Emergency Management - Faculty | Pierce College District

Full-time Faculty

Sarah K. Miller, MPA, CEM

Department Chair and Assistant Professor, AAS and BAS programs, BAS Advisor

PhD Candidate, Emergency and Protective Services, Capitol Technology University
MPA, Emergency Management, Jacksonville State University
BS, Management and Communication, Corban University
AAS, Criminal Justice, Chemeketa Community College

Sarah has been involved in emergency management for more than 30 years, as a first responder, 911 dispatcher, and emergency manager. She has owned her own emergency management and cybersecurity consulting company since 2013, served as the emergency management coordinator for the 16 cities of south King County (WA), and was the first full-time emergency manager for the City of Auburn (WA). She is also currently a member of the HHS/ASPR federal Incident Management Team, where she serves as an Agency Representative. She has been adjunct faculty at a variety of colleges and universities since 2002, and currently holds an adjunct position at Georgetown University in their Emergency and Disaster Management Master's degree. She also instructs for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC).

Sarah is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), immediate past-president of IAEM Region 10, and serves as a CEM Commissioner. She is a graduate of FEMA's Basic, Advanced, and Executive Academies and serves on the faculty of all three. She also holds a graduate certificate in Information Security and Assurance and is a certified Cybersecurity Manager. In her spare time, she can usually be found at a hockey game.

Scott Preston, MA, CEM, CBCP, MEP

Associate Professor, AAS and BAS programs, AAS Advisor

MA, Emergency and Disaster Management, American Military University
BA, Political Science, University of Washington

Scott is a career business continuity and emergency management professional. Scott serves as the Business Continuity Program Manager for MultiCare Health System, serving more than 20,000 employees across 11 hospitals and over 350 clinics in the Pacific Northwest. Scott was formerly an emergency manager with the UW's Department of Emergency Management, serving as the university's business continuity manager and primary duty officer from 2005-2016. He has worked in the field of emergency management for more than a decade and holds professional accreditation as a Certified Emergency Manager, a Certified Business Continuity Professional and a Master Exercise Practitioner.

Scott is a graduate of the FEMA National Emergency Management Advanced Academy.

Scott spends his free time volunteering with Seafair Emergency Management and with the Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference. His prior volunteer work includes being a FF/EMT with Snoqualmie Pass Fire and Rescue, performing work in emergency response, incident planning and medical services. Preston has past experience as a unit leader with King County Search and Rescue and the Seattle Metro Incident Management Team (Type III).

Part-time Faculty

Sheri Badger, BS, MPIO

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS program

BS, Political Science, University of Maine

Sheri Badger is a full-time Public Information Officer with King County Office of Emergency Management in Renton. She began working for King County in February of 2021, but has been involved in Emergency Management since 2001. Her first activation was as a supporting PIO in Pierce County Department of Emergency Management during the Nisqually Earthquake.

Sheri started in Pierce County working for the Department of Human Services, where she coordinated media events and wrote news releases. After being asked to act as a back-up PIO for emergency management, she took the Advanced PIO Training at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute and got bit by the EM bug. Several years later, she was hired by Pierce County DEM to develop Vulnerable Populations Planning. She worked with partners in King and Snohomish to make it a regional effort. She also took over the PIO position, serving as the JIC Manager and lead PIO during various activations. She was a member of the Pierce County Incident Management Team, serving as the PIO for seven years.

Sheri deployed to several disasters, including the Taylor Bridge Fire in Kittitas County, Carlton Complex Fire in Okanogan, the Roy Silo collapse, the Lakewood Four Police Officer shooting, and the Oso landslide. She also was the first Disability Integration Specialist for North Carolina Emergency Management (2018-2021), responding to hurricanes Florence, Dorian, and Isaias, as well as the NC COVID-19 response.

She took a break from Emergency Management to fulfill a lifelong dream of joining the Peace Corps, and served in Ghana from 2015-2017.

