Flagler’s Jonathan Lord Graduates National Emergency Management Exec Academy

Jonathan Lord, the Director of the Flagler County Emergency Management Department, graduated from the FEMA Emergency Management Institute’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy, as detailed in a release issued by the county government. He completed the course and graduated on August 15th, adding yet another distinction to one of the county’s most respected leaders. “It was a great honor to be selected to participate in this academy with a diverse group of senior emergency management leaders,” Lord said of the accomplishment. “It was a very collaborative learning experience. We had an incredibly accomplished cohort, and we were able to leverage that collective wealth of knowledge to bolster the doctrine, policy, and practice that shapes the future of our profession.” Lord became the Flagler County Emergency Management Director in January 2018, and has held the post ever since. In that time he’s seen the county through natural disasters like hurricanes Ian, Nicole, and Idalia, prompting varying levels of damage and fine-tailored responses to ensure residents’ safety. Before Flagler, he worked in other emergency management offices in Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County, before working with the Florida Division of Emergency Management from 2015 to 2018. In order to earn his newest professional achievement, Lord underwent four separate week-long courses over a span of six months at the Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland. According to the county’s release, the courses were ‘Examining Emergency Management Policy and Doctrine’, ‘Leading Complex Systems’, ‘Interpreting the Contemporary Emergency Management Environment’, and ‘Creating the Emergency Management Stakeholder Community’. “We are very fortunate to have Jonathan Lord serve as our Emergency Management Director,” added County Administrator Heidi Petito. “He always goes above and beyond to better serve our community, and this is just one example of the extra effort he takes. We are very proud of him and this professional accomplishment.” The preparedness of Lord and his department to lead Flagler County through major storms is of the utmost importance this year, as hurricane activity is considered to be a more prevalent risk than most years in recent memory. The Flagler County Emergency Management Department will be issuing evacuation notices by neighborhood this year instead of by special zones, ideally simplifying the process of residents determining whether they’re affected. The department is also hoping to make communication more efficient both through information alerts and social media updates.