Dr. Aaron R. Kenneston

Aaron R. Kenneston teaches in the Emergency Management and Homeland Security (EM/HS) Program at the Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC).

He retired as the Director of the Washoe County Emergency Management and Homeland Security program in 2021. He oversaw the Regional Emergency Operations Center (REOC) in Reno, NV. His responsibilities included leading Washoe County in planning, training, responding, mitigating, and recovering from all hazards.

Mr. Kenneston served on active duty in the Army National Guard for almost 25 years and retired as a Colonel. During his military career he performed many emergency management roles. He responded to floods, fire, civil unrest, Y2K activities, and State-level security events. As Nevada’s military support officer he was a member of the State Search and Rescue Board, worked closely with the Division of Emergency Management (DEM), and ran a military Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

As the Washoe County Emergency Manager he served during many declared emergencies- among others these include the Andrew Fire in 2004, the Winter Storms of 2005, the Katrina Evacuation of 2005, the New Year’s Flood in 2006, the Hawken Fire of 2007, the Air Race Emergency of 2011, the Caughlin Fire of 2011, the Washoe Drive Fire of 2012, the North Valleys Flooding of 2016/17, Reno rioting in 2020, and COVID-19 incident management. He has also planned, coordinated, and participated in several major multi-jurisdictional full-scale disaster exercises.

He was the Project Director for Nevada’s Public Warning and Public Information, Mass Fatality, and Continuity of Operations Initiatives. He served on the Local Emergency Preparedness Committee, is a trained Terrorism Liaison Officer, and has worked on several special Task Forces for the Nevada Commission on Homeland Security.

Aaron has Doctorate in Organizational Leadership, two Masters Degrees, and is a graduate of numerous emergency management courses taught by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security. He is a FEMA Executive Academy graduate, member of the International Association of Emergency Managers, served as an assessor for the national Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP), and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM).

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