Stitt announces new Director of Emergency Management

GOVERNOR KEVIN STITT ANNOUNCES DIRECTOR OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 

Oklahoma City, Okla. (January 29, 2019) – Governor Kevin Stitt announced [yesterday] the hiring of Mark Gower as the Director of the Department of Oklahoma Emergency Management (OEM).

“Mark Gower has been dedicated to the safety and security of Oklahomans his entire career,” said Gov. Stitt. “His expertise is well suited to guide the Department of Emergency Management, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to move our state forward.”

“I am deeply honored by Governor Stitt’s faith in me to serve our citizens," said Gower. "I am excited to join him and our dedicated emergency management professionals across Oklahoma. I will work tirelessly alongside our governor to build trust, efficiency, and accountability through working to provide quality, customer-focused services to our citizens, cities, towns, and counties statewide."

Mark Gower currently serves as the Chief Information Security Officer and CyberCommand Director for the State of Oklahoma. With over 20-years of experience in Information Security and Technology, Gower has a broad and varied knowledge base to draw upon. His expertise includes Cybersecurity, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Emergency Preparedness and Response. Gower holds multiple certifications, including Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP), and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

"Emergency Management in Oklahoma has always been a significant part of the phrase ‘the Oklahoma Standard’ and Mr. Gower brings a very specific skill set that will help us advance and improve Emergency Management in our state. I have worked with Mark in the past and look forward to working with him again in his new position as OEM Director," said Kary D. Cox, Director at Washington County Emergency Management.

"I've known and worked in the public sector with Mark for many years, and I have the highest respect for him. He has all the skills to do a great job for Oklahoma as the Director of Oklahoma Emergency Management. Mark is a man of integrity with a servants heart, a rare quality in public service today. He is intelligent and a hard worker who believes in doing the job right the first time, and I look forward to the opportunity of serving with him,” said James Dalton, Director at Durant/Bryan County Emergency Management.

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against disasters and emergencies. The department maintains the State Emergency Operations Center which serves as a command center for reporting emergencies and coordinating state response activities. OEM delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through the network of more than 400 local emergency managers.

OEM also maintains, regularly updates and exercises the State Emergency Operations Plan. The department provides funding and/or assistance to more than 400 local emergency management departments throughout the state.