Aldine ISD Trustee Dr. Viola M. García Joins Latino Policymakers for NALEO’s Institute on Emergency Preparedness in Houston

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Aldine ISD Trustee Dr. Viola M. García joined the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and a cohort of more than 70 Latino policymakers in Houston, Texas, for an Institute on Emergency Preparedness. The NALEO Policy Institute on Emergency Preparedness: Mitigation Planning for All Hazards took place September 19–20 at the C. Baldwin Hotel in downtown Houston, Texas.

The Institute provided García and other Latino policymakers with an opportunity to learn about effective response and mitigation planning for local policymakers who play critical leadership roles, support multi-jurisdictional and agency coordination, and help establish critical partnerships across sectors before a disaster occurs. These efforts are essential to saving lives and property in response to disasters.

“Given the critical need and responsibilities to plan for unexpected hazards, emergencies, and disturbances, I am very grateful for the opportunity to have participated and met with experts and leaders across the country to better understand policies and best practices to prepare for and mitigate emergencies,” García said.

During the convening, García networked with other Latino leaders from over 10 states nationwide and heard from leading public, private, and non-profit experts about policies and best practices for preparing for emergencies. The Institute also served as a platform for participants to network and exchange ideas about this critical issue.

Topics addressed during the convening included:

• The Current and Future Landscape of Emergency Management and Personal Safety
• Emergency Response and Recovery: Who Is in Charge? And Who Pays for It?
• Identifying Hazards and Multi-Jurisdictional Mitigation Planning
• Building Resilient Communities: Zoning and Building Codes for Hazard Mitigation
• The Role of AI in Hazard Mitigation

Select speakers at the Institute included the Honorable Francisco Sánchez Jr., Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, U.S. Small Business Administration; Mr. Hansel Ibarra, Community Disaster Risk Reduction Manager, American Red Cross; and Mr. Josh Morton, First Vice President, International Association of Emergency Managers.

For more than a decade, more than 400 Latino elected officials have participated in these professional development institutes, which are dedicated to enhancing Latino leaders’ governance and leadership skills by providing programming on various components of emergency preparedness, response, and management.