Moderator: Persia Payne-Hurley

Persia is the creator and developer of the North Carolina Business Emergency Operations Center, the first operational BEOC in the nation. She also administers North Carolina’s Vendor Disaster Re-Entry Program, the first state-wide re-entry program. The NC BEOC currently has over 800 corporate and business partners integrated into the NC State Emergency Response Team, and working with state agencies before, during and after disasters. The NC BEOC and State Re-Entry Programs were tested successfully during Hurricanes Matthew, Florence, Dorian, the Western North Carolina Wildfires, and the Charlotte Civil Disturbance. The Private Sector Program in North Carolina is considered a national model by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Persia currently serves as the Chair of the All Hazards Consortium Private Sector Liaison Committee, the NC State Recovery Team and on the NEMA Private Sector Committee. She is a graduate of the University of Illinois and the Army Command & General Staff College. In her past life, she served on disaster response teams in the insurance industry and is a retired Major from the U.S. Army. Persia lives in sunny Durham, NC with her husband, two children and a disaster ready Yorkie Poo.

Moderator: James Wong

James Wong is an award-winning digital engagement strategist, nationally recognized speaker, instructor,  marketing and communications strategist, passionate social entrepreneur, and nonprofit advocate. He currently serves as the Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC) Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, NC Division of Emergency Management (NCEM).

From 2007-2012, James served as the Marketing Communications Manager for iContact, an INC. 500 ranked industry leading email & digital marketing provider. Concurrently, in 2010, James co-founded Empowered Ideas, a nationally recognized marketing communications firm with a focus on the mental health and substance abuse prevention fields. His passion for supporting diversity and resilience in adult and youth leadership has led to special recognition by the Society of New Communications Research (SNCR), North Carolina Army National Guard, National Black MBA Association, and Asian Focus of North Carolina.

James also proudly serves as a Publications Staff Officer for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary (Fifth Southern Region, Division 9), and a Public Affairs Staff Officer for the Cary, NC Flotilla.  

Michael A. Sprayberry

Mike Sprayberry joined North Carolina Emergency Management in July 2005 as the Deputy Director and Logistics Section Chief. In 2006, he assumed the duties of the Deputy Director and Operations Section Chief.

In February 2013, Sprayberry was appointed as the Director of North Carolina Emergency Management.  He is also the North Carolina Deputy Homeland Security Advisor.

He serves as the President of the National Emergency Management Association and is a member the FEMA National Advisory Council.  Additionally, he serves on the State Emergency Response Commission and the State Radiation Protection Commission.

Prior to joining state government, Mr. Sprayberry served in the U.S. Marine Corps and the N.C. Army National Guard.  He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.  

Mr. Sprayberry’s awards include The Order of Long Leaf Pine, the Colonel William A. Thompson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Emergency Management, the United States Army Meritorious Service Award (with 3 Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters), the North Carolina National Guard Distinguished Service Medal and he is a member of the North Carolina National Guard Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.

He and his wife, Laura, have been married for over 25 years, reside in Raleigh and have two daughters, Alison and Megan.

Brian Hastings

Brian Hastings was born in 1968, in Germany, to a U.S. Army officer, however most of Brian’s youth was spent in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was there, while attending public school, that he developed his desire to learn, serve others and give back to those in need.

Brian’s passion for service led him to enter the United States Air Force Academy in 1986 and serve in the United States Air Force from 1990 until he retired as a Colonel on 1 September 2017. Prior to his retirement, Brian served for two years as Commandant of the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base and previously served as the Commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing. During his military career, Brian earned two Legion of Merit Medals, the Bronze Star for his service in Afghanistan, three Meritorious Service Medals, and served as a flight instructor. He was a command pilot with more than 2,600 hours in attack and training aircraft. He held a variety of positions, including Battalion Air Liaison Officer and Chief of Standardization and Evaluation.

Brian has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics. He also earned a Master’s of Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master’s of Science in Resourcing National Security Strategy from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University.

In August 2017, Governor Kay Ivey named Brian as the Director of the Alabama Emergency Management Agency and he started his service on September 5, 2017. In less than one week, the State Emergency Operations Center activated for Hurricane Irma to receive and shelter more than 250,000 evacuees from Florida while caring for the needs of Alabamians. The impact of Hurricane Irma resulted in a Presidential Emergency Declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and strengthened enduring partnerships with Florida and the Virgin Islands.

