Speaker Bios & Presentations


2008 FEMA Urban Hazards Forum V: 
Conference on Emergency Preparedness for 
Special Needs Populations 



DAY ONE:  Tuesday, August 12

Special Remarks-	9:45  10 AM

Patricia A. Morrissey, Ph.D. 
Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities

Pat Morrissey has been the Commissioner of the Administration on Developmental 
Disabilities (ADD) since 2001. ADD is housed in the Administration for Children and 
Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Pats career includes 
stints in both the public and private sector. Pat worked for both the Senate and the House 
of Representatives. She oversaw or played a central role in most of the major disability 
legislation enacted by Congress in the 1990s. She has written four books, and assisted in 
the production of six training videos on the ADA and served as a consultant to Fortune 
200 companies on ADA compliance.

From 2004 to 2006, she was a member of the U.S. Delegation to a United Nations 
Committee working on a disability rights treaty. She was a keynote speaker at an 
international conference in Beijing, China in June 2004.

Since Hurricane Katrina she has worked to promote greater attention to the value of and 
need for input from and partnership with individuals with disability-related expertise and 
experience in emergency planning, response, and recovery activities.

Pat views herself as a problem solver and persuader. She believes the American Dream 
belongs to everyone, and her main job is to help make it happen for individuals with 
disabilities.



General Session- 	10 - 11 AM  

All Inclusive Emergency Preparedness: Pediatric Improvements and 
Challenges Which Remain 
 
The session will cover the importance of all inclusive preparedness, which includes 
pediatrics as an integral part of emergency planning. This will address challenges faced 
when the needs of infants and children are not considered in general emergency 
planning. The session will also highlight improvements in including children in 
emergency preparedness and identify several of the challenges still to be addressed.

Presenter- David Markenson, MD
-Director of the Center for Disaster Medicine
-Associate Professor of Public Health, School of Public Health  New York Medical 
College
-Chief, Pediatric Emergency Medicine & Associate Professor of Pediatrics 
Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center

Dr. David Markenson is a board certified Pediatrician with Fellowship training in both 
Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Critical Care. He is currently working as the 
Director of the Center for Disaster Medicine at the School of Public Health at New York 
Medical College School of Public Health and Chief of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at 
the Maria Fareri Childrens Hospital at Westchester Medical Center. In additional to his 
hospital appointments, Dr. Markenson is an Associate Professor of Public Health at the 
School of Public Health and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at New York Medical 
College in Valhalla, New York.  

His career has been dedicated to improving the approach to pediatric care, disaster 
medicine, EMS and emergency medicine. He is the Principal Investigator on several 
federal grants related to Pediatric Disaster Medicine. Most recently, he directed the 
project which created National Model Pediatric Protocols and developed National 
Guidelines for Persons with Disabilities. Dr. Markenson began his career as a paramedic 
in college, an area of medicine he still is heavily involved with today.  

Dr. Markenson is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New 
York.



General Session-	11:15 AM  12:15 PM  

NYS Report Out 

This session will highlight ongoing emergency preparedness initiatives involving special 
needs populations in the State of New York. 

Co-Presenters- Les Radford 
Recovery Manager, New York State Emergency Management Office

Les Radford has been with the New York State Emergency Management Office (SEMO) 
for over 25 years. Initially, he served as the Chief of Training, then Assistant Director of 
Preparedness (Mitigation, Planning, Training, Exercising and Radiological Emergency 
Preparedness), and then as Assistant Director of Operations from 1998 through 2003, (the 
Ole Ops Chief). In the fall of 2003, he was named the Human Services Branch Chief.

As The Human Services Branch Chief, Les is the point of contact for all human 
services concerns and solutions related to emergencies and disasters. Les is currently 
responsible for not only Individual Assistance, but also heads the Public Assistance 
(infrastructure) and Mitigation Branches.

In previous lives, he has retired from the armed services, been a college professor (MS in 
Management), and is a managerial consultant. He lives on a rural mountaintop near 
Albany, New York with his lovely and understanding wife Judy.


Jim Raucci
Program Administrator
Division of Family Health
New York State Department of Health

Mr. Raucci has 30 years of public health experience at the local and state level. He has 
directed and overseen numerous public health programs. He currently leads a multi-state 
agency and private sector group that is responsible for the New York States Functional 
and Medical Need Sheltering. He is also a member of New York States Human Service 
Steering Committee. He manages the New York State Department of Healths Division 
of Family Health, Child Morbidity and Mortality Prevention Program. 


