The city of Garland is proud to announce the appointment of Kwa heri Harris as Emergency Management Coordinator.
In this role, Harris will act as the disaster preparedness coordinator for the city and will be responsible for overseeing the Office of Emergency Management, outdoor warning siren activations, Emergency Operations Center activations, the management of grant funds, disaster response and regional disaster planning.
Harris has more than 15 years of municipal emergency management experience. She has worked in emergency management in municipalities across Texas, including the City of Arlington, City of Dallas and City of Beaumont.
She previously has served in command and general staff positions for numerous special events in the region, including the 2012 Arlington tornado. During Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav and Ike, Harris served as the Shelter Operation Incident Commander for the City of Dallas. She is an assessor for the Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP) and recently served as the Chair for the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) Emergency Management Working Group, where she helped develop the North Texas Economic Resilience Program.
Harris earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Arts in Communications and Public Health Administration from Grambling State University. In addition to her degrees, she has earned the Certified Emergency Manager and the Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) certifications.
Information and photo provided by city of Garland.