Speakers

Eric Queller

Emergency Manager

Village of Ruidoso, NM

Eric Queller has made significant contributions to the field of Emergency Management both in Texas and New Mexico. As the Emergency Manager for the Village of Ruidoso, Eric has already achieved and set new goals for the Emergency Management program.

Coming from Texas, Eric started his EM career at the age of 17 in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas, serving on the Bexar County Community Emergency Response Team & Northside Independent School District Safety and Security Committee. After graduating High School, he took an internship to further his knowledge and experience with the Bexar County Office of Emergency Management. During that time, Eric helped develop and advocate for Texas House Bill No 496, which pertains to the placement and implementation of bleeding control kits and Stop the Bleed training in all Public Schools across the State of Texas. As a result of his efforts in the Stop the Bleed program, Eric was awarded the community service award from the Texas Emergency Management Association and was recognized by the Texas State Senate for his efforts in Public Safety and Preparedness. After moving from San Antonio to Wichita Falls for college, Eric was hired on by the university as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist. While pursuing his bachelor's in business administration at Midwestern State University, he served as Vice President of the Student Body and worked for the City of Wichita Falls Office of Emergency Management as first an intern and then later as a specialist. Eric has also served on numerous local and state task forces dealing with long-term recovery, public information, and the VOADs. He has also responded to multiple disasters, the most recent being the South Fork & Salt Wildfire and seven Flash Flood Emergencies, serving as the EOC Director for 67 days for the Village of Ruidoso.

Sara DeCair

Associate Director for the Center of Science & Technology

US Environmental Protection Agency

Sara DeCair has been a health physicist with the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Radiation and Indoor Air since 2003. She has transitioned from an emergency preparedness role, having wrapped up the Protective Action Guides (PAG) Manual revision in 2017, to the Associate Director for the Center for Science & Technology - a small group of radiation experts who support EPA's radiation program and provide Federal Guidance Reports among other things.

She previously worked for seven years with the State of Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality in nuclear power plant emergency preparedness, radioactive materials regulation and radiation incident response.

Ron Derrick

Senior Corporate Emergency Manager

Whataburger Restaurants

While spending over 30 years in the fire, EMS and emergency management fields, Ron received degrees in Business and Emergency Management from Schreiner University and Jacksonville State University, respectively. After spending a lengthy career in public service, Ron transitioned into private Emergency Management and Business Continuity.

Ron spent numerous years as emergency manager for several cities and counties in Texas. Ron decided to hang up his boots and radio and went into hospital Business Continuity for the Baptist Health System in San Antonio. This incorporated the environment of care and emergency management for five large hospitals and one teaching center. After being at Baptist, Ron then took his talents to the military insurance giant USAA as a Senior Business Continuity Advisor stationed in the company Command Center. This included world-wide emergency management and business continuity ensuring the safety and needs of military officers and families. Then six years ago, Ron came over to his current job as the Senior Corporate Emergency Manager/ Business Continuity for Whataburger Restaurants. In this position, Ron manages all Crisis Management and Business Continuity incidents for over one thousand restaurants in fifteen states. The latest being a three hundred seat, two and a ½ story Whataburger on the Las Vegas Strip.

Ron continues to hold multiple certifications in emergency services including firefighter and Licensed paramedic. He also has certifications as a CBCP and has been a certified Texas Emergency Manager. Ron has been part of the Alamo Chapter of Association Continuity Planners for almost ten years and is on the National Board of Directors of ACP.

Ron is married to his best friend and has six children. All of which reside in Central Texas. Ron is a devout Christian and loves to play golf and do DIY projects at home. Ron volunteers a large amount of time to charities including the San Antonio Food Bank and the Valero Texas Open golf tournament that contributes an extraordinary amount of its proceeds to pediatric charities.

Chance Freeman

Director of Disaster Behavioral Health Coordination

Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Chance Freeman has worked in the field of disaster behavioral health since 1998 and has responded to over 29 federally declared disasters and a variety of emergency events such as the Space Shuttle Columbia Recovery project, the West Fertilizer Plant Explosion, church shootings in Sutherland Springs and White Settlement, Texas, school shootings in Santa Fe and Uvalde, Texas, the El Paso Walmart and Allen Outlet Mall shootings, the shooting spree in Midland/Odessa, and COVID-19. As a result of his experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Programs, Mr. Freeman has provided technical assistance and training on CCP grant development and management, provided training at FEMA's Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, MD, and is a member of the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration Cadre of Consults. He serves as the State Behavioral Health Initiative Advisor to the Terrorism and Disaster Network Committee and is the Vice-Chair of the Executive Advisory Board for the Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network where he advices organizational leadership for, growth, training, and the betterment of the services provided to the law enforcement professionals of Texas.