Alexis Silver
Senior Director, Policy and Development 
Home Care Association of New York State (HCA)

Alexis Silver is Senior Director for Policy and Development and Emergency 
Preparedness Coordinator for the Home Care Association of New York State. She is 
Chair of the Planning Committee for the New York State Functional and Medical Needs 
Sheltering Group, and a member of the Disaster Preparedness Commission Human 
Services Steering Committee. She regularly writes and lectures on emergency 
preparedness throughout New York and in Washington, DC, and recently served as a 
panelist on a Center for Disease Control "Plan First" webinex on Pandemic 
Influenza. She has participated in numerous emergency planning initiatives with the 
National Organization on Disability and the Columbia University Mailman School of 
Public Health.



General Session-	1:45  2:45 PM  

NJS Report Out 

This session will highlight ongoing emergency preparedness initiatives involving special 
needs populations in the State of New Jersey. 

Co-Presenters- 

Mary Goepfert, MPA, APR, CPM
Instructor, NJOEM Field Training Unit
Training/Special Needs/External Affairs

Mary J. Goepfert has been a staff member of the NJ State Police Office of Emergency 
Management for 21 years. She currently serves as an Instructor and Instructional 
Designer in the NJOEM Field Training Unit, which delivers over different 35 emergency 
management training courses in various areas of the State. She also coordinates the 
NJOEM Special Needs Advisory Panel and other programs related to disaster 
preparedness for persons with disabilities and other non-typical functional needs. During 
disaster response and recovery periods, she serves as an External Affairs Officer for the 
NJOEM. She holds a BA in Social Work and a Masters in Public Administration from 
Rutgers University and an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public 
Relations Society of America. She is also a Certified Public Manager (CPM). Mary is an 
adjunct instructor for Fairleigh Dickinson University and the NJ Department of Personnel 
Human Resources Development Institute.  


Jerry McAteer, CEM
Senior Associate, Emergency Management and Special Needs Planning
Delta Development Group

Jerry has managed and implemented special needs evacuation plans, on-line registry and 
analysis software, communication and marketing strategies and shelter analysis projects 
in multiple states. Recently, he has spearheaded efforts to design and implement 
information technology solutions to support government clients at all levels including the 
New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), New Jersey Office of 
Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOSHP), Pennsylvania Department of Health 
(PADOH), various regional counter terrorism task forces, and numerous county 
Emergency Management Agencies to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of special 
needs planning, preparedness, and response efforts. 

Previously, Jerry spent seven years at the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency 
(PEMA) as the Pennsylvania Emergency Incident Reporting System Program Manager 
and System Administrator. He managed complex problems associated with emergency 
management, information technology, government relations, conflict resolution, 
continuity of government planning, and homeland security challenges. Jerry implemented 
the Commonwealths first statewide incident management system. 

Jerry is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). Jerry earned a Bachelor of Liberal 
Studies degree from Excelsior College in Albany, NY, where he specialized in 
emergency management planning and homeland security. He is currently enrolled in a 
Master of Emergency and Disaster Management degree program at American Military 
University.


Norman Smith
-Chair of the NJ Statewide Independent Living Council
-Member of NJ Special Needs Advisory Panel
-Associate Executive Director of Project Freedom

Norman A. Smith is the co-founder and Associate Executive Director of Project Freedom 
Inc., a non-profit agency that develops and operates affordable and barrier-free 
apartments for people with disabilities. He is a graduate of Long Island University, 
Brooklyn Center, with degrees in Journalism and Political Science.  

Smith has worked with the NJ Office of Emergency Management in developing a model 
plan for Project Freedoms housing since 1999. He is currently serving on the Special 
Needs Advisory Panel for the NJ Office of Emergency Management. He Chairs the NJ 
Statewide Independent Living Council, a federally mandated body appointed by the 
governor that coordinates independent living services in the state, where he leads the 
Councils efforts to bring people with disabilities into Emergency Management planning. 
Smith is the coordinator of the Emergency Preparedness Taskforce for the National 
Council on Independent Living. He was a member of the Emergency Preparedness 
Initiatives East Focus Group for the National Organization on Disability in May 2005. 
He was also a collaborator in the Special Needs After Action Report for TopOff 3 Drill 
prepared by EAD & Associates for the US Department of Homeland Security. 

In addition, Smith has written numerous articles for Able Newspaper, including articles 
on Hurricane Katrina and other emergency preparedness topics concerning people with 
disabilities.

