Episodes
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Cal OES Legal Chief Alex Pal Sets High Bar to Ensure a Resilient California
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
Tuesday Dec 24, 2019
In this episode, Cal OES Chief Counsel Alex Pal sits down with Shawn Boyd at headquarters to talk about the role he and his office played during a few recent California emergencies, and the importance legal affairs plays as a whole. Alex was appointed to this position by Governor Brown in 2018 and was reappointed by Governor Newsom in 2019. Prior to serving as Chief Counsel, Alex served in various attorney positions at Cal OES since 2013, including Assistant Chief Counsel and Senior Counsel. Alex has provided legal counsel to Cal OES on many disasters that have struck California, including 11 federally-declared Major Disaster Declaration events and nearly 100 state-only events for which the Governor proclaimed a State of Emergency. Alex earned his Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego and his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Links
Cal OES Legal Affairs
California Emergency Services Act
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Tribal Affairs Before, During and After Disasters with Denise Shemenski
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Friday Dec 13, 2019
Denise Shemenski is the tribal advisor for Cal OES. The purpose of the Office of Tribal Coordination is to improve and maintain communication and collaboration between California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and all Native American Tribes in California. This office aims to create effective collaboration and informed decision-making where all parties share a goal of reaching a decision together. Our office priorities are to educate internal and external partners to become informed about the cultural settings of California Native Americans, their emergency management and homeland security issues and cultural sensitivities, for the purpose of improving Cal OES’s understanding of all Native American Tribes in California.
On September 19, 2011, the Governor issued Executive Order B-10-11, to implement effective government to government consultation with California Indian Tribes on policies that affect tribal communities. In May 2015, Cal OES released the Cal OES Tribal Consultation Policy.
Be sure to watch the video here of the tribe in Corning (referenced in this podcast) that donated a large portion of its casino camp ground to evacuees displaced by the Camp Fire.
Links
Cal OES Tribal Coordination
Tribal Historic Preservation Officers Program (THPOs)
California Native American Heritage Commission
Rolling Hills Casino Home to New Trailers for Camp Fire Survivors