Former Emergency Management Director for Massachusetts and Philadelphia, Samantha Phillips, joins IEM

MORRISVILLE, N.C., Nov. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- IEM, a global woman- and minority-owned crisis management firm, announces the addition of Samantha Phillips as the new Director of Big City Emergency Management. In this new role, Ms. Phillips' invaluable experience in public safety, strategic planning, and emergency management will strengthen and expand IEM's capabilities to assist large metropolitan jurisdictions in their resilience and disaster response and recovery efforts.

"We have witnessed in recent years how vital it is for major cities and jurisdictions to prepare for and mitigate against disasters to protect critical infrastructure and the lives of their residents," noted Bryan Koon, IEM's Vice President of International Homeland Security and Emergency Management. "Sam's leadership and expertise will be instrumental to help our team better serve our clients and provide innovative solutions to help major metropolitan areas and their communities build resiliency."

As Director of Big City Emergency Management, Ms. Phillips will oversee IEM's engagement with metropolitan areas recognizing the unique needs of the country's most densely populated and complex communities. This focused portfolio will help better position IEM for managing our increasing portfolio of emergency management and homeland security work in large metropolitan areas.

"I am excited to join IEM in the new role of Director of Big City Emergency Management," said Phillips. "I look forward to bringing my experience in emergency management, crisis response, and public safety to the IEM Team and helping to contribute to the company's mission to build a more resilient world."

Ms. Phillips brings over 15 years of emergency management experience, which includes roles in the public sector, private sector, and academia. She most recently served as the Director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, in which she strategically navigated the response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic and major disasters including hurricanes, snow storms and flooding events.

Prior to serving as the MEMA Director, she served as the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Philadelphia. Her leadership was pivotal in helping the city strategically respond to and recover from multiple major emergencies and presidentially-declared disasters, including Hurricane Sandy (2012), Hurricane Irene (2011), and Tropical Storm Lee (2011), as well as major snow storms, record flooding, and the fatal Amtrak 188 derailment (2015). Phillips was also responsible for public safety coordination for major special events including the visit of Pope Francis (2015) and the Democratic National Convention (2016), both National Special Security Events managed under her leadership. Phillips also participated on FEMA's National Advisory Council. Phillips has a bachelor's degree from American University and master's degrees from the George Washington University and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.

About IEM

IEM is a global homeland security and disaster management consulting firm dedicated to building a safe, secure, and resilient world. As the largest woman-owned homeland security and emergency management firm in the world, IEM provides services and expertise at every stage of the emergency management cycle?from preparedness and prevention/protection to mitigation, response, and recovery. We integrate science, technology, and real-world experience to provide our customers with solutions that work and outcomes that matter. For information, please visit www.iem.com.

SOURCE IEM