Smith is married and has an eight-month old son.


Scott Elliott
Executive Director, Progressive Center for Independent Living
Member of NJ Special Needs Advisory Panel

Scott Elliot is the Executive Director of the Progressive Center for Independent Living 
(PCIL).  The PCIL serves the NJ counties of Mercer and Hunterdon. He previously 
served as the Legislative Coordinator for the NJ Developmental Disabilities Council and 
as the Quality Assurance Manager for the DA-Tech Corporation & Staveley 
Technologies.

He attended Mercer County Community College, The College of New Jersey, and Penn 
State University to study communications, engineering and business management. He has 
received additional training in emergency preparedness, assistive and accessible 
technology, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. 
		
Affiliations include:  NJ Association of Centers for Independent Living (Chair), NJ 
Special Needs Advisory Panel (SNAP)/ NJ Office of Emergency Management, NJ 
Special Education Advisory Council, Hunterdon County Health and Human Services 
Advisory Council, NJ Assistive Technology Advisory Council, Hunterdon County 
Committee on Disability Services, Mercer County Disability Advisory Council (Chair), 
Project Freedom Board of Directors, and the Lambertville NJ Local Emergency Planning 
Committee.  

He is continually interested in advocating for the rights of people with disabilities to 
have the same options and opportunities in the community as everyone else. 



General Session-		3  4 PM 

Demographics: "Understanding, Motivating and Supporting 
Evacuation with Special Needs Populations" 

Why don't people evacuate? How can emergency managers, social, and health service 
agencies along with other partners best understand, motivate, and support evacuation for 
people with special needs? This presentation walks participants through the steps people 
take in deciding to evacuate, identifies key decision-points for intervention, and suggests 
practical strategies.

Presenter- Brenda D. Phillips, Ph.D. 
      Center for the Study of Disasters and Extreme Events
      Fire and Emergency Management Program
            Department of Political Science, Oklahoma State University

Brenda Phillips, Ph.D., teaches in the Fire and Emergency Management Program at 
Oklahoma State University where she is also a Senior Researcher with the Center for the 
Study of Disasters and Extreme Events. Her research on vulnerable populations has been 
funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey, and others. She 
has been published in numerous journals, including the International Journal of Mass 
Emergencies and Disasters, Disaster Prevention and Management, Disasters, Humanity 
and Society, NWSA Journal, the Journal of Emergency Management, and others. Most 
recently she co-edited a book titled Women and Disasters and will have a second co-
edited book out later this year titled Social Vulnerability to Disasters. She is the author of 
a forthcoming textbook titled Disaster Recovery.



General Session-	4  5 PM 

Special Populations and Disasters:  From the Ground to an 
International Perspective 

This open forum session will begin with a brief presentation and discussion regarding 
unique response and recovery efforts for persons with special needs in multiple states, 
followed by a discussion regarding an international initiative that focuses on the effects 
of a growing senior population and disasters. This session is designed to facilitate open 
discussion regarding future considerations for special populations in disasters. Attendees 
will be encouraged to provide input regarding issues related to future planning initiatives 
and the need for advocacy.   

Co-Presenters- 

George M. Tokesky 
-Vice President, Community Care Services 
Alzheimers Community Care, Inc. West Palm Beach, FL
-Disaster Consultant, U.S. Administration on Aging

Mr. George M. Tokesky is currently the Vice President of Community Care Services for
Alzheimers Community Care, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that specializes in
providing dementia-specific care and services to patients and caregivers residing in three
Florida counties.

In addition to overseeing several community-based programs, Mr. Tokesky is also the
organizations Emergency Coordinating Officer and is responsible for staffing the Palm
Beach County Special Needs Shelter during disaster declarations.

Before joining Alzheimers Community Care, Mr. Tokesky served eight years with the
State of Florida  first as an elder housing expert and an Emergency Coordinating Officer
for the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, and then as the Special Needs Shelter
Program Manager for the Florida Department of Health. During his tenure with the State,
Mr. Tokesky also served on the State Emergency Response Team (SERT) as a Subject
Matter Expert for Special Needs Shelters under ESF-8.

Mr. Tokesky has been involved with nine federally declared disasters, both as an
Emergency Coordinating Officer for the State of Florida, as well as a disaster consultant
for the U.S. Administration on Aging.

