April 25, 2007
King County's Emergency Manager taking expertise to Homeland Security practice
The nationally respected Director of the King County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), Eric Holdeman, will be leaving the county to pursue a new career in private consulting. Holdeman will be employed locally by ICF International a Fairfax, Virginia based company, within its Emergency Management and Homeland Security Practice.
Under Holdeman's direction, OEM has become a leader in the Northwest, providing guidance for regional collaboration on issues such as disaster preparedness, public education, Y2K, pandemic flu planning, and the establishment of the Regional Disaster Plan. Holdeman has overseen the county's coordination and administration of numerous homeland security grants, totaling over $34M; helped design and participate in the national counter terrorism exercise, TOPOFF 2; and established critical infrastructure and mitigation planning. Holdeman also was a key player in the design and construction of the state-of-the-art King County Regional Communications and Emergency Coordination Center, in Renton. Holdeman was recently named one of the top 25 innovators in the country by Government Technology magazine.
"Eric lives and breathes emergency management and took King County's program from the dinosaur age to the 21 st century," said Executive Ron Sims. "He made our emergency management system the best in the U.S. His quality of work is unmatched by anyone. He's as near to irreplaceable as one can get."
"The people of the county and the region are better prepared for a disaster because of the talents and boundless energy of Eric Holdeman," Sims said.
"My period of service here in King County has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my professional life," said Holdeman. "With support from Executive Sims, the County Council, and our countless public & private regional partners, we have collectively as a region made significant advances in disaster preparedness across the board."
Holdeman will leave the county in mid-May, with an interim director to be named before his departure. King County will undergo a national search to fill the position.