Jim B. Baylor, MA

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Internship Coordinator, AAS and BAS Programs

MA, Human Sciences (Psychology and Sociology), Our Lady of the Lake University (Texas)
BS, Law Enforcement and Police Science, Sam Houston State University (Texas)

Jim has served as Adjunct Professor/Coordinator of the HSEM degree internship programs since 2017 as well as serving as Senior Training Fellow with the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Center of Excellence prior to his faculty appointment. He has a collective 40 plus years in law enforcement, criminal justice, and campus emergency management. Following his service as an army officer with the 82nd Airborne Division in the early 70's, Jim returned to Texas where he embarked on his criminal justice careers in municipal, county, Special Texas Ranger, university policing and emergency management.

Jim served nearly 20 years with the Rice University Police Department (Houston, TX) as the Operations Commander of Patrol, Security, and Communications. He later served as Chief of Campus Security and Public Safety for Wharton County Junior College (Texas) then Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management for Highline College (WA). He is also currently on faculty at Clover Park Technical College (WA) teaching Psychology and Sociology since 2017.

Jim has served as Crisis Intervention Trainer, Active Shooter Response Instructor, Mental Health Response, Advanced Law Enforcement Instructor (Classroom, Firearms, and Tactical Response), and Special Investigator: Sexual Assault and Family Violence.

Lenora G. Borchardt, MBA, MEP, CEM

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS and BAS Programs

Doctoral Student, Adult Education, University of the Cumberlands
MBA, Colorado State University
BA, Geography, University of Wisconsin

Lenora built an emergency management career by parlaying first responder experience as a CPR/first aid instructor, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), and a firefighter into emergency management (EM) positions in security and emergency preparedness at Meriter Hospital (WI), leading the State of Wisconsin Emergency Management's (EM) Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) section, and serving as the county EM for Adams County (WI). Throughout her career, Lenora has gained extensive experience in all areas of emergency management including leading response and recovery efforts for several federally-declared disasters. She is an accomplished preparedness practitioner and regularly instructs FEMA courses in Wisconsin and as an Adjunct Instructor at the National Disaster Preparedness Center (NDPTC) and at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI). She also evaluates nuclear power plant preparedness (REP) exercises across the nation for FEMA.

Lenora has a graduate certificate from Colorado State in School Safety. She is a graduate of FEMA's National Emergency Management Basic Academy, Advanced Academy, and Executive Academy as well as a Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP). Lenora also serves as an instructor in the Basic and Advanced Academies and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers.

Michael D. Despain, NEMAA

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Tribal HSEM Certificate

Mike currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer for the Buena Vista Rancheria in Sacramento, California. He has more than 30 years professional experience in all aspects of Tribal Environmental and Emergency Management and is a graduate of the National Emergency Management Advancement Academy (NEMAA). Mike is a U.S. Army Veteran and received his instructing credentials from the U.S. Army in Anniston, AL.

In his current position, Mike is responsible for writing and implementing emergency management, cultural resource management, agricultural, land management, and environmental policy, plans and procedures for the Tribe. He is also responsible for training and supervising department employees and facilitating the Tribal Safety Committee and is a certified instructor for NIMS, CERT and Cultural Resource Management courses and a certified Wildland Fire instructor (NWCG). Mike has also been responsible for the application and successful management of numerous grants for Tribal emergency management, environmental management and transportation and has written, awarded and administrated numerous Public Law 638 Contracts with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Reclamation, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Indian Health Service and has been a grant proposal reviewer for the FEMA Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program in 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2018.

Mr. DeSpain also serves as a Tribal Representative for the California Office of Emergency Services First Responders Network, Cal-Fire Tribal Policy Advisory Board, the National Partnership for Environmental Technology Education, the Advanced Technology Environmental and Energy Center, National Advisory Board for Environmental Academia Steering Committee, is a Fellow Board member for Pacific Rim Colleges, and serves as the Executive Director for the California Indian Forest and Fire Management Council. Prior to his position with the Buena Vista Tribe, Mr. DeSpain served as Tribal Administrator, Medical Executive Director, Environmental Director, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, NAPGRA Director and Land Manager.