In 2004, when four major hurricanes made landfall in Florida, Mr. Tokesky was
credited for developing a first-in-the-nation rapid needs assessment program for
elderly hurricane victims and led the States efforts to close multiple Special Needs
Shelters for which he received several awards. Mr. Tokesky is also credited for
developing the first comprehensive discharge planning manual for Floridas Special
Needs Shelters.

In 2005, Mr. Tokesky was recruited by the United States Administration on Aging (AoA)
to serve as a member of the AoA Disaster Response Team and was deployed to
Mississippi, Texas, and Florida to assist with the response and recovery efforts for
Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma. Most recently, Mr. Tokesky was deployed to Iowa
as an AoA Disaster Consultant for the 2008 Iowa Floods.

Mr. Tokesky is recognized nationally and internationally as an expert on special needs
populations and disasters. In addition to serving on the International Steering Committee
on Seniors and Disasters, Mr. Tokesky has presented at multiple disaster-related
conferences, including the 2005 Florida Governors Hurricane Conference; the 2006
Global Conference on Aging; and the 2007 & 2008 International Workshops on Seniors
and Disasters. Mr. Tokesky was also a keynote speaker for the 2006 National Hurricane
Conference and was selected to serve as an Issue Expert for the 2005 White House
Conference on Aging.

Mr. Tokesky received his psychology degree from West Virginia University in 1993 and
currently resides in West Palm Beach, Florida.


Michael Weston
President, Servision

Mr. Weston is typically described as the spirit and conscience of any organization that 
he has been a part of, and has been creating and directing programs across the expanse of 
Human Services for the past 30 years. His accomplishments have been varied and 
diverse. He has been responsible for piloting a statewide initiative to enhance the quality 
of care in Florida nursing homes by expanding community involvement. He has created 
and directed numerous community based initiatives, and is the former and founding 
Director of Disaster Planning and Operations for the states Department of Elder Affairs. 
He currently serves as a Disaster Consultant to the US Administration on Aging (AOA) 
and in that capacity has been tasked by the Department of Homeland Security as the 
Federal Coordinating Officer over recent presidential declared disaster events. Most 
recently, he deployed to the Gulf Coast region as the Director of Field Operations for 
AOA during hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

As President of Servision, Inc. he has invented, patented and is producing the 
WESTCOT, the only affordable completely portable folding hospital-type bed in the 
world. Other products include the Special Needs Picture Board, which readily facilitates 
communication with victims in times of disaster. With a commitment to continuous 
product improvement the Servision line of products are already being utilized throughout 
the United States. Currently, marketing efforts for worldwide expansion are underway 
through an alliance with EMS Innovations.

Evidence of Mr. Westons impact ranges from programs targeted to decrease infant 
mortality to the implementation of a National Demonstration Project, which dispatched 
and coordinated 24-hour emergency in-home services for the frail elderly at the onset of 
crisis. As Hurricane Andrew approached Miami-Dade County, Mr. Westonthen 
Director of Clinical Services for the Channeling Project (the nations oldest and largest 
nursing home diversion project)activated and fully implemented their disaster plan 
over 72 hours before landfall occurred. Then, as the lead Red Cross volunteer at Dade 
Countys Emergency Operations Center, he coordinated and broadcast what history 
recorded as the largest civilian evacuation ever undertaken at the time.

Mr. Weston is recognized as one of the nations foremost experts on Special Needs 
populations. He has chaired the Disaster Services Committee for the American National 
Red Cross, serves on the Statewide Human Research Subject Review Board, and has 
made numerous presentations at the national and international level. He holds a Master of 
Science Degree in Human Services and is constantly utilized as a consultant and 
educator.


DAY TWO:  Wednesday, August 13


Topics for Breakout Round A & B 	
9:45  10:45 AM    AND   11 AM  12 PM

1. Senior Center/Safe Center: A review of facilities already operating in 
Florida and Alabama 

Senior Center/Safe Center is a concept piloted in Alabama and now also in place in 
Florida which assumes a senior center within a community can be built to standards that 
also enable it to be a shelter in the vent of emergency.  This dual-use concepts means that 
the physical structure is examined during the design phase, that the equipment needs are 
allocated for purchase, and that the staff is also trained to support both functions.  This 
concept works well in communities where seniors are known to them and a real 
community response can be achieved.

Co-Presenters- 

Michael Weston
President, Servision
(*See bio above.)