Regardless of Brian’s noteworthy career, which includes being a former A10 pilot, he will quickly tell you his greatest accomplishments are at home with his beautiful wife Eileen and three sons—Sean, Jake and Luke. The Hastings also have two additional family members Sophie and Chuy, the family dogs.

Rob Glenn

Rob coordinates FEMA’s efforts to engage, integrate, innovate, and operate with business, industry and infrastructure owners and operators. His expertise spans the public and private sectors in emergency management, business, and the military. He is passionate about building private-public partnerships.

Through the National Business Emergency Operations Center (NBEOC), more than 800 national  organizations coordinate and collaborate during disasters forming a nationa at all levels focussed on aligning efforts before, during, and after disasters. His leadership shifted FEMA’s focus private sector coordination into the operational realm following the historic 2017 hurricanes and wildfires where he spearheaded the approach that would eventually become the new Emergency Support Function (ESF)-14 – Cross Sector Business and Infrastructure. During the height of Hurricane Maria response, he formed the Puerto Rico BEOC to support lifeline stabilization, supply chain alignment, and the flow of commerce. He is a primary author of the ESF and leads FEMA’s role as Primary Agency. 

As Homeland Security Advisor to Ohio’s Governor, he created the standing Cyber Security Working Group; wrote the first cyber-security strategy; and matured the collaborative review of homeland security progress through the States Homeland Security Advisory Committee to mitigate future threats. He integrated Ohio’s counter-terrorism, prevention, and infrastructure protection efforts into a cohesive statewide program improving information-sharing through three fusion centers and 936 law enforcement agencies. 

Jeff Partin

Jeff Partin is the Director of Corporate Security, Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity for The Home Depot. Jeff is responsible for the coordination, facilitation, and oversight of the company level response to all emergency events which affect THD locations or associates.  Jeff oversees the Global Security Operations Center and when activated the company’s Emergency Operations Center to appropriately address any emergency event to ensure appropriate company level response in coordination with elements of both the Private and Public Sector entities.

Jeff joined the Company in 2002 as a District Loss Prevention Manager. He has held roles of responsibility including District Asset Protection Manager, Corporate Manager of Safety Programs, Senior Manager of Asset Protection, Senior Manager of Asset Protection for THD China Retail, and Senior Manager of Corporate Security.

Prior to joining the Company, Jeff served for eight years in the United States Army and Tennessee Army National Guard. Jeff graduated from The University of Tennessee Chattanooga in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice. Jeff has also held roles in other Private Sector Companies in various levels of responsibility in the Loss Prevention and Asset Protection.

David Lusk

David Lusk, Director, Global Security Operations Center, since November 2019 is responsible for protection of FedEx team members and assets. GSOC is also responsible for initial crisis management and crisis planning. Prior to GSOC in Services, Dave served as Senior Manager Global Operations Control, (Command and Control organization for FedEx Express worldwide operations) has been with FedEx since 1989. Dave’s responsibilities in GOC were command and control / flight dispatch of FedEx U.S. operations, Global Operations Control crisis contingency planning, response and event management for FedEx Express and the FedEx Enterprise.

Dave began his airline operations control career at Flying Tigers in 1981 as an aircraft dispatcher / operations control specialist and came to FedEx through the acquisition of Flying Tigers in 1989. Dave has over 44 years of experience in aviation strategic and tactical operations from the U.S. Navy and FAA to passenger / air cargo and express operations, command & control and disaster planning, response and crisis management.

He has managed FedEx response to many domestic and international events: 9-11, Banda Aceh, Haiti, Chengdu, and Great Northeastern Japan earthquakes, major tornado outbreaks, and the many large wildfires, flooding events and major Hurricanes over the past two decades. Dave earned his BS in Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and Master of Business Administration from The University of Tennessee. Dave serves as a private sector (FedEx) representative to TEMA (Tennessee Emergency Management Agency). He represents FedEx in the Building Resiliency through Private-Public Partnerships program. Dave participates in DSCA (Defense Support for Civil Authorities) efforts with DOD Northern Command. He has been a panelist at Private-Public Partnership, Emergency Manager Leadership and Electric Infrastructure Security Council summits.