Greg Glinsksi, MSDM

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS program

Master of Security and Disaster Management, University of Alaska Fairbanks
BAS, Homeland Security Emergency Management, Pierce College
AS, Criminal Justice, Jefferson Community College

Greg is one of two Washington State Logistics Coordinators for the State EMD serving 39 counties, 29 federally recognized Indian tribes, and other state agency partners and stakeholders. Immediately prior to this position, he served as a site manager for Pierce County DEM during the height of COVID-19, supporting response and recovery efforts for those in need of services. Greg is a retired veteran who served as a Military Police Officer and Military Intelligence Supervisor. He also became certified through FEMA to become the Defense Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosives (DCRF) task force supervisor where he deployed to several natural and man-made disasters in the United States, including: 9/11 (S&R), Hurricane Katrina (Humanitarian Aid Efforts), Hurricane Harvey (Humanitarian Aid Efforts), Hurricane Irma (Humanitarian Aid Efforts), Hurricane Sandy (Humanitarian Aid Efforts), and the train derailment in Washington. Greg has also served as the Senior Law Enforcement Instructor Supervisor, certifying Law Enforcement to serve the communities of Fort Drum, NY and JBLM. He also graduated from FEMA's Basic Academy. Greg is the first Pierce College HSEM BAS graduate to be hired to teach in the program.

Margaret Gutierrez, MA

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS and BAS programs

MA, Security Studies, Naval Postgraduate School
BS, Business Administration and Management, University of Phoenix

Margaret is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation (Oklahoma) and formerly the Director of Emergency Services for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians (California). She is the first Native American graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School's Center for Homeland Defense and Security program and holds a Masters in Security Studies. She has previously served as an instructor for FEMA's Emergency Management Institute tribal curriculum and is currently a Professor in the School of Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Emergency Management at Cal State University Long Beach. Margaret is currently the Division Chief for the Tribal Broadband Connectivity and Nation to Nation Coordination Division under US Department of Commerce. Prior to that Margaret spent 6 years as the Tribal Liaison for FirstNet covering FEMA Regions 1-8. Lastly, Margaret owns and operates Sovereign Safety Solutions focusing on emergency and public health planning for Tribes.

Jason Junkens, MBA, MA, CEM, PMP, MEP

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS and BAS programs

MBA, University of Phoenix
MA, Homeland Security, American Military University
BA, Business Administration, Oklahoma State University

Jason currently serves as a TSA Homeland Security Instructor for Des Moines Area Community College. He also is an adjunct instructor for FEMA's Emergency Management Institute Basic, Advanced, and Executive academies. He previously served as the Director of Safety and Emergency Management for Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Texas where he oversaw a program with over 50,000 students across five campuses. Prior to that he was the Emergency Manager for Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma administering an emergency management program over campuses in three different counties and cities.

He began his career in the Oklahoma Army National Guard responding to state disasters. Through his time with the National Guard, he gained significant experience and training in planning and operations, including running Tactical Operations Centers (TOCs). Jason also worked with the UAE government in the development of an emergency management academy in that country and has served as a combat advisor to the Afghan National Army.

Jason is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) from the International Association of Emergency Managers, a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute, a FEMA Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), and has graduated from FEMA's Basic, Advanced, and Executive Academies. Jason holds a dual appointment at Pierce College, where he also teaches Project Management.

Paul McNeil, MA

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS program, Certificate Advisor

Graduate Studies, Homeland Defense & Security, Naval Postgraduate School
MA, Organizational Leadership, Gonzaga University
BA, Sociology, St. Martin's College
BA, Psychology, St. Martin's College
AAS, Emergency Medical Technology, Community College of the Air Force

Paul retired from Washington State Emergency Management Division in 2013 after serving as the State EOC Manager for 10 years, and with the agency for 2 years prior to that. Before joining State EMD, he worked for Pierce County as the EMS Division Manager, for the US government assisting Saudi Arabia develop their EMS system, and he founded the EMS training program at Ft. Steilacoom Community College, which later became Pierce College. While at the State, Paul was appointed as a founding advisory board member to the Center of Excellence for Homeland Security Emergency Management where he participated in the development of the HSEM AAS degree. In the early 1980's he was also deeply involved in creating the Pierce County EMS system, including lobbying for support for 9-1-1 services to be implemented.

