NJAFM 2024 Speakers

• Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz is a Senior Consultant for climate resilience and adaptation based in the Philadelphia office of AKRF. Glenn has specialized in severe weather of all types in his 50+ years as a meteorologist. He formerly served as Chief Meteorologist for WCAU-TV in Philadelphia and is a renowned expert in meteorology, weather forecasting, and climate consulting. Glenn is certified with the American Meteorological Society and has served as a Disaster Preparedness Meteorologist for the National Weather Service. He also co-authored The Philadelphia Area Weather Book, a staple for better understanding regional climate and weather events and he earned a “Seal of Approval” from the American Meteorological Society.  Glenn is a frequent speaker and author focusing on the extreme weather and climate change connection.  

• Jeff Albee, the Director of Digital Solutions and Stantec.io, has over two decades of experience in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and has focused his career on understanding trends in technology and how they can be applied to our core practice.   

 

• Chris Testa is a Supervising Administrative Analyst in the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management. He is the civilian manager of the Hazard Mitigation Unit, which is housed within the Recovery Bureau of the New Jersey State Police. The Unit is currently administering over $400M in FEMA grants distributed across all 21 of NJ’s counties. Chris also coordinates Hazard Mitigation Planning at the local level, supplying technical assistance and reviewing plans prior to submission to FEMA. Mr. Testa was OEM’s lead in the development of the 2014 and 2019 NJ State Hazard Mitigation Plans.  He has a BS in Environmental Studies from Stockton University, and a MS in Environmental Policy Studies from NJIT. Prior to his work with the NJSP, he was employed by specialty contractor Henkels and McCoy as an Environmental Manager on a PSEG Electrical Transmission project. Following DR-4021, the remnants of Hurricane Irene, Chris worked as a Community Hazard Mitigation Planner for FEMA. Prior to that, he was Special Projects Coordinator for the Hunterdon County Soil Conservation District. At home Chris is a Husband, Father of 2, and women's lacrosse coach.

 

• Robin A. Kemper, PE, LEED AP, ENV SP, F.SEI, and ASCE 2019 President, is a Sr. Risk Engineer with Zurich Resilience Solutions. She has over forty years of diverse and extensive structural engineering experience in design, analysis, and forensics, focused mainly on buildings. Robin currently works for Zurich’s Professional Liability and Construction Properties Risk Engineering Groups providing technical support to construction project policies, developing best practices, and investigating losses on construction projects.  Robin represents Risk Engineering on Zurich North America’s sustainability team to help drive sustainability and resiliency. She has a passion for Engineering Ethics and since 2011, in her spare time Robin has given over 40 presentations to various engineering groups and classes. Robin is a licensed Professional Engineer in six jurisdictions, and is a Fellow of the ASCE Structural Engineering Institute.  Robin served on the Board of Direction of Engineers Without Borders, and has served on several Civil Engineering Industrial Advisory Boards including her alma mater, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Robin has been recognized for her service to ASCE throughout her career. Some recognitions include the 2013 William H. Wisely American Civil Engineer Award (a National award), and the 2015 ASCE New Jersey Section Civil Engineer of the Year.

 

• Robert Burlew has over 30 years of experience as a Chief Construction Official, Sub Cod Officer, Zoning Officer, and Flood Plain Manager. When Sandy devasted the Borough of Union Beach and Keyport he was the Chief Building Official among many other duties and was dubbed a hero by the community for his incredible work. He was then in charge of rebuilding and raising over 700 homes and businesses and established the standards that many other communities followed while rebuilding. Bob currently works for the city of Long Branch, the Borough of Eatontown and Fort Monmouth and is the Commander of the office of Emergency Management for Union Beach. Bob is on the Board of the Building Officials Association of NJ and the treasurer of the Ocean and Monmouth County Construction Officials Association.  

 

• Mike Sheehan has been an engineer with the NJDEP since 2017 where he has managed flood hazard and stormwater permitting for a diverse range of nearly 400 projects across New Jersey, including residential, commercial, and infrastructure developments. He holds bachelor's degrees in Zoology from North Carolina State University and in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers, and is a New Jersey certified EIT. Mike's notable contributions include assisting with the rule-making process for amendments to the Flood Hazard Area Control Act rules under the Inland Flood Protection Rule and the recent Resilient Environments and Landscapes proposal.

