University Hosts GEMA/HS Strategic Planning Workshop

April 30, 2015

Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security (GEMA/HS) selected Georgia Southern University as the site of a strategic planning workshop for its leadership team in April. Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management staffers Drs. Jayne Perkins-Brown, Todd Deal and Amy Ballagh were among the University staff members who assisted GEMA/HS with the workshop for the agency’s senior executives, which included Jim Butterworth, director of the agency that coordinates the state’s preparedness, response and recovery efforts in disasters and emergencies. Suzanne Tatum from the Division of External Affairs also participated in organizing and coordinating the three-day event. During their time at Georgia Southern, GEMA/HS leaders toured campus facilities, conducted team-building activities, developed agency vision and mission statements, and met with state Sen. Jack Hill, state Rep. Bill Hitchens and local law enforcement including the Georgia Southern police chief. In addition, Steve Hein, director of the Center for Wildlife Education and Spenser Herkelman, director of the Southern Adventures Program were enlisted to facilitate other team-building sessions for the state’s emergency management executives.