Dedicated Emergency Management Professionals Ready to Serve Your Organization

A FEMA-certified Incident Commander and Planning Section Chief, Lauren holds numerous emergency management credentials and serves on the Municipal Caucus for the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM).

Lauren is a retired Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve following 20 years of military service. During her career, she served in senior leadership positions with units and commands including Joint Base Cape Cod, U.S. Southern Command, and Coast Guard District Seven, as well as in federal liaison roles supporting FEMA Regions II, IV, and VI and the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Her service encompassed disaster response, operational planning, interagency coordination, mobilization, and international engagement.

Lauren also serves as an adjunct professor and course creator at Florida International University, contributing to programs in International Disaster Management and Public Policy and Administration.

At the core of Lauren’s work is the belief that effective emergency management should be accessible and affordable to every community, including small and fiscally constrained municipalities. She is equally committed to making preparedness accessible to the public, ensuring residents have the information, resources, and practical tools they need to understand their risks and take meaningful steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.

Originally from Ohio, Lauren earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Legal Processes from Youngstown State University and an Executive Master of Public Administration from Florida International University.

Ken is an expert in Area Contingency Plan management, Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), Incident Management Team operations, and Incident Command System (ICS) coordination. He is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) through the International Association of Emergency Managers and holds FEMA’s Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) and Professional Continuity Practitioner designations. His extensive incident management qualifications include Type 1 Situation Unit Leader (SITL), Incident Commander (IC), Planning Section Chief (PSC), Liaison Officer (LOFR), and Resources Unit Leader (RESL).

Ken served for six years on the Coast Guard’s National-Level Incident Management Team, earning multiple Type 1, 2, and 3 qualifications and responding to complex incidents involving oil spills, earthquakes, humanitarian assistance, hurricanes, tsunamis, downed aircraft, and National Special Security Events (NSSEs).

His diverse operational background also includes service as an EMT, volunteer firefighter, Federal On-Scene Coordinator’s Representative (FOSCR), and maritime law enforcement boarding officer supporting migrant operations and drug interdiction.

Ken holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership, a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Terrorism, and a second master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management. He is also a professor with Bethel University, where he teaches undergraduate courses in Disaster and Emergency Management and Homeland Security and Terrorism.

Prior to joining Optimum, Miriam completed a 31-year career with the U.S. Coast Guard, serving in senior leadership and operational roles involving disaster response, crisis management, interagency coordination, and contingency planning. Her assignments included responsibility for national-level readiness initiatives and complex operations requiring coordination across federal, state, local, military, and international partners.

Her operational experience includes coordinating emergency medical support to civilian hospitals during COVID-19 surge operations, supporting the Afghan evacuation and resettlement mission, and leading planning efforts for National Special Security Events. A FEMA Type 1 Certified Liaison Officer, Miriam served as the Coast Guard representative at FEMA Region IV’s Regional Response Coordination Center during five major hurricane responses. During the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, she served at the National Incident Command, coordinating critical resources and international assistance supporting the response.

Miriam holds a Master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the National Intelligence University and a Bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.