His program in North Carolina was named as one of the original FEMA Project Impact Communities and having the opportunity on several occasions to testify and present to various congressional committees in Washington, DC, with then FEMA Director James Lee Witt.
He graduated from one of the early Bachelor of Science degree programs in Emergency Management from Thomas Edison State University and is a graduate of the FEMA Professional Development Series and the Executive Leadership Program from the Center for Homeland Defense at the Naval Post Graduate College in Monterey, CA.  He is a member of the National Association of Search and Rescue and is a recent 2018 graduate of the FEMA Senior Executive Leadership Program.

Mr. Summers formerly served on the Board of Directors of the National Emergency Management Forum organization promoting education and best practices in Emergency Management.  He has recently graduated FEMA’s Senior Executive Leadership Program and was a contributor to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, living disaster history documentation initiative in 2017 and received a Distinguished Public Safety Award from the Naples Chamber of Commerce in 2018. 

As a former paramedic and firefighter with Guilford County, Greensboro, NC, he had the opportunity to serve as Director of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Emergency Medical Association. He established the first Advanced Life Support ground and air ambulance EMS program in New Hanover County, Wilmington, NC. 
Presently, Mr. Summers oversees the Bureau of Emergency Services for Collier County who provides Emergency Management, Public Safety Communications, and Medical Examiner services to Collier County residents. Since moving to Naples, he has led efforts to coordinate 32 presidentially declared disaster events in his career.

Amy Howard brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as our Multi-Hazard Planner. Transitioning from her prior role as Human Services Program Coordinator, Amy leverages her 19+ years in emergency management planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in public safety administration from St. Petersburg College and is professionally certified through the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association (FEPA). Amy excels at all phases of emergency management, from preparedness to response. She's known for her expertise in comprehensive planning, training and drills, public education, and fostering collaboration across sectors.

Prior to his experience with FEMA, Jerry spent 12 years as a Project Manager for an Atlanta area company specializing in fire, water and storm damage restoration.  Prior to relocating his family to southwest Florida in 2016, Jerry also spent 3 ½ years as an Analyst for The Home Depot corporate office in Atlanta.