Georgianne Cherry
Government Operations Consultant, Florida Department of Health  

Georgianne Cherry is a Public Health Preparedness Planner for the Florida Department of 
Health. She is based out of the Osceola County Health Department with local, regional, 
and state responsibilities. The role includes preparing for and responding to natural 
disasters, terrorism, and other public health hazards that could jeopardize the health and 
safety of residents and visitors of the state, as well as first responders.

Ms. Cherry does all-hazards planning, and manages Osceola County Health Department 
emergency operations. In addition, she coordinates the Health Department Special Needs 
Sheltering Program, and is the manger for The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Cities 
Readiness Initiative and the Medical Reserve Corps within the county.

She has been a working member of the Governors Regional Domestic Security Task 
Force since its inception, is a voting member of the Urban-Area Security Initiative work 
group of Central Florida, and participates on state working groups and advisory panels. 

Ms. Cherry has over 15 years experience in Emergency Management, serving in 
leadership positions for the American Red Cross, coordinating fire/rescue Public Affairs, 
and working as an emergency management specialist. Numerous federally declared 
disasters worked by Ms. Cherry include Hurricane Andrew, September 11, the 2004 
Florida Hurricanes, and the Groundhog Day Tornadoes.

Ms. Cherry graduated with a Bachelors of Science Degree from Georgia Southern 
University.  She has had comprehensive training in Emergency Operations Response, 
Recovery, Planning, Mitigation, and Incident Command from the Federal Emergency 
Management Agency (FEMA).  Ms. Cherry also has advanced training in CDC Risk 
Communications and as a Public Information Officer.

Ms. Cherry lives in Celebration, FL with her daughters, where she is currently pursuing 
her Masters Degree and a Certified Emergency Management certificate. 



2. Homebased Care Agencies: An Executive Directors experience 
during blackouts, 9/11 and killer mold  The importance of COOP to 
continue client care 

Home-based care agencies provide services every day to their clients and thus enable 
them to remain in the community with a level of support and independence.  While these 
agencies are licensed and have an obligation for continued care to their clients, as a 
business, they must be prepared for interruption or outside impacts.  This session will be 
a first hand account of the importance of creative problem solving moving into codified 
planning by an agency executive who has been at the helm through a range of 
emergencies and disaster.  

Presenter- Levester Burnley 
Executive Director, Stella Orton Home Care Agency


3. Special Needs Shelter Discharge Planning: Developing an Exit 
Strategy Based on Available Resources

This break out session will focus on discharge planning issues related to Special Needs 
Shelter operations before, during, and after a disaster declaration has been made. The 
session will include a summary of lessons learned by the State of Florida and other Gulf 
Coast States during the 2004-2005 Hurricane Seasons, as well as what innovative 
discharge planning initiatives have developed as a result. The session will also include a 
discussion regarding shelter best practices and strategies to develop a special needs 
shelter exit plan that will facilitate the timely closure of special needs shelters and ensure 
the appropriate post shelter care for displaced special needs shelter patients and 
caregivers.        

Presenter- George M. Tokesky
Disaster Consultant
U.S. Administration on Aging
 (*Bio posted above.)


4. FEMA Special Needs Unit: Why it came about, what it has done, and 
what you need to know 

This session covers how FEMA and partners help people with special needs on 
presidentially declared federal/state disasters to aid individuals and families. It will take a 
look at three disasters, Katrina, and the current Iowa floods. The focus is on accessibility 
issues, how-to, lessons learned, and the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform 
Act.

Presenter- Marianne Jackson 
Federal Coordinating Officer, FEMA Region II

Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) Marianne C. Jackson is one of 39 Federal 
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) FCOs nationwide who head disaster 
operations on behalf of the President. Assigned to FEMA in New York City, Ms. Jackson 
directs disaster operations in Region II and in other parts of the country.   

For the 2007 hurricane season, Jackson was predesignated by DHS/FEMA as FCO for 
New York State, working closely with Federal Principal Official George Naccara. Ms. 
Jackson is also predesignated as FCO for Pandemic Influenza for Region A (FEMA 
Regions I and II).  

For Katrina, Ms. Jackson initially served in San Antonio, Texas, supporting over 12,000 
Katrina evacuees. Ms. Jackson was then assigned to the New Orleans Area Office, 
covering the hardest-hit parishes.  

Ms. Jackson served as Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer on the September 11, 2001 
World Trade Center federal disaster operation, representing FEMA at numerous public 
meetings in lower Manhattan, at the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public 
Works field hearing, and at The National Academies Lessons Learned forum in 
Washington, D.C. 

