Director Erin McMahon was appointed to lead the Oregon Department of Emergency Management (OEM) on Aug. 18, 2023, and was confirmed by the Senate on Sept. 29, 2023. Immediately following her appointment, Director McMahon led an agency-wide assessment to review the operational effectiveness of OEM, both as an organization and as a team, to document areas of growth and improvement that could be integrated into future strategic planning and further inform leadership decisions regarding resources and changes made across the organization to best support the Governor’s direction to lead the agency’s transition into an independent department for the state. In a letter dated Sept. 12, 2023, Governor Kotek stated:
“You arrive at a time of transition for the agency and for emergency management in Oregon. OEM has increased in size and independence since 2021. It is called to respond with increasing frequency to heat, severe storms, wildfires, and floods. The agency must now mature its systems and culture to meet the needs of Oregonians in this moment. And it must maintain readiness even while it grows and transforms. While not an easy task, I am confident in your leadership, ability, and experience to guide the agency through this time of growth and transition.”
The initial climate survey yielded 33 findings across seven lines of effort:
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Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA)
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Personnel Management
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Training and Leadership
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Business Plans and Procedures
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Data and Systems Management
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Internal and External Communications
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Fiscal Management
Further analysis revealed two additional lines of effort:
Operational Effectiveness
and Service Delivery Model.