Emergency Management: Best Practices from Government Technology Magazine
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Article 1: Aging 911 Systems Are Failing Millions — NG911 Is the Answer
Rob Farmer – April 2025
Rob Farmer is the national director of sales for Vertex NG911 at Central Square Technologies. His background includes over 30 years of experience in public safety in Ohio, Texas, and Florida.
Article 2: Bill Would Increase Transparency for Nat'l Flood Insurance
Bill O’Boyle, The Times Leader – September 20, 2024
©2024 The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Article 3: Houston Area Preps for Hurricane Season, Will Lean on State
Catherine Dominguez, Houston Chronicle – May 23, 2025
©2025 the Houston Chronicle. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Article 4: Medical Drone Trials to Test Supply Drops for Emergencies
David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat – April 16, 2025
©2025 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Article 5: Opinion: Celebrating Resilience Post-Disaster Isn't Enough
Tiffany Sturdivant, Lexington Herald-Leader – February 21, 2025
Tiffany Sturdivant is Executive Director of Appalshop, a media arts nonprofit in Letcher County, Ky.
Article 6: Primed to Burn: The Difficulties of Insuring Homes
Maya Hilty, The Santa Fe New Mexican – April 29, 2024
©2024 The Santa Fe New Mexican (Santa Fe, N.M.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Article 7: Seminole County, Fla., Fire Dept. Builds App for Wilderness Rescue
Lakshmi Sankaran – April 24, 2025
Lakshmi Sankaran is the data compliance analyst at the Seminole County Fire Department. She worked firsthand with the SCFD team on this collaborative trails apps project.
Article 8: Turmoil at FEMA as States Prepare for Worsening Disasters
Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times – May 15, 2025
©2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Article 9: What Would Hurricane Season Look Like Without FEMA?
Anita Lee, The Sun Herald – April 28, 2025
©2025 The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Howard Balanoff
Director of Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service
Dr. Howard R. Balanoff currently holds the Texas State University William P. Hobby Endowed Professorship for Public Service and currently serves as the Director of Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service.
He is the Editor in Chief of Good Governance Worldwide which is the official journal of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Section for Public Management Practice, the Chair of ASPA’s Section for Public Management Practice and the Co-Director of the Texas Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program located in Arlington, Texas.
Lloyd Harrington
Webmaster
Lloyd has been the webmaster for the Texas State University Certified Public Manager (CPM) program since 2011, the Good Governance Worldwide (GGW) website since it’s inception in 2012, and the CENTEX Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) beginning in 2023. Lloyd also designed and is webmaster for the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State University website and the Texas CPM Program website.
Associate Editors
Reagan Haik
Graduate Instructional Assistant, Department of Political Science, Texas State University
Ms. E. Reagan Haik is a public administration professional pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University, where she also serves as a Graduate Instructional Assistant. She earned a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Sociology with a criminology concentration from Louisiana State University.
Reagan served as Youth Education Coordinator for the Baton Rouge Bar Foundation, which fostered her interest in nonprofit work, educational outreach, and justice. Her restorative justice work in the Teen Court program earned the 2024 LexisNexis Community and Educational Outreach Award from the National Association for Bar Professionals.
Syeda Zareen Jahan
Ms. Syeda Zareen Jahan is a public administration professional currently pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University, where she also serves as a Graduate Instructional Assistant. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Barishal, Bangladesh.
Zareen brings a strong academic foundation and a deep commitment to public service, shaped by her cross-cultural experiences and passion for community-focused governance. Her research interests include emergency management, human resource development, and equity in public service delivery. She is particularly inspired by initiatives that promote inclusive policy solutions and resilient institutional frameworks in both local and global contexts.
Mst. Thahsina Aktar Asha
Graduate Instructional Assistant, Department of Political Science, Texas State University
Mst. Thahsina Aktar Asha is a public administration professional pursuing her Master of Public Administration program in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University, where she also serves as a Graduate Instructional Assistant. She has a first degree in public administration from the University of Barishal, Bangladesh. She served as a research assistant at the Institute for Government Innovation, which inspired her interest in pushing the grounds of research in, and practice of good governance.
Asha’s diverse experience through academic, community, student leadership, and policy-focused roles, has given her an advantage in understanding complex policy challenges. Her research interests encompass environmental policy, urbanization policy and planning, and community development.
Ishrat Jahan Ritu
Graduate Instructional Assistant, Department of Political Science, Texas State University
Ishrat Jahan Ritu is a public administration professional pursuing her Master of Public Administration degree in the Department of Political Science at Texas State University. She earned her Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from Daffodil International University, Bangladesh.
Her current research at The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment focuses on rainwater harvesting policy and sustainable water governance in Texas. With a background in law and a growing portfolio in environmental policy, Ishrat is passionate about public service, regulatory research, and advancing equitable, evidence-based policy solutions.