Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management

Mason hosts regional emergency management symposium

Colleen Rich — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 16:34:28 +0000

Mason hosts regional emergency management symposium Colleen Rich Mon, 10/02/2023 - 12:34

from left, Will Flagler, director of public safety communications and emergency management, Arlington County; David Farris, executive director of safety and emergency management, ��ӽ紫ý; Marc Barbiere, director of Georgetown University’s Office of Emergency Management. Photo courtesy of Gina Reistrup

On Friday, Sept. 29, ��ӽ紫ý welcomed more than 70 emergency management professionals from federal, state, local, and higher education organizations throughout the mid-Atlantic. This regional International Association of Emergency Managers event was sponsored by Safety, Emergency, & Enterprise Risk Management.

Mason’s Emergency Management Team co-presented a session in with Georgetown University and Arlington County Emergency Management on how institutions of higher education can help communities become resilient to disasters and contribute to the field of emergency management through research.

To find out how you can prepare for emergencies, please visit Mason’s emergency preparedness webpage.

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Safety Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management SEERM

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Ronda Franklin is the September Employee of the Month

Katarina Benson — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:11:21 +0000

Ronda Franklin is the September Employee of the Month Katarina Benson Wed, 08/30/2023 - 16:11

Ronda Franklin has been an integral part of ��ӽ紫ý’s department of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management (SEERM) since July 2019. Her hard work and flexibility during COVID stand as particular testament to her work as an administrative specialist. For her unfailing commitment, strong work ethic, and the positivity she brings to the office, Franklin has been recognized as September Employee of the Month.

September Employee of the Month Ronda Franklin and President Gregory Washington. Photo by Cristian Torres/Office of University Branding

According to Douglass O’Neill, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) assistant director for occupational health and safety, the core Mason value that Franklin most embodies is: we thrive together. “Ronda has a positive impact on the EHS Office. She is a friendly presence, and one could say infectiously positive,” he said. “Ronda has taken on new roles, be they temporary or permanent, without complaint. Ronda makes you want to be a better employee.”

“Ronda is the heart of the office and [a] true pleasure to work with… Ronda’s commitment and strong work ethic are evident as she executes all tasks with efficiency, accuracy, and thoughtfulness,” said Amy Springfloat, SEERM finance and administration manager. “I am consistently impressed with her ability to prioritize and complete projects, all the while maintaining a positive and professional attitude.”

“Ronda is a wonderful employee and a great example to her co-workers,” said Gregory Black, director of emergency management and fire safety. “Her strong work ethic, attention to details, communication and thoroughness allows SEERM to run well and provide a high level of services to our customers.”

Many of Franklin’s colleagues wrote about the value of her role in the university’s COVID response.

“Ronda’s support during the COVID response was truly extraordinary,” said Springfloat. “She was asked to take on new and additional responsibilities, often with no advance notice or previous experience. She quickly adapted and managed all of these challenges with the same competency as her more routine tasks… Ronda worked tirelessly to meet the team’s needs and find creative solutions.”

One of the things Franklin was tasked with was ordering and tracking COVID supplies for the university. “Ronda not only understood what her task was, but also sought to discover how her role fit into the larger COVID response,” Black said. “By doing that, she was able to anticipate issues and additional ways that she was able to help the team. Her awareness and willingness to help was a key factor in making the COVID response a success.”

“Our office would not be able to function without Ronda, and more importantly, the positive office culture we enjoy among our team would suffer in her absence,” said David Farris, executive director of Safety and Emergency Management. “Ronda embodies and exemplifies the spirit and dedication that makes all of us successful, and she, among other dedicated staff, is most deserving of this award and recognition.”

How did you come to Mason:

I enjoy being in an intellectual environment, and I wanted to work in academia, specifically administration. I applied for a position in the SEERM department and was extremely excited when I was selected.

Best day on the job:

For me, the best day on the job is every day. I am very proud to be part of such a great team. I enjoy working with my colleagues, helping others, being productive and proactive in my work, handling challenging tasks, and getting the job done. This gives me a daily dose of satisfaction and pride.

What do you like best about working at Mason:

I love the diverse faculty, staff, and students here at Mason. I enjoy meeting and talking with people, learning about other cultures, and sharing mine as well. And the energy and pride here at Mason is amazing!

What do you like to do when you’re not working:

I enjoy spending time with my family and playing with our cat, Cinder. I also enjoy singing and listening to music, going on art walks, reading and collecting books, and self-studying foreign languages—I’m currently learning French, Korean, and Hindi.

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Faculty and Staff News

Employee of the Month

Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management

Safety Emergency and Enterprise Risk Management SEERM

Human Resources

Roughly 4,000 Mason students expected to receive COVID-19 vaccinations this week

John Hollis — Thu, 22 Apr 2021 14:54:59 +0000

Roughly 4,000 Mason students expected to receive COVID-19 vaccinations this week John Hollis Thu, 04/22/2021 - 10:54

Julie Zobel called Wednesday’s initial COVID-19 vaccination clinic at EagleBank Arena for ��ӽ紫ý students the pinnacle of her team’s efforts in combating the spread of the virus.

Working in conjunction with the Virginia Department of Health and regional public health agencies, Mason took a major step toward resuming a normal campus life by starting the inoculation of roughly 4,000 Mason students, all of whom will receive their first of two Moderna shots during scheduled clinics on April 21 and April 23.

��ӽ紫ý student getting vaccine at Eagle Bank Covid-19 Clinic. Photo by: Ron Aira/Creative Services/��ӽ紫ý

“This is what we’ve been working for,” said Zobel, Mason’s associate vice president of Safety, Emergency, and Enterprise Risk Management. “This is why we started this clinic back in January so that we would be able to provide shots to faculty, staff and students. Seeing this come to fruition has been very satisfying.”

Roughly 2,000 students signed up for appointments for Wednesday’s first opportunity for students, and those in attendance were both happy and extremely relieved to be there.

A smoothly run operation by Zobel’s team made sure everybody was in and out of the arena in short order.

“This is a huge relief, and I’m just happy it’s over,” said Naser Al-Alami, a sophomore business major from Jordan. “I was a little apprehensive at first, but the more I read about it and the more people I knew who got the vaccine made me more comfortable.”

Others like biology graduate student and U.S. Army soldier Kyle Avery had different reasons for making sure to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Avery came down with COVID-19 a few months back, with his wife ultimately contracting it as well.

He said it was something he’d rather never experience again.

“I’m just happy it’s done,” he said.

The Mason COVID Response Team celebrated the vaccination of students with T-shirts. Photo by Shelby Burgess/Strategic Communications

Students received Moderna shots on Wednesday, and that is likely to be the case again on Friday, said David Farris, Mason’s executive director of Safety and Emergency Management.

Students who receive their first dose at Mason were given the opportunity to schedule their second dose four weeks later at Mason even if the second dose needed to be scheduled following the conclusion of the spring semester.

Students who don’t reside locally or can’t come back to Mason for their second dose have been encouraged to schedule their second dose near their permanent residence.

“It just feels good to get started,” said Kenneth Jones, a junior design art major from Woodbridge, Virginia. “Hopefully, we can all get back to normal soon.”

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Mason hosts regional emergency management symposium

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