EMAT Board of Directors Spotlight
Brad Britten, MPA, CEM, TEM, IERS
Brad Britten is currently the Interim Secretary and an At-Large Director for the Emergency Management Association of Texas (EMAT). Over the course of the last 20 plus years, Britten has worked as a practitioner within the private sector, local government agencies, and state government agencies and developed public-private partnerships within the private sector emergency response arena.
Britten remains active in supporting local, state and federal emergency management and currently serves as an Emergency Preparedness Senior Associate with Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC at the US Department of Energy (DOE) Pantex Plant in Panhandle, TX. Britten has spent five years supporting emergency planning and preparedness through the US DOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Pantex Plant Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) with the State of Texas, local jurisdictions, and the Management and Operating (M&O) contractor at the Pantex Plant. In addition, Britten is an Agency Instructor with the Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) of the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). Britten has served within the Municipal Program of ESTI since 2015, delivering high quality training directly to emergency response departments and agencies across Texas.
With a background in public government emergency response beginning in the Texas Panhandle in 2001, Britten has had the opportunity to work with some of best and brightest emergency management and emergency response personnel in the United States. At the State level, Britten has previously served with the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) as a Regional Fire Coordinator, with the Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) as a District Coordinator, and most recently served with the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as a Health Physicist/Emergency Planner. At the local level, Britten also served as Technical Hazards Coordinator with the Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management (A/P/R OEM). Britten has been active in the volunteer fire service in Texas since 2001, serving respectively with six fire departments across Texas.
From December 2017 through September 2019, Britten served as Senior Liaison Field Manager with Energy Technologies, LLC (Enertech), managing delivery of pipeline public awareness liaison programs across Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Colorado. Britten currently serves as the President for Leaning Tower Group LLC, managing delivery of a pipeline public awareness liaison program across parts of West Texas, Southeastern New Mexico, and Oklahoma.
Britten is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a Master of Public Administration. He is a Texas Advanced Firefighter (TCFP), a Texas Master Firefighter (SFFMA) and holds Hazardous Materials, Fire Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician, and other Fire certifications. Britten is a Certified Emergency Manger (CEM), a Certified Texas Emergency Manager (TEM), credentialed as an Industrial Emergency Response Specialist (IERS) with the TEEX, and a Certified Texas Teacher through the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC).
Britten has been a EMAT member since 2012. Britten has served on the EMAT Board of Directors since 2018 representing Region 5 as At-Large Director and serving as the Interim Secretary from February 2020. Britten is active in his community, supporting charitable and service organizations. Britten resides in White Deer, Texas and has four children.
Previous EMAT Board of Directors Spotlight
Steve Rosa
Steve Rosa currently serves as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Brazoria County.
Steve have worked at Brazoria County for 14 years, starting as the Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator in the Bio-Terrorism division of the health department for 3 years. He then accepted the position of Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator and held that position for 3 years. In 2010 he was appointed by County Judge E.J King as the Emergency Management Coordinator. He was reappointed to this position on January 1, 2015 by County Judge L.M. “Matt” Sebesta Jr.
May 7, 2010 – Steve received his appointment as a Licensed Peace Officer in the State of Texas. OEM in Brazoria County is a division of the Sheriff’s Office.
Steve served a firefighter for 28 years, including 12 of those years as Fire Chief of Bunker Hill Fire Company # 1.
He also served as the City Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Bunker Hill, Illinois for 10 years.
Steve worked 12 years as a Nationally Certified EMT on an ambulance crew.
Steve has 30 years’ experience as an amateur radio operator (HAM) and is a nationally certified Severe Weather Storm Spotter for the National Weather Service.
Steve joined the United States Air Force after graduating high school and served as a Missile Maintenance Technician, completing his course work at the Community College of the Air Force, and then working on ICBM nuclear missiles in underground silos in Wyoming.
Steve is celebrating 42 years of marriage, has 3 children and 4 grandchildren.
Patrice Reisen Hicks, CEM, TEM
Patrice Reisen-Hicks began working for the University of Texas System as the Emergency Management Coordinator in January 2013. While working in this position, Patrice has built effective partnerships between the UT institutions, local jurisdictions, and state agencies in order to strengthen emergency management in the State of Texas. With Patrice’s leadership and guidance, UT institutions are active in preparing for and responding to disaster events.
Prior to the University of Texas System, she worked for the Travis County Office of Emergency Management as an Emergency Planner. As an Emergency Planner, she gained significant experience in the areas of grants management, emergency planning, exercises, and business continuity. Her professional experience began in 1996 with the Texas Highway Patrol and she has also held a position with the Texas Division of Emergency Management for three years. During her emergency management career, Patrice has worked responses to several emergencies and declared disasters including Hurricanes Dolly, Gustav, and Ike, Tropical Storm Hermine, wildfires during the 2011 drought in Travis County, the 2015 Bastrop County Hidden Pines wildfire, numerous floods and winter storms, the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, the Ebola outbreak in 2014, the UT Austin active shooter incident in 2010, and planned events such as Formula One and the nationally acclaimed Urban Shield Full-Scale Exercise. Most recently, she assisted UT institutions during Hurricane Harvey and was responsible for the systemwide response.
Patrice holds an Associate of Arts degree in Mass Communications and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin. She is certified as a Master Continuity Practitioner in Business Continuity and as an Incident Command System Instructor. She also holds the Texas Emergency Manager and Certified Emergency Manager designations. Patrice is an active member of the Emergency Management Association of Texas and has served on the Board of Directors since 2013. She currently chairs the Bylaws Committee and serves on the Membership & Marketing and Symposium Committees.