 

• Derrick Hiebert currently serves as the Assistant Administrator for the Hazard Mitigation Directorate within FEMA's Office of Resilience, where he leads a dedicated team committed to connecting our most vulnerable communities to federal risk reduction resources through technical assistance, grants, and collaborative planning. Mr. Hiebert has a track record of driving innovation in disaster resilience, leveraging his extensive state and local experience from planning to project implementation.  Prior to becoming the Assistant Administrator for the Hazard Mitigation Directorate, Mr. Hiebert built and led hazard mitigation programs in State and County government. At Washington State Emergency Management, he spearheaded the development of Interagency plans, including Washington's Restoration Framework and the State's Enhanced Hazard Mitigation Plan, resulting in one of the nation's most successful hazard mitigation programs. During his time at King County, Mr. Hiebert collaborated with over 50 cities, county departments, tribes, and special district governments, developing a hazard mitigation plan and program dedicated to investing in the most underserved parts of the county. His involvement also extended to various disaster response and recovery roles in state and local emergency operations centers, supporting efforts related to wildfires, severe storms, and public health emergencies. Mr. Hiebert's journey to FEMA and this current role also includes valuable experience in the private sector, where he played a leadership role in hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and climate equity practices within the Government and Public Service sector. He led diverse projects there, ranging from coordinating logistics for COVID-19 vaccine delivery through pharmacies to supporting rural communities in securing FEMA Public Assistance funding and aiding a federal agency with the successful implementation of the Justice40 Initiative. Mr. Hiebert holds a Master of Urban Planning from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography, International Affairs, and GIS from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He now lives in Maryland with his wife and two children.

 

• Joe Barris is a prominent leader in community planning and development, currently serving as the Director of the Department of Planning and Community Services for Monmouth County, New Jersey. In this role, Joe manages a broad array of divisions, including the County’s Division of Planning, Office of Community Development, Monmouth County Historic Commission, Division of Weights & Measures, and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE), which encompasses 4-H. He is responsible for coordinating departmental initiatives, administering vital community programs, mentoring a talented team of professionals, and implementing results-driven improvements in organizational processes. Since 2022, Joe has also served as part-time Executive Director for the New Jersey Association for Floodplain Management (NJAFM). His contributions to floodplain management gained notable recognition when he helped establish the Monmouth County CRS User Group, a pioneering initiative that enhanced coastal community resilience against future storm events following Superstorm Sandy. This effort, the first of its kind in the state, has inspired the formation of similar groups in other counties. In acknowledgment of his leadership and innovation, NJAFM honored Joe with the Floodplain Management Leadership Award in 2017. Joe holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Rutgers University’s School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (formerly Cook College) and a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. He is also a Certified Floodplain Manager.

 

• Curtis Smith, PE, CFM, Stantec, is a Professional Engineer who serves as a team lead and technical expert for several clients in the flood risk industry including FEMA. His projects are focused on leveraging data and statistics to identify flood prone areas throughout the country and promote efficient solutions in floodplain management.  Curtis’s expertise is in data analysis and watershed modeling and his goal is to maximize value by applying the latest approaches in cloud computing, statistics, and computer science. His role frequently requires coordination with government officials, community officials and local property owners to support the release of new flood risk information.

 
Additional Concurrent Speakers
 

• Grace MacNeill: Grace MacNeill is a Customer Success Associate with Forerunner. As a New Jersey native, she has the pleasure of partnering with communities throughout the state to support their floodplain management and Community Rating System (CRS) activities through Forerunner. Based in Washington, D.C., Grace comes to Forerunner with government experience and an excitement for bolstering climate resilience.

 

• Steven Winters, CPM, CFM: Steven Winters serves as the Director of Community Development and Construction Official for the Township of Holmdel. With over 40 years of experience in the construction industry. With a passion for integrating services, he leverages team building, technology, and web design management to develop workflow solutions to complex construction and floodplain regulations as well as educating staff, municipal leaders, and the public about construction, land use, housing, code enforcement, fire prevention and floodplain management. Steven is a DCA/Rutgers Certified Instructor, Certified Floodplain Manager, Certified Public Manager, and licensed code official in all six Uniform Construction Code (UCC) disciplines, bringing a unique perspective to Floodplain Management in several New Jersey communities, where his emphasis on team building moves these communities towards resilience and compliance, and more efficient integration of FEMA Community Rating System (CRS) Program development, FEMA/NFIP Compliance, and UCC Regulations.

 

• Liz Russell: Liz Russell is a dedicated professional with 12 years of experience in the NFIP, and emergency and disaster management. Throughout her career, Liz has worked with many community and state officials, providing program support, education, and training on the NFIP, CRS, floodplain management, disaster recovery, and grants management. To date, she has helped states and communities manage over $2.65 billion in FEMA funding. At Forerunner, Liz serves as the Director of Customer Success, responsible for ensuring all of our customers get the best possible experience with our product.