A.J. Gary was appointed Arkansas Department of Emergency Management director by Gov. Asa Hutchinson in June 2016. In addition to heading ADEM, Gary is also the Homeland Security adviser for Arkansas.
Gary previously was the security and compliance director for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. He spent more than 28 years in Arkansas law enforcement, starting in 1982 with the Conway Police Department. After 20 years of service, Gary retired from the department at the rank of major, Patrol Division commander. He returned to law enforcement in 2007-15 as Conway’s chief of police. In 2002-07, Gary was the chief security administrator for Air Transport International LLC.
Gary has a bachelor’s degree in organizational management and a master’s degree in public administration.
ADEM is a big job, as evidenced by the recent heavy rains and flooding. What in your background prepared you for your role?
Every part of my career has helped prepare me for this job. During more than 28 years of law enforcement I regularly dealt with some type of emergency. I learned to calmly respond and address issues. I have seen the pain and suffering of those impacted by devastating events and understand the importance of providing support. I understand the economic impact that an event can have on a community and business. I learned the importance of managing risks and looking at what we can do today that mitigates those risks in the future, how spending a few dollars now can save thousands later.
I also learned from previous careers that we can’t do it on our own. We need to build relationships early on with all of our local, city, county, state and federal partners so we can respond to events with a coordinated effort. I understand the importance of planning and training so we are prepared for when an event occurs. At ADEM I will ensure that we work with all our partners.
What disasters are most common in Arkansas and what disasters, historically, have caused the greatest losses of life and property in the state?
Many of our weather-related disaster events encompass multiple threats resulting in a combination of damage and loss from flooding, severe storms, tornadoes or a combination of the three. The 2011 flood disaster also included the Vilonia tornado. Significantly high numbers of counties were declared disaster areas. Sixty counties, out of 75, received individual assistance and/or public assistance. There were 28 fatalities, 16 injuries (major and minor), 174 structures destroyed and 844 structures damaged. Between 2006 and 2016 Arkansas experienced 56 state disasters; of those, 44 were related to flooding.
How is ADEM responding to what appears to be an increase in extreme weather events, whatever the cause?
Both the cost and impact of weather-related disasters are increasing. ADEM responds to this by working with our county officials, volunteer organizations and state partners, making sure that we all have the training and experience, through disaster events and exercises, to handle disasters. We will continue to work with our partners on mitigation projects that lessen the impact from disasters.
What keeps you awake at night?
It’s not the things I know that keep me up. It’s those things that I don’t know about that concern me the most. What are we missing? What is the next threat? What is our next 9/11 event?
What can the average business owner of this state do to prepare for the most common disasters?
Practice risk management. Identify risks to their businesses and develop a disaster response plan. Practice how they will respond to an event, like an active shooter. Designate sheltering areas, monitor weather and take appropriate action during severe weather. Ensure they develop a continuity of operations plan. Plans should include cybersecurity and system backups.
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