(Miami-Dade County, FL) -- Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez on Tuesday introduced Curtis Sommerhoff as the director of the Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security (DEM&HS) and Jonathan Lord as the agency's deputy director.
 
"I would like to thank Mayor Alvarez, County Manager George Burgess, the Board of County Commissioners and Assistant County Manager Alina Hudak for this opportunity," Sommerhoff said. "We have the finest emergency management team in the State of Florida, if not the nation. I look forward to continuing to work with all our partners who have made Miami-Dade a leader in emergency preparedness and disaster response."
 
Sommerhoff had been serving as DEM&HS' interim director since mid-February. He rejoined DEM&HS in June 2008 after originally working as the planning and preparedness bureau manager at the department from April 2001 through May 2006. Sommerhoff served Miami-Dade during emergencies such as hurricanes Katrina and Wilma in 2005, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and the Free Trade Area of the Americas conference in November 2003.
 
Prior to rejoining DEM&HS last year, Sommerhoff worked at the Miami-Dade County Government Information Center as the 311 Answer Center Manager. Sommerhoff first joined Miami-Dade County government in 1989 with the Water and Sewer Department. He has also served as the emergency manager for the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Sommerhoff served in the United States Marine Corps during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm in 1990-1991.
 
A native South Floridian, Sommerhoff is a Florida Professional Emergency Manager. He graduated from Barry University in September 2000 with a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration.
Lord is a certified Florida Professional Emergency Manager and has worked in the public safety field for more than 15 years, including five in emergency management. He rejoined DEM&HS in March 2008 as assistant director after working at the Palm Beach County Department of Emergency Management. Prior to that, he worked at DEM&HS for three years as a public safety branch manager and an emergency management coordinator. Lord also worked as an emergency medical services (EMS) chief in Burlington, N.J., and a public health representative for the State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services. Lord graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor's degree in EMS.
 
The Miami-Dade County Department of Emergency Management & Homeland Security is committed to working with its partners and the community to lessen the impact of disasters and potential catastrophic incidents. DEM&HS accomplishes its mission through planning, response and coordination of information and resources. Residents may access emergency information at www.miamidade.gov/oem