Ms. Jackson has been a keynote speaker on many occasions, including New York City 
Special Needs meetings, Virginia Department of Emergency Management seminars, and 
five workshops throughout Australia sponsored by Emergency Management Australia to 
discuss the 9/11 Lessons Learned. 

A career emergency management professional, Ms. Jackson joined FEMA in 1981 as 
Public Affairs/Congressional Relations Officer in Region II. She was selected for the 
FCO program in July of 1999. Ms. Jackson has served on more than 100 federal disasters 
declared by the President throughout the country, including numerous large-scale 
operations, such as Hurricanes Iniki, Marilyn and Floyd, and the Northridge earthquake. 
She is a recognized expert on urban disasters. 

Her initiatives include establishing a telephone disaster application center in Puerto Rico 
to serve Spanish-speaking disaster victims throughout the U.S., and designing and 
implementing FEMAs first Special Needs program to support older adults and people 
with physical or psychological disabilities on disasters. Ms. Jackson is credentialed at the 
Type II level under the Incident Management System. 

Her recognitions include FEMA's Meritorious Service Award, the New York Federal 
Executive Board Award, and awards from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
American Red Cross, and the Seneca Nation of Indians in New York. Ms. Jackson holds 
an undergraduate degree and a Masters Degree. She and her husband live in New York 
City. 


5. EMT training overview, An Introduction to Patients with 
Disabilities 

This is an introductory course to familiarize the EMT-B with common disabilities, 
adaptive equipment, and special considerations for communication and care of patients 
with disabilities.  The need to determine what is normal for this patient will be 
addressed.

Co-Presenters- 

Carina Marzec, BA, EMT-B
Service Coordinator, National Church Residences,
Low Income Senior Housing (Section 8/202 and PRAC)

Mark Moskaluk 
Educator, Community Safety Consultants 

Don R. Ruprecht, Jr. 
Conner Strong Risk Control

Ms. Marzec is a New Jersey EMT-Basic with experience in both volunteer and private 
ambulance services. She holds a Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology, with a major 
concentration in Forensic Psychology. Ms. Marzec has a unique vantage point, which 
serves as the basis for the programs she and her colleagues have underway. In 2001, Ms. 
Marzec sustained a traumatic brain injury while working as an EMT. During the course 
of her recovery, her perspective evolved to encompass the experiences of not only being 
a care provider, but of being an individual with a disability who was receiving care. Ms. 
Marzec sees a pressing need for additional training in special considerations for the 
emergency assessment, treatment, and transport of individuals with disabilities for 
Emergency Medical Technicians and other first responders who may provide emergency 
care or evacuation in an emergency. She is the author of the NJ EMT-B CEU course, An 
Introduction to Patients with Disabilities, an introductory course offered exclusively 
through Community Safety Consultants, a training center located in Metuchen, New 
Jersey.

Her co-instructor, and owner of Community Safety Consultants, Mark Moskaluk, brings 
25 years experience as a Mobile Intensive Care Paramedic to the course and his creativity 
in developing one-of-a-kind training aids to simulate skills unique to providing 
emergency care for individuals with disabilities. Assistant instructor Don Ruprecht, Jr. 
brings over 20 years of fire service experience, is a Certified NJ Fire Instructor Level II, 
Senior Loss Control Consultant for Conner Strong Risk Control Services, and serves as 
the consultant for developing disability training programs geared towards fire 
departments.  

Through their combined professional and personal experiences, Ms. Marzec and her 
colleagues offer innovative and interactive training to emergency responders to expand 
their knowledge and comfort interacting with individuals with disabilities, making the 
experience better for all involved.



General Session- 	1:30  2:30 PM  

DOJ Toolkit Chapter 7 on Emergency Management under Title II of 
the ADA


Presenter- Dov Lutzker  
Special Counsel 
Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section
U.S. Department of Justice  

Dov Lutzker is Special Counsel to the Disability Rights Section, Civil Rights Division, 
United States Department of Justice. In his senior management role, he helps direct the 
Sections Project Civic Access initiative, the Departments wide-ranging initiative to 
bring state and local governments into compliance with the requirements of the 
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. He 
also helps direct the investigation and resolution of administrative complaints alleging 
violation of the ADA by state and local governments and private entities known as public 
accommodations.

