Hoboken Councilman Quintero joins policymakers for NALEO conference in Houston

Hoboken Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero joined policymakers for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) for an institute on emergency preparedness in Houston, Texas last week.

By John Heinis/Hudson County View

The institute provided Quintero and other Latino policymakers with an opportunity to learn about effective response and mitigation planning for local policymakers who play critical leadership roles, support multi-jurisdictional and agency coordination, and help establish critical partnerships across sectors before a disaster occurs.

“I want to thank the NALEO Educational Fund for putting together such an informative two days on emergency preparedness,” Quintero said in a statement

“In Hoboken we are extremely vulnerable to a number of emergencies and natural disasters, including those resulting from climate change, so I was grateful to learn from and discuss these issues with fellow policy makers from around the United States.”

During the convening, Quintero networked with other Latino leaders from over 10 states nationwide and heard from leading public, private, and non-profit experts about policies and best practices to prepare for emergencies.

The institute also served as a platform for participants to network and exchange ideas around this critical issue.

Topics addressed during the convening included personal safety emergency response and recovery, building resilient communities, and the roles of AI in hazard mitigation, among other things.

Select speakers at the Institute included the Honorable Francisco Sánchez Jr., Associate Administrator, Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience, U.S. Small Business Administration; Mr. Hansel Ibarra, Community Disaster Risk Reduction Manager, American Red Cross; and Mr. Josh Morton, First Vice President, International Association of Emergency Managers.

For more than a decade, more than 400 Latino elected officials have participated in these professional development institutes dedicated to enhancing Latino leaders’ governance and leadership skills by providing programming on various components of emergency preparedness, response, and management.