Bishop honored by state as Emergency Management Professional of the Year

By Dean Rhodes

Publications coordinator

Tribal Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brandy Bishop received the Oregon Department of Emergency Management’s Professional of the Year award on Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the department’s conference held in Gleneden Beach at the Salishan Coastal Lodge.

“Brandy was selected in recognition of her outstanding, dedicated and professional service while fostering the advancement of the Emergency Management profession in Grand Ronde and across the state,” said Public Affairs Officer Chris Crabb. “She was nominated for the impressive emergency management program of the Grand Ronde Tribe built under her leadership.”

Crabb cited the July 12 full-scale wildland fire exercise organized by Bishop that brought together organizations from the local community and state to practice evacuations, mass shelter and feeding operations, and overall fire preparedness.

Crabb said Bishop is also one of two Tribal representatives to serve on the department’s State Homeland Security Grant Review Committee.

“I’m very proud of her as she continues to take on more responsibility in the field of Emergency Management,” Tribal Emergency Services Chief Steve Warden said.

Bishop, 41, took over as the Tribe’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinator after Jamie Baxter resigned the position in March 2017. In addition, she continues to be a mother – she has four children between the ages of 10 and 18 – and a college student.

“I was shocked and honored,” Bishop said. “I had no idea that some of my colleagues at the state level actually recommended me or nominated me for the award. … I was very humbled and appreciative of the fact that outside of the Tribe I’m seen as a part of the Emergency Management world now.”

Bishop said she is still enjoying the job as she was preparing to head to Texas for another emergency management training.

“I love my job,” she added. “I’m still growing into the position. I think it’s an ever-growing thing, but, yes, I have come a long way in the last seven years, getting my Master Exercise Practitioner certificate so that I can perform and create exercises that will help to better us. I’ve gone through the basic academy for Emergency Management as well as the advanced academy, concluded all of those which has helped me immensely in the day-to-day of what emergency managers do.”