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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 15, 2008 No. 08-112 ADJUTANT GENERAL'S DEPARTMENT REORGANIZES; PUTS STRONGER EMPHASIS
ON HOMELAND SECURITY A reorganization within the Adjutant General's Department will now allow
the agency to put a stronger emphasis on homeland security and at the
same time strengthen the agency's emergency management operations. Maj. Gen. Tod Bunting, Kansas Adjutant General, announced the changes
today. Bill Chornyak, currently deputy director of the Kansas Division of Emergency
Management (KDEM), will become deputy director of Homeland Security, a
reorganized division within the Adjutant General's Department. He will
oversee Homeland Security planning, programs and exercises and work extensively
with the department's partners in the private sector, as well as at the
county and state level and at the federal level with the Department of
Homeland Security. Angee Morgan, currently senior plans officer with KDEM, will become the
new deputy director of KDEM. She will oversee all aspects of the division,
including response and recovery operations of disasters, emergency management
planning and hazard mitigation, and work closely with our non governmental
agencies, county and state partners and at the federal level. Morgan will
work extensively with FEMA. "We live in a challenging time in which homeland security must always
be in the forefront of our operations and this reorganization will help
us more strategically focus our efforts there," said Bunting. "At
the same time, with these changes we'll strengthen our emergency management
system in which we are currently working on 11 federal disaster declarations." "Bill has an extensive background in law enforcement and security
in both the public and private sectors, including the FBI and the U.S.
State Department," Bunting said. "Angee is well known across
the nation for her expertise in all facets of emergency management. When
other states need help, they've been known to ask for Angee by name." Morgan will advise the adjutant general on the four primary focus areas
of emergency management: Preparedness, Response, Recovery and Mitigation.
She will oversee statewide training and exercise programs, serve as the
primary point of contact for all county emergency managers, and advise
and assist the Kansas Commission on Emergency Planning and Response (CEPR).
The CEPR is currently chaired by Jack Taylor, Fire Chief of Emporia and
comprised of 26 representatives of government agencies, public and private
entities. Chornyak's position is the only new position in the reorganization and
is funded through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Three current
KDEM staff, whose roles have focused primarily on homeland security initiatives
since 2005, will comprise the staff of the new division. Homeland Security
funding remained at nearly the same level for FY08 from FY07, but in the
three previous years federal funds had been reduced 50% each year. Overall
Homeland Security staffing in Kansas was reduced by three people last
year due to budget restrictions and focus on new programs. The state's seven Homeland Security Regional Coordinators, who serve
as liaisons to counties in their respective regions, focus primarily on
disaster planning and response, were retitled as Emergency Management
Regional Coordinators earlier this year to reflect their primary emphasis
on emergency management issues. "This restructuring of our department allows us to continue to move
two critical areas of the agency from tactical and operational levels
to more strategic levels putting us in a better position to respond to
homeland security threats and emergency management needs in the future,"
Bunting said. "Bill and Angee will work closely on overall department
programs but they will now be able to primarily focus on their respective
division." Bunting said the changes will take effect Nov. 1. -30- |
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