EMAT Board of Directors Spotlight
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.