Ron Benedict, CEM®, is the Training and Exercise Officer for the District of Columbia Health Department (DC Health). He is rebuilding the program to align with the agency's goals and mission. Before his current position, he was the Olson Group's Director for the National Capital Region, where he served as an experienced emergency manager providing innovative and responsive planning, training, and exercise services to state and local government, education, healthcare providers, and industry. As a contractor during COVID, he supported the DC Human Services Mass Feeding operation, revamping the DC All Hazards Emergency Operations Plans and DC Health in the Planning Section and later as the Logistics Section Chief. Prior to his emergency management roles, he was a Fire Fighter/EMT assigned to the Special Operations Division, and a program manager for a national fire service organization. Mr. Benedict successfully operationalized multimillion-dollar complex programs and staff including training, development, implementation, and marketing of technical programs responsive to internal and external client needs. His technical writing and proposal development skills have resulted in over $750 million in new federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements for emergency services providers including funding from NIEHS, NIOSH, DOT, DOE, DHS/FEMA, and the U.S. Fire Administration. Mr. Benedict has a master’s degree in Emergency Health Services, is a FEMA Level 1 Professional Continuity Practitioner, a graduate of the FEMA National Emergency Management Academy (NEMAA), a credentialed Fire Officer, a Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS), and has received his MEPP certification.
Listed skills include Emergency Management, Homeland Security, Program Management, Policy, and 17 others.