AHIMTA) Law Enforcement Committee, and as an Advisory Board Member for the San Antonio College Emergency Management Administration and Homeland Security A.A.S. Degree program. Mark has also served on the State of Texas HB2340 Committee on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft and as a Past President for the South Central Emergency Management Association (SCEMA). Mark is the Military Emergency Management Specialist (MEMS) Academy – Civilian State Director for Texas.

Mark is a credentialed Emergency Management instructor and exercise developer. Mark teaches numerous State and Federal level Emergency Management courses, has developed several local level courses, and has developed and facilitated exercises for many jurisdictions across South Texas. Mark has served as a speaker for Conferences, Associations, and workshops for many years.

Mark is a veteran having served in the U.S. Air Force and retired from the Texas State Guard in December of 2019 at the rank of Colonel after serving more than 30 + years on Federal and State military duty. During his military service, Mark has received numerous military awards, medals and decorations.

Martin Ritchey, TEM  - Vice President

Mr. Ritchey is Director of Homeland Security for the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG). He serves as a Fire Commissioner and volunteer firefighter for Caldwell County ESD #4. During his emergency services career, Mr. Ritchey has responded to multiple tornados, floods, hurricanes, tropical storms, major fires, commuter and freight rail incidents, a commercial aviation crash, major bridge collapse, several mass casualty – mass fatality incidents, and other emergent events that included nine presidentially declared disasters. Mr. Ritchey is a member of the Capital Area Type III Incident Management Team, National Incident Management Team Association, and the Emergency Managers Association of Texas. Mr. Ritchey was previously a member of the Illinois Emergency Services Management Association and multiple fire chiefs’ associations. He has previously served as volunteer Vice Chair of the Lockhart Chamber of Commerce, the Education Foundation for Lockhart Independent School District, and Volunteer Chief of the Salvation Army Greater Unified Command. Mr. Ritchey was and entrepreneur founder/co-founder of several private sector companies, one of which operated locations in 24 states.

Dee Harrison, CEM - Treasurer

Ms. Harrison has been an active member of EMAT for many years. She has served on the EMAT bylaws, legislative, Symposium planning and awards committees. She is passionate about mentoring TEM and CEM applicant and emergency management students. She is an outstanding ambassador of the Texas Emergency Management profession.

John Henderson, TEM  - Secretary

Emergency Preparedness Coordinator John Henderson began his career with the City of Wichita Falls in December of 2002.  His first duties with the City were in Risk Management and serving as the Assistant Emergency Management Coordinator.  Then in February of 2009, John became the full time Emergency Preparedness Coordinator.  He has received the Advanced Professional Development certificate and is an ICS Instructor.  He has completed Advanced Public Information Officer training through FEMA and is a member of the Wichita Falls Area III Incident Management Team.   He has deployed to numerous disasters, including Hurricane Harvey, Panhandle Wildfires, Bowie Tornado and Winter Storm URI.

ohn is a member of the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).  John is currently serving on the EMAT Board of Directors for Region 5.  He was appointed to fill an unexpired term in November of 2019.

John serves on several committees in the Wichita Falls area.  He is currently the Chairman of the Wichita County Local Emergency Planning Committee, the 2-1-1 Advisory Committee, the Emergency Management liaison to the Hotter N Hell 100 Steering Committee, the Vice Chairman of the District 3 Emergency Management Working Group and a member of the Area Public Information Officers Group.   John also serves on the Wichita Falls ISD Safety & Security Committee as the Emergency Management Liaison and is a member on the Sheppard AFB Emergency Management Working Group.

John received his BBA from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.  John is married to Tammy and they have 3 adult children, Tara, Taygan and Tray.    He is a lifelong resident in the Wichita Falls area.

Shaqueena Nobles,  TEM- Sergeant at Arms

Shaqueena, “Sha” Nobles, is the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Beaumont and holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Lamar University. In November 2013, she was hired as the Emergency Management Specialist for the Emergency Management Division of the Beaumont Police Department. This division serves as Office of Emergency Management for the City of Beaumont as a whole. Sha is an IAEM and Texas Certified Emergency Manager, and active member of the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT) and the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). She is also a member of 2 state emergency management advisory committees, which facilitate state processes and standards, and better advise the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) chief for the state of Texas. Shay serves as the Sargent-at-Arms and the Chairman of the Training and Education Committee for the Sabine Neches Chief’s Association (SNCA), and is instrumental in recruiting, hosting and teaching several courses in the field of Emergency Management. She currently holds a provisional status as a Resource Unit Leader for the SNCA’s Golden Triangle All-Hazard Incident Management Team.

Sha joined the Emergency Management Division after serving 12 years with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. During her tenure with TDCJ, she was a Correctional Officer, Senior Correctional Mentor, Alternate Risk Manager and lastly Risk Manager. Her collateral duties included acting as the Lead Risk Manager for the Beaumont Prisons cluster, certified Hostage Negotiator for TDCJ, Staff Safety and Risk Management Trainer, and Safety Officer during ICS operations and incidents affecting prisons.

Of the many titles and roles she carries, Wife and Mother are her most esteemed. She has the honor of being married to Martell Nobles for the past 17 years and they recently welcomed a set of boy/girl twins in January 2020.

Jamie Galloway, CEM, TEM - Immediate Past President

Jamie Galloway has over 45 years of public safety experience as an Emergency Manager, Fire Chief, and City Manager has given him the ability to view emergency management from different points of view. He has testified before state legislators on the effects of disasters and steps to improve the response and recovery processes.

He currently serves as the Emergency Service Director for the City of Deer Park, Texas where he is responsible for all aspects of a comprehensive program. His responsibilities include training, emergency management and coordinating with local, state and federal partners on issues affecting the greater Harris County area.

During his career he has served as Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for two jurisdictions, Director of Emergency Services in another before retiring from the fire service and accepting the position of Emergency Management Coordinator in Nassau Bay, then Baytown before coming to Deer Park in November 2021. He has played an active role in all phases of emergency management before, during and after major disaster declarations.

Jamie has provided leadership in many local and state organizations. He served in several positions including President of the Texas Gulf Coast Emergency Management Association, Chairman of the Liberty County LEPC and President of the Liberty County American Red Cross Advisory Board and President IAEM Region 6. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Emergency Management Association of Texas and is the current President. He is also currently serving as the International Association of Emergency Manager-USA as Region 6 Secretary.

Jamie has served on regional committees related to emergency management at the local and state levels. He is also an adjunct instructor for the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

He holds numerous certifications in Texas including peace officer, firefighter, fire officer, fire –arson investigator and EMT-Advanced. Jamie is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM ®) and Certified Texas Emergency manager (TEM). Jamie completed the Bachelor of Science in Fire Science and Master of Science in Emergency Services Management programs at Columbia Southern University.