Mr. Lutzker has served at the Department of Justice for over seven years, litigating ADA 
cases as a trial attorney and serving in the Sections investigations unit. Before that, he 
was an attorney and fellow at the California Protection & Advocacy, where he 
represented Californians with disabilities in impact litigation and provided other legal 
advocacy services.

Apart from his DOJ position, Mr. Lutzker is also the Chair of the Arlington Disability 
Advisory Commission, a citizen advisory group which advises the County government on 
ways to meet the needs of people with disabilities.



General Session- 	2:45  3:45 PM

Implications of Pandemic Influenza for People with Disabilities

This presentation focuses on issues for people with disabilities that must be taken into 
account by public health and other personnel in planning and response to pandemic 
influenza. These issues include:  1) the lack of data on which to base plans and evaluate 
response; 2) the inadequacy of emergency preparedness plans at all governmental levels 
with regard to this population; 3) personal and environmental factors that increase risk for 
people with disabilities; 4) the substantial number of people with disabilities who reside 
in congregate care or group facilities; 5) the number of people with disabilities who 
require on-going support and the potential impact of disruptions to needed services and 
supports, some critical; 6) the accessibility of risk communications; 7) concerns in the 
disability community regarding the adequacy of planning and ethical issues that bear on 
those plans.  


Presenter- Vincent Campbell
Acting Chief, Disability and Health Branch  
Division of Human Development and Disabilities 
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Dr. Vincent A. Campbell is Acting Chief of the Disability and Health Team at the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention. Prior to taking this position on in March 2008, Dr. 
Campbell served as Associate Director for Science in the Division of Human 
Development and Disability, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental 
Disabilities at CDC, through which he was responsible for excellence of the scientific 
work of the division staff. He began his career at CDC in 1997 as a health scientist in 
what was then the Office of Disability and Health, National Center for Environmental 
Health.

His work includes health surveillance among people with disabilities and epidemiologic 
research to identify risks for poor health in this population. He has worked with 
numerous interagency and interdepartmental committees on issues related to the health 
and safety of people with disability. He was CDCs liaison for Surgeon General Satchers 
initiative on improving the health of people with intellectual disability. He has published a 
number of papers and book chapters and spoken at numerous national meetings on 
health surveillance and comparative health status of people with disabilities. Dr. 
Campbell serves as a subject matter expert on disability with the Coordinating Office on 
Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness at CDC, the American Red Cross, and the 
Department of Health and Human Services Office on Disability related to emergency 
preparedness and disability.

Before coming to CDC, Dr. Campbell was Director of Data Analysis and Research with 
the Alabama Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation and Senior Scientist 
at the Civitan International Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. 
He earned his doctorate in educational psychology from the University of Alabama.

Most Recent Publications:

Armour BS, Campbell VA, Crews JE, Malarcher A, Maurice E, Richard RA.  (2007, 
October).  StateState-Level Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and Treatment Advice, by 
Disability Status, United States, 2004.  Preventing Chronic Disease, 4, (4).  Available at 
http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2007/oct/06_0179.htm.

Jamoom EW, Horner-Johnson W, Suzuki R, Andresen EM & Campbell Erik W 
Jamoom1, Willi Horner-Johnson2, Rie Suzuki2, Elena M Andresen & Campbell VA 
and the RRTC Expert Panel on Health Status Measurement (2007).  Age at disability 
onset and health-related quality of life.  BMC Public Health. 

Crews JE & Campbell VA.  (2004).  Vision impairment and hearing loss among 
community-dwelling older Americans:  Implications for health and functioning.  
American Journal of Public Health, 94, 823-829.  

Crews JE & Campbell VA.  (2003).  Effects of Multiple Health Conditions Upon 
Function among Older Visually Impaired People, Proceedings of the 2002 International 
Conference: Developing and Delivering Quality Service for Frail Older Blind and 
Partially Sighted People.  London: Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Crews JE & Campbell VA.  (2004).  Vision impairment and hearing loss among 
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Campbell VA, Crews JE, & Sinclair LB.  (2002).  State Specific Prevalence of Obesity 
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Mortality Weekly Report, 51 (36), 805-808.

Campbell VA & Fedeyko HJ. (2001).  The Healthy People 2010 process: difficulties 
related to surveillance and data collection.  In: Tymchuk AJ, Lakin KC, Luckasson R, 
editors.  The forgotten generation: the status and challenges of adults with mild cognitive 
limitations.  (p. 221-246).  Baltimore (MD): Paul H. Brookes.



