Wisconsin Collegiate Conference on Emergency Management

Carrie Meier
Assistant Director, Dane County Emergency Management

Assistant Director Carrie Meier started her career in Physical Therapy and volunteering in EMS.   Soon she found her passion for Emergency Medical Services and started in the role of EMS Specialist in 2005 for Dane County Emergency Management. In that time she has received her Wisconsin Emergency Management Certification and has moved into the role of Assistant Director.

Meier is known for her ability to bring partners to the table and solve problems, improve systems and develop new programs. She is a CPR Instructor Trainer through AHA, Stop the Bleed Instructor, Emergency Vehicle Operations Instructor and ASIM trainer.   She has worked closely with the public safety partners to develop the Active Threat Coordinated Incident Guidance Document.  She is also a member of the Dane County Incident Management Team.

Kurt Koltenberg
Warning Coordination Meteorologist, National Weather Service

Kurt Kotenberg is the Warning Coordination Meteorologist of the National Weather Service
(NWS) located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Prior to arriving in Wisconsin, Kurt worked as a forecaster
at the NWS offices in Des Moines, Iowa, and Midland, Texas.

Before joining the NWS, Kurt was an (on-air) broadcast Meteorologist for four years at
WEAU-TV in Eau Claire. Kurt earned both his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science
Degrees in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. While in
Graduate School, Kurt served as a Teaching Assistant for two years.

To further continue his professional/personal growth, Kurt earned his Master of Business
Administration degree from Iowa State University in 2015, while working full-time at NWS Des Moines.

The mission of the NWS is to provide weather warnings and impact-based decision-support services to help protect lives and property, and Kurt is looking forward to carrying out this mission for decades to come in order to help keep Wisconsinites
safe.

Tyler Esh
Emergency Manager, Eau Claire County Emergency Management

Tyler Esh is the Emergency Manager for Eau Claire County Wisconsin. In the more than seven years that Tyler has been with Eau Claire County, he has dealt with record snow, several tornadoes, floods, and worked as the EOC Manager to help guide the county through the COVID-19 response.

Tyler is a Certified Emergency Manager through IAEM, in addition to being certified as a Wisconsin Certified EM-Professional. Tyler currently serves as the President of the Wisconsin Emergency Management Association and as the Training Officer for the Northern Wisconsin Incident Management Team.

Matt Olson
Director, UW-Madison Conferences & Events

Matt Olson is the Director of UW Conferences & Events at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and serves on the Wisconsin Union Leadership Team.  In this role he oversees Event Management and Planning, Conference Services, and Event Support Services.  He also chairs the Campus Events Team, is a member of the Security Review Team and Protest Support Team, all key parts of the UW-Madison review process for high-profile events.  Matt holds a Collegiate Conference and Events Professional certification (CCEP) and is a member of multiple industry associations.  He’s presented at numerous national and regional conferences in addition to writing articles for trade publications.

Jason Whitney
Captain, UW-Madison Police Department

Jason Whitney has been with UWPD since 1998. Before working at UWPD, Whitney spent four years in the United States Marine Corps Anit-Terrorism Team.  Whitney has a bachelor’s degree in Management of Criminal Justice, graduated from Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff and Command, and is a graduate of Boston Colleges/PERFs Senior Management Institute of Policing.

Whitney started the department’s K9 unit with police K9 Mosely and expanded the unit to the 3 K9s you see today.

Whitney has served in the role of security officer, police officer, sergeant, lieutenant and most recently captain for the last 10 years.  Whitney has been a State of Wisconsin certified police instructor for over 15 years and teaches at the Police Academy held at Madison College.

Whitney currently oversees the Professional Standards and Planning division which encompasses Emergency Management, Access Control, Video and Infrastructure Security, along with our Professional Standards and Records Management teams.

Jennifer Behnke
Coalition Coordinator, South Central Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition

Jennifer Behnke has served as the Coordinator for South Central Wisconsin Healthcare Emergency Readiness Coalition since July, 2016.  Her areas of interest include mass casualty incident preparedness and response, healthcare system surge capacity, electronic patient tracking, and emergency readiness for at-risk populations.  She led the development of SCWIHERC’s Regional Medical Coordination plan, which provides coordination assistance to Incident Command during low-notice medical surge incidents to minimize the potential for overwhelming healthcare facilities near the incident.

