Jonathan Lord, Flagler County’s Emergency Management Director, is extending his influence over the state’s disaster-preparedness apparatus for another year. Last week, during the Florida Emergency Preparedness Association’s (FEPA) annual conference, Lord was reelected and sworn in for a second term as the organization’s president.
The appointment keeps a Flagler official at the head of a professional body that has governed the standards of the field since 1956. County Administrator Heidi Petito framed the reelection as a local asset. “This is such a well-deserved recognition of your leadership and the incredible work you’ve done to strengthen emergency management across Florida,” Petito said. “Thank you for your dedication and guidance, it has made a real difference, not just at the state level, but right here in Flagler County.” (Petito’s quote contains a comma splice between “guidance” and “it,” a common quirk of local government correspondence.)
Lord’s trajectory within the association has been a long-game effort. He served a decade as a FEPA board member, spending nine of those years as treasurer. After a two-year hiatus from the board, he returned to the executive track to win his first term as president in 2025.
In his own remarks, Lord shifted the focus to the collaborative nature of the office. “It is an honor and privilege to serve the residents of Flagler County. It is also an honor to serve my peers statewide as we collectively tackle ways to better prepare our communities for disasters,” Lord said. “FEPA provides great collaboration with emergency managers from both public and private sectors throughout the state to share best practices and evolve the emergency management profession.”
His standing in the field was previously codified in 2022 when he received the Gary Arnold Award for service to the state’s emergency management community. That involvement extends beyond the presidency; Lord currently sits as one of two emergency management representatives on Florida’s Domestic Security Oversight Council. His resume also includes a six-year stint as Chair of the FEPA County Emergency Management Directors Working Group, which he led from its inception in 2018 until last year, alongside various technology-focused state working groups.
For those tracking the county’s emergency postures, the department maintains its digital presence on Instagram, Facebook, and X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) under the @FlaglerEOC handle.
Roy Longo says
I have to admit I didn’t think too highly of Lord when he started, especially coming in on the heels of Kevin Guthrie. Took him for too young, too inexperienced for the position. I’ll now admit he’s a little better than I thought.(kidding!) Good job Lord