General Session- 	3:45  4:45 PM

National Center on Accessible Media  Latest Technology 

The WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) has led a four-year grant 
from the U.S. Department of Commerce to inform a universal design for the nation's 
information and emergency alert systems. Awarded to NCAM for its legacy in uniting 
consumer and industry to influence policy, standards, and technology on behalf of people 
with sensory disabilities, the grant will conclude in September 2008. This session will 
highlight the project's body of work that includes industry, consumer and social science 
research; an information requirements model for accessible messaging; and 
recommendations developed for the FCC Commercial Mobile Alert Advisory 
Committee. NCAM's related federal grant work to research and prototype media access 
solutions to make information accessible to all consumers at home, work, and in transit 
will also be presented.

Presenter- Marcia Brooks
Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media
WGBHBoston

Marcia Brooks is Project Director for the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center 
for Accessible Media at WGBH. She currently leads the grant project "Access to 
Emergency Alerts for People with Disabilities," funded by the U.S. Department of 
Commerce, and contributes to other federal grants that research and prototype media 
access solutions, including: Access to Locally Televised On-Screen Information; and 
NPRs Accessible Digital Radio Broadcast Services. She also led a multi-year grant 
funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to develop PBCore, a metadata 
standard for public broadcasting and related institutions worldwide involved in digital 
content.  

Ms. Brooks previously served as a senior strategist at a leading Internet marketing 
agency, consulting for clients, including America Online and Lockheed Martin. She has 
held various management positions at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), and led the 
development of e-mail and intranet services for the nation's public television stations. She 
has also served as a consultant for National Public Radio (NPR), and has worked on 
diversity initiatives for PBS and WGBH. Ms. Brooks has a B.A. in Mass 
Communications from the University of Massachusetts.


Conference Coordinator & Facilitator 

Elizabeth Davis
Founder & Managing Director, EAD & Associates, LLC 

Elizabeth Davis is an emergency management consultant specializing in Special Needs 
planning, disaster human services and related issues through her firm EAD & Associates, 
LLC in New York.

Ms. Davis received her JD from Boston University School of Law and her EdM from Boston 
University School of Education with a degree in the Socio-Bicultural Study of Deafness and 
American Sign Language. She holds an undergraduate degree with a major in Sociology and 
a minor in Political Science from Barnard College at Columbia University.  

After many years as an advocate in the disability community, she began public service after 
law school with the NYC Mayors Office for People with Disabilities as Assistant to Counsel 
and Senior Policy Advisor. Due to her role as Incident Commander in the Deaf Mexican 
Nationals slave-ring case in Queens, she was transferred to the NYC Office of Emergency 
Management as Special Needs Advisor. There she was responsible for ensuring that all 
elements of planning, response and recovery incorporated the unique needs of the disability 
community, senior population, and medically dependent persons. She functioned in this 
capacity overseeing the Board of Education Y2K planning; planning for city-wide sheltering 
operations; coordinating transit strike/disruption responses; coordinating the public 
information lines during the West Nile virus outbreaks and throughout the events of 
September 11th.

Ms. Davis now consults for public jurisdictions and agencies, private businesses, home based 
care agencies, residential health care organizations. She retired as the first Director of the 
National Organization on Disabilitys Emergency Preparedness Initiative but remains an 
advisor to DHS and FEMA, sits on several national advisory boards, has been a court 
appointed subject matter expert, participates in many major conferences and web forums and 
has had materials published on the subject of Special Needs emergency preparedness and is a 
guest instructor to several emergency management graduate programs in addition to the 
recipient of several awards and commendations.  Ms. Davis is the co-chair of the National 
Hurricane Conference Health Care/Special Needs Committee, chair of the International 
Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Special Needs Committee, and served a two-
year term as appointed chair of the FCCs CAC Homeland Security Committee, is an 
appointed member of the FEMA National Advisory Councils Special Needs Subcommittee, 
to list a few active roles she maintains.   

As an accomplished public speaker with a reputation for creative solution development, Ms. 
Davis is considered one of the nations go-to sources for emergency management and 
special needs issues.  Her firm was responsible to get rapid assessment teams on the ground 
in four Gulf States after Katrina and provide an immediate action report for the federal 
authorities regarding immediate health and special needs impacts. This team model for 
communicating special needs information during a disaster is now being replicated across 
many federal agencies.  

Ms. Davis grew up in San Francisco but now resides in Brooklyn with her husband and two 
young daughters where she remains active in community affairs.