An Article Out Loud from the Domestic Preparedness Journal, February 01, 2023.
Out of first-time events come many important lessons learned. For example, information must be disseminated using familiar terminology when an unfamiliar event occurs. In addition, recovery is a team effort that begins before the event has ended. Learn how the third most populated county in the United States handled recovery after Winter Storm Uri in 2021.
Narrated by MacGregor Stephenson.
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Jamie Hannan
Jamie Hannan, MAT, MPP, is the innovation research analyst for the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HCOHSEM) in Harris County, TX. He joined the team in 2021 after working in the non-profit and education sectors for a decade. In his role at HCOHSEM, he works across sections to highlight best practices and innovative processes, serves as a policy analyst, and acts as a liaison to Commissioners Court, the local governing body for Harris County. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Master of Arts in Teaching from Austin College in Sherman, TX, and a Master of Public Policy from the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston.
Stephanie Wright
Stephanie Wright started in emergency management in 2011 when she was appointed Deputy Director of the Secretary of the Senate’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). She helped to run the EOC and establish an alternate Senate Chamber during the 2011 earthquake. In 2012, she was promoted to continuity of operations coordinator and director of the EOC, where she managed continuity of operations planning and continuity of government plans for the secretary of the Senate and its 26 departments. In this capacity, she activated the EOC for numerous special events, including State of the Unions, Joint Sessions of Congress, the 2013 Inauguration, and the 2015 Papal visit. After moving to Texas, she worked as a disaster/outreach coordinator for the United Way of Greater Houston and assisted with community recovery efforts for the Memorial Day flood, Tax Day flood, and Hurricane Harvey. In 2019, she transitioned to the Harris County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and currently serves as the recovery specialist. Most recently, she managed the Winter Storm Uri recovery operations. In addition to her work as a recovery specialist, she served as the Chair of the Texas Gulf Coast Regional Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and is currently co-facilitating the Harris County Long-Term Recovery Committee.
