Mark Amann
Senior Subject Matter Expert | Advisor
Years of Experience in
Emergency Preparedness
Agencies