July 24th, 2015 by WCBC Radio

Governor Larry Hogan today announced that Russell J. Strickland, former director of the Harford County Department of Emergency Services, has been appointed the new executive director of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). Mr. Strickland has over four decades of experience in the fields of emergency services and management, first responder activities, law enforcement, and fire inspection and investigation. Strickland will replace Executive Director Clay Stamp, who was appointed by the governor on Jan. 15, 2015. Stamp will assume a new role as senior adviser to the governor for emergency management, and will also chair the Governor's Emergency Management Advisory Council (GEMAC), a group of professionals and academics in the emergency management and homeland security fields who advise the governor on all emergency-management matters. Stamp will lead the Council and help develop updated emergency management strategy and planning for Maryland.