About the Department of Emergency Management
Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM) is the department of State government with primary responsibility and authority for emergency preparedness policy, and for coordinating hazard mitigation, incident response, and disaster recovery.
MDEM is a national leader in Emergency Management that provides Maryland residents, organizations, and emergency management partners with expert information, programmatic activities, and leadership in the delivery of financial, technical, and physical resources “to shape a resilient Maryland where communities thrive.” We do this by being Maryland's designated source of official risk reduction and consequence management information.
As Secretary of MDEM, Mr. Strickland directs a department that has the primary responsibility and authority for emergency preparedness policy, and for coordinating hazard mitigation, incident response, and disaster recovery for the State of Maryland. This includes serving as a direct advisor to the Governor during disasters and coordinating support for local governments as requested.
Mr. Strickland is an experienced emergency management professional who has more than 40 years of experience in his field, including as a Senior Law & Policy Analyst at the University of Maryland Center for Health and Homeland Security (CHHS), and leading a cabinet-level emergency services department at the local level as the Director of Emergency Services in Harford County, Md.
His executive responsibilities have also included previously serving the State of Maryland as Deputy Director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the Assistant Director of the Field Programs Division at the Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, University of Maryland, College Park.
Mr. Strickland has a Master of Science degree in Management from Frostburg State College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from the University of Maryland, College Park.