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Michaela Seabrease is an esteemed Emergency Management Specialist at the Howard County Office of Emergency Management. With a track record of notable achievements, she adeptly manages the Finance and Grants Program, Planning Program, EOC Technician Program, and the office’s contracts. Serving as chair of the UASI Finance and Grants Committee and Junior Co-Chair of the MDEMA Bylaws Committee, Michaela demonstrates her dedication to the field. Her completion of EMI's Basic Academy further underscores her commitment to professional development. Recently affiliating with IAEM, she strengthens her connections within the emergency management community. Known for her hardworking nature, passion, and keen attention to detail, Michaela is currently focused on obtaining her CEM from IAEM this year. Her ongoing pursuit of excellence positions her to continue making enduring contributions to emergency management.
Tammy Sommer, CEM began her emergency management career over 20 years ago, as a planner in a hurricane risk jurisdiction. She was the program manager for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) as well as co-program manager for the first Citizen Corps program in Virginia. She has taught many emergency management courses as an adjunct instructor for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM). Tammy left local government and continued supporting the emergency management community as a contractor for a period of time. Her primary position was as Deputy Project/Program Manager for the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation (HSEEP) Regional Capabilities Plan (RCP) in Virginia. She supervised the liaison staff across the commonwealth and supported not only local exercises, but state EOC, the Virginia Governor’s and the Department of Public Health exercises. She also supported the state of Illinois EOC and the City of New York for exercise support during this time.
Tammy served as the Director of Emergency Management at the University of Richmond and at Christopher Newport University following her time in the private sector. Working in Higher Education gave Tammy the ability to stay connected to state and local government while helping to grow emergency management programs on college campuses.
There were many amazing EOC, emergency management and public safety opportunities through her years in higher education. She provided strategic, university-wide leadership and coordination in crisis and emergency preparedness, to include developing and maintaining all required university emergency plans (Crisis and Emergency Management Plan, Continuity of Operations Plan, Family Assistance Center Plan and the University’s State Managed Shelter Plan).
While Tammy was at Christopher Newport the commonwealth opened the state’s first State Managed Shelter, this activation was in response to a hurricane. She coordinated and maintained the operation through Unified Command with many partners.
During COVID, Tammy was the university’s COVID Response Team Director and a member of the COVID Strike Force, overseeing community tracing, testing and vaccination. The university was the first vaccine clinic established locally, where more than 30,000 vaccines were administered. Tammy’s leadership skills proved valuable during this time in coordinating a multi-agency operation long term. She brought together multiple jurisdictions, local hospitals, public health district, and the university. She was also a member of both the Regional Vaccine Coordination Team and the Virginia Peninsula COVID unified Multi-Clinic Coordination Team.
Tammy holds a bachelor’s degree in leadership and a master’s degree in organizational development and leadership. She resides in Hampton, Virginia where she enjoys time with her husband and their family, grandchildren hold a special place and true sense of joy! After a couple of years in semi-retirement and a little contract work along the way (she led a team developing the Virginia State Shelter Strategy Framework, through the Olson Group, LTD), she has decided to continue her passion in emergency management by joining the team at Hampton Roads Planning District Commission. In her new role she will continue to assist local emergency management with projects and grants. A field she truly loves being part of and will continue to help grow for the next generation of emergency managers.
Tim Curry is the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Bridgeport in West Virginia. Prior to starting a career in Emergency Management, Tim worked as a full-time paramedic and rescue technician. His interest in emergency management came after flooding occurred in southern WV during the summer of 2016. Tim is a 2012 graduate of Fairmont State University and is currently working towards a master’s degree in organizational leadership at the University of Charleston. In his free time, Tim enjoys flying his airplane and hitting the greens for a round of golf. In 2022, Tim’s research on the effects of mental trauma on first responders was published in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services.