James Connors

Emergency Management Specialist 2018 – Present

U.S. Coast Guard — Office of Emergency Management (OEM4) · Washington, DC · GS-12

• Planned, coordinated, and executed a full annual portfolio of TTX, Functional, and Full-Scale exercises and workshops spanning local port through national levels, compliant with HSEEP doctrine and PREP Guidelines — directly supporting National Response System (NRS) oil spill response preparedness.

• Led cross-agency exercise teams of 15+ personnel from FEMA, FBI, DoD, and state and local emergency management agencies, managing the full development cycle from concept through hot wash and After-Action Reporting (AAR).

• Designed all-hazards scenarios covering oil spill response, CBRN/WMD, natural disasters, mass casualty, and port security threats; authored AARs that drove measurable policy and readiness improvements at district and national levels.

• Managed exercise budgets of $100K–$500K; served as Senior Planning Officer ensuring compliance with NIMS/ICS, NRF, and Area Contingency Plans (ACPs); facilitated interagency conferences and conflict resolution across federal, state, and local stakeholders.

• Contributed to USCG Emergency Management policy development and revision at district and national levels; recognized with performance awards for sustained excellence in exercise leadership and interagency coordination.

Assistant Command Security Specialist 2012 – 2018

U.S. Coast Guard — Training Center Petaluma · Petaluma, CA · Active Duty / Civilian

• Administered a full-spectrum command security program for 200–500 personnel encompassing physical security, access control, personnel security/clearance management (Secret), information security, and antiterrorism/force protection.

Conducted security compliance inspections, incident investigations, and vulnerability assessments.

• Investigated and documented security incidents, producing thorough reports that informed leadership decisions and fulfilled all federal reporting requirements.

Senior Chief Health Services Technician (E-8) 1991 – 2012

U.S. Coast Guard — Active Duty (7 Commands) · CA / AK / Pacific Area · E-8 / Senior Chief

CGC Woodrush (1991–94) · ISC San Pedro (1994–99) · CGC Alex Haley (1999–01) · TRACEN Petaluma Clinic (2001–04) · ISC Alameda (2004–06) · MLCPAC Medical Admin (2006–09) · Health & Safety Worklife Alameda (2009–12)

• Led medical department operations across 7 commands at district level, directing clinical operations, health and safety programs, medical logistics, and departmental budgets serving hundreds of Coast Guard personnel.

• Deployed in support of real-world Coast Guard operations and disaster response missions, delivering emergency medical care, mass casualty response, and medical readiness support in dynamic operational environments.

• Mentored junior HSTechs across multiple commands; developed medical training curricula that improved unit readiness and sustained clinical proficiency district-wide. Received awards and commendations for medical leadership excellence.