Aurielle Smith
Director of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Public Health Madison and Dane County

Aurielle Smith is an accomplished Public Health practitioner who specializes in Violence, Injury Prevention, and Public Health Emergency Response and Preparedness. Aurielle works to provide a safe and healthy community for Madison and Dane County residents to thrive.

Currently, Aurielle serves as the Director of Policy, Planning and Evaluation for Public Health Madison and Dane County. In this Deputy Director position, she provides leadership, guidance, and subject matter expertise to managers and staff in this division that work in epidemiology and data analysis, policy development and analysis, evaluation, health assessment and improvement, substance use prevention, tobacco prevention and control, violence prevention, and other social determinants of health.

Prior to her current role, Aurielle served as the Violence, Injury Prevention, Systems Integration, Adolescent Health and Overdose Prevention Unit Supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Health Service.

Natisha Foster
Emergency Manager, Michigan State University

Natisha Foster has been working at Michigan State University since 2007.  She spent 15 years working in Student Life and Engagement, in positions in Culinary Services, Residence Life, Facilities and Residence Education and Housing Services Central Administration.  Since 2014, Natisha has been personally and professionally involved in emergency management.  

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Natisha continued her emergency management involvement serving as a lead in planning and implementation COVID-19 policies and procedures, including quarantine and isolation housing for on-campus residents. 

Natisha transitioned to the MSU Department of Police and Public Safety as their Emergency Manager in June 2023.

Marc Lovicott
Exec. Director of Communications, UW-Madison Police Department

Marc Lovicott is a Wisconsin native, born in Madison and raised in DeForest. He’s a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with degrees in Broadcast Journalism and Advertising.

Marc started at the UW-Madison Police Department in April 2013 as a non-sworn Communications Specialist. He was promoted to Communications Director for the department in 2016 and then was promoted to Executive Director of Communications in 2022.

Marc serves as the primary spokesperson for UWPD and handles all media requests, social media, branding, marketing, crisis communications, and all other external-facing communications for the department. Using traditional media, social media, and other creative means, Marc is always looking for new ways to stay connected with the campus community while conveying a positive, approachable image for the department.

Prior to his role at UWPD, Marc was an award-winning television journalist in Madison for 12 years — covering everything from crime, to presidential visits, and the Badgers and Packers.

Elise Schaffer
Public Information Officer, Dane County Sheriff’s Office

With over 20 years of experience in public communications for the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Elise Schaffer has established a distinguished career as a Public Information Officer (PIO). Elise specializes in crisis communication, media relations, social media management, and community outreach.

As the first PIO for the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Elise has been instrumental in developing and executing communications strategies that enhance public understanding and trust. She has successfully managed high-stakes situations, ensuring timely and accurate dissemination of information during emergencies and crises.

Elise holds a B.S. in Psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato and is a member of the National Information Officers Association as well as the Greater Madison Public Information Officers. Elise is committed to fostering transparent and effective communication between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Cynthia Schuster
Public Information Officer, Madison Fire Department

Cynthia Schuster has served as the Madison Fire Department’s Public Information Officer since May 2015. Prior to the MFD, Cynthia was a producer, talk show host, and announcer at Wisconsin Public Radio. With a dual passion for public safety and community service, she enjoys keeping the community informed while fostering appreciation for all the Madison Fire Department does in service to the city.

Cynthia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Arts (Radio/TV/Film) and a certificate (minor) in Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition to her duties as Public Information Officer, Cynthia also coordinates the MFD Occupant Services Unit, which provides assistance to people affected by fire or other disasters.

Stephanie Fryer
Public Information Officer, City of Madison Police Department

Since childhood, Stephanie knew she wanted to be a journalist. For 15 years, she served the communities she lived in through reporting.

In 2021, she combined her passion for communication with community service and joined the Madison Police Department as its Public Information Officer.

Stephanie has been influential in helping the department increase its communication efforts online, especially during moments of crisis. She is a strong social media storyteller and understands the need to meet people on the platforms where they seek their information.

In addition to serving as PIO, Stephanie also directly supports the department’s Community Outreach and Resource Education unit, MPD Pride, Amigos en Azul, and the Black Officer Coalition.

Stephanie holds a B.S. in Journalism from Southern Illinois University. She also attended the Public Affairs Reporting graduate program at the University of Illinois-Springfield.