Prior to his government service, Paul worked in emergency medical services for the US Air Force, eventually serving as the superintendent of EMS at David Grant USAF Medical Center and eventually transferring to McCord AFB (now JBLM). While at David Grant, he was responsible for writing the disaster medical annex to the emergency management plan for conjoined Solano and Napa counties. At McChord, he wrote the McChord Annex to the Civilian-Military Contingency Hospital System Plan for the Puget Sound Area, which subsequently morphed into the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS).

Gustavo Reina, MS, CEM, MCP

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS program

MS, Criminal Justice, with concentration on Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Excelsior University
BS, Liberal Arts with concentration on Organization and Management, Excelsior University

Gustavo joined the Emergency Management field after a successful career in the US Army, from which he retired in 2011.

In addition to working and consulting in Emergency Management at the local, state and federal levels, he has served in several Volunteer Organizations Active in Disasters (VOADs) and is currently
the Program Manager and Co-Director of the largest emergency management VOAD in Central Texas.

Gustavo is a Master Continuity Practitioner, a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), and an active member of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) currently helping IAEM with various projects.
He is a graduate of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Basic and Advanced academies and is currently a faculty member of both. He's scheduled to attend the Executive Academy in 2024.

Gustavo is additionally trained, and has served, as Incident Commander, Operations Section Chief, Planning Section Chief, Liaison Officer, and Safety Officer.

Mary Schoenfeldt, BAS

Adjunct Assistant Professor, AAS Program

BAS, Human Services, Western Washington University

Mary is an Emergency Management Professional with a passion for helping people understand the challenges of crisis of all kinds, including day to day stress. She is known for her work with private business, health care, government, schools and community groups. She has worked with groups all over the world and has responded personally to all types of incidents, from natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, and floods to airline accidents, school and community violence, and mass fatality incidents. She stepped in to take the job nobody ever wants to have to fill: The Director of Recovery for a school district who had a mass murder suicide in the high school cafeteria. Mary was tasked with coordinating the mental health and support services in an Emergency Operations Center in a community that suffered the most catastrophic mass fatalities incident in the State of Washington. During the pandemic, she has been supporting those responders who stepped in, and stepped up, for a prolonged event that has impacted every … single … person.. in the world.

She is a Hall of Fame Member at the International Network for Women in Emergency Management (InWEM), a Faculty member at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute, and instructor for the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center (NDPTC), a subject matter expert for US Department of Education, was honored with a Real Hero Award from American Red Cross, has been recognized by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and earned a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation. She is Board President of Green Cross Academy of Traumatology, an international disaster mental health non-profit organization.

Mary is a graduate of FEMA's Advanced and Executive Academies and serves on the faculty for the Advanced.

Lynda Zambrano, MBA

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Tribal HSEM Certificate

MBA, Columbia College
BS, Biology, St. Cloud State University

Lynda Zambrano currently serves as executive director of the Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council and the National Tribal Emergency Management Council (NTEMC). She began her career in law enforcement 20 years ago, working with federal, state, local, and tribal governments. She has served as health director for several Tribal Nations, which provided a unique perspective to bring together different disciplines to work together in emergency management. She has an extensive background in finance, contracts management, and audit compliance. She is a grants writer, assisting with securing more than 100 grants and tens of millions of dollars for Tribal Nations in Washington state and across the country. She has received recognition for her work in Indian Country from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. She was inducted into the International Association of Women in Emergency Management's Hall of Fame. She helped co-found the Fresh Food Coalition and oversees food and supplies distribution in 35 states to over three million people.