Emergency Management, Ph.D.

MERCEDES ROMERO, Ph.D. EM, CBCP, CSHO

San Antonio, TX 210-***-**** ****.******@*****.***

CRISIS MANAGEMENT & TRAINING EXECUTIVE

Board Certified visionary leader and military veteran with a Ph.D. in Emergency Management and 15+ years of experience driving organizational resilience crisis management strategy. Proven track record developing and implementing comprehensive emergency preparedness programs, conducting risk assessments, and leading cross-functional teams in complex environments. Recognized for strategic thinking, strong analytical skills, and ability to align resiliency initiatives with broader organizational goals, to drive cutting-edge innovation. Core competencies include:

Strategic Planning & Execution Operational Risk & Resiliency Data Analysis Crisis/Incident Management Team Leadership & Mentoring Data-Driven Decision-Making Business Continuity Planning Enterprise Risk Management Training & Exercise Design Emergency Preparedness Regulatory Compliance Curriculum Development

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LPL Financial 2023 - 2024

VP Enterprise Resiliency - Crisis Management & Training & Exercise Lead

Led the strategic development and implementation of enterprise-wide resiliency programs, significantly enhancing the organization's crisis management and business continuity capabilities. Key Achievements:

Revolutionized the Enterprise Resiliency Program, achieving a 70% reduction in crisis response times during simulations and real-world activations.

Orchestrated a comprehensive Risk & Compliance transformation, implementing a new operating model that significantly enhanced risk mitigation and operational efficiency across the organization.

Designed and rolled out innovative resiliency training programs, elevating preparedness, and operational resilience firm-wide and across 12 business units.

Catalyzed operational excellence through strategic planning initiatives, fostering a 40% improvement in cross-functional collaboration enterprise-wide.

Remediated critical FIT Risk audit findings, ensuring full regulatory compliance and slashing risk exposure by 75%; pioneered governance protocols for successful crisis management and business continuity platforms, guaranteeing 100% alignment with regulatory mandates.

North Highland Consulting LLC 2021 - 2023

Expert Practitioner Emergency Management

Led critical emergency management initiatives, providing strategic guidance and operational expertise to government and private sector clients. Key Achievements:

Directed the Excluded New Jerseyeans Fund (ENJF) initiative, facilitating the distribution of over $57M in aid to citizens impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Developed and implemented an integrity monitoring system that prevented over $2.5M in fraudulent payments, protecting taxpayer resources and created an Emergency Management Center of Excellence, optimizing resource allocation to alleviate unnecessary funding during crises and emergency response.

United Services Automobile Association (USAA) 2020 - 2021

Business Continuity Incident Manager

Led development and implementation of global business continuity strategies, enhancing organizational resilience and regulatory compliance; Conducted comprehensive Business Impact Analyses, identifying and mitigating risks to critical business functions. Key Achievements:

Directed crisis events, including shelter-in-place and evacuation procedures, ensuring employee safety and minimal operational disruption.

Mercedes Romero ****.******@*****.*** Page 2

Implemented a national life/safety notification system, improving employee accountability during severe weather events by 95%.

Department of Family & Protective Services (DFPS) 2018 - 2020

Business Continuity Planner

Directed statewide emergency preparedness and continuity of operations (COOP) programs, enhancing the department's resilience and response capabilities. Key Achievements:

Established and implemented COOP and emergency operations plans statewide, improving response coordination by 50%; thrived as lead subject matter expert (SME) at the State Operations Center, coordinating multi-agency responses to statewide emergencies.

Implemented the Send Word Now mass notification system for foster families, enhancing safety protocols and reducing response times during emergencies by 60%.

JBSA Lackland AFB 2016 - 2017

Emergency Management Specialist

Provided critical emergency management expertise, enhancing base-wide preparedness and response capabilities.

Key Achievements:

Established Connected Users system for community partners through AtHoc, improving real-time notification for at-risk communities during contingencies; led development of a shared situational awareness map, significantly enhancing tactical level common operating picture (COP) for emergency response.

Served as SME for Public Health Emergency Management Course, training Public Health Emergency Officers and Medical Treatment Facility Emergency Managers and assisted in EOC management during exercises and real-world scenarios, leading ESF 5 functions to ensure accurate and timely information flow.

Conducted Mission Assurance Assessment for 711th HPW, identifying critical assets and integrating corrective measures to enhance overall readiness.

Texas A&M University 2013-2015

Director of Safety Risk & Emergency Management, Texas A&M University-SA

Transformed university-wide safety and emergency management programs, establishing comprehensive risk management framework.

Key Achievements:

•Engineered EHS program transformation, successfully passing system-wide audit after previous failures

•Architected Emergency Management Plan alignment with industry standards and state regulatory requirements

•Developed and implemented 14 Standard Administrative Procedures, optimizing risk management processes

EDUCATION

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Emergency Management, Capella University 2021

President’s List for Academic Excellence

Master of Emergency and Disaster Management (MEDM), American Military University 2010

Golden Key Member for Academic Honors

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP); Certified Safety & Health Official (CSHO) - General and Construction Industries; COOP Train-the-Trainer, Manager, & Exercise Design

BOARD CERTIFICATION

Corporate Governance & Risk Management; Strategic Leadership & Innovation; Board Operations & Effectiveness; Cyber Risk Governance & Security

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