President's Welcome
I am truly honored to serve as President of the South Carolina Emergency Management Association. This association belongs to all of us, not just the Executive Committee, and your voice matters. Each of you plays a crucial role, whether you work for a municipality, county, state, hospital, school, federal government, or private sector. None of us can do this alone.
Last year, during our SCEMA 2025 Awards Dinner, I said “it’s important to continue to strengthen relationships, build new ones, and take care of one another because we will face more challenges. The storms we face will never stop, but neither will the rainbows.”
Those words have proven true every single day since. The storms—both literal and figurative—have not stopped. But neither has our resolve. Neither has our teamwork. Neither has the heart of this association.
This past year, SCEMA has not simply moved forward – we have evolved. We have strengthened our foundation and expanded our reach in ways that will benefit emergency managers across South Carolina for years to come.
Let me highlight just some of what you, the members of this association, have accomplished together this year:
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Based on membership feedback, we moved our annual conference from Charleston to Greenville, broadening engagement across the state and allowing for more space for our growing conference. SCEMA 2027 will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Downtown Greenville February 1-5.
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We launched the Private Sector Caucus, strengthening whole‑community resilience. We added two new ad‑hoc committees: one dedicated to preserving SCEMA’s history, and another reviewing membership levels and benefits to ensure we continue serving our members effectively. Additionally, we welcomed new members to our committees and caucuses, bringing fresh voices and new perspectives into our work.
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We migrated our website to a new, more stable host, improving access, communication and performance for our members.
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We updated our membership process, allowing dues to be paid anytime—with benefits lasting a full year from the date you join.
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We introduced the new Mike Russell Distinguished Service Award, honoring leadership, dedication, and service in the true spirit of a valued friend and colleague.
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We launched our first LeadingEdge Cohort, investing in the next generation of emergency management leaders. Thank you to the participants and mentors who made the first year a success. Our second LeadingEdge Cohort is ongoing.
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We joined IAEM and delivered a successful Emergency Management Awareness Month with a proclamation from the Governor, elevating awareness of the emergency management profession across the state. We're looking forward to doing the same in August 2026.
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We welcomed the South Carolina Government Communicators Network to the SCEMA 2026 Conference for their yearly training, strengthening our network and broadening our expertise.
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We launched the SCEMA Store on our website, giving members new ways to showcase our association.
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We updated the SC CEM requirements, ensuring our certification reflects the modern demands of our profession and includes reciprocity for IAEM and other State CEM holders.
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We are working to build partnerships with other state associations and with our legislators.
Each of these accomplishments and more stands as a testament to your commitment, your collaboration, and your dedication to excellence in emergency management. As we look to the future, we know challenges will come. Whether it’s in the form of a natural or man-made disaster or concerns about FEMAs future and funding - as the year continues, some challenges we can see forming now, and others that will arrive unexpectedly.
But I know—because I’ve seen it again and again – that we will face those challenges the same way we always have: together.
We will continue building relationships.
We will continue strengthening our skills.
We will continue looking out for one another.
And when the storms rise—because they will—the rainbows will follow too.
And we will be ready for it.
Thank you for the hours you give, the communities you serve and protect, and the dedication you bring to this profession.
If you have any ideas or suggestions for the association, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me at SCEMAPresident@outlook.com. The Executive Committee is here to support our membership.