This is a great job:
Deputy Director, Seattle Office of Emergency Management.
Sometimes people say, “That job is too political for me.” To which I say, “If it is too hot in the kitchen, don’t turn on the stove.”
All big-city emergency management positions are very political, as is this one. Even as the deputy, you don’t know what might happen when the director is gone or retires and you are in charge.
You need to go into this job understanding the politics of the city. Know this: If disasters go sideways, the leadership at OEM will be the ones in the spotlight. It is the name of the game. With big pay comes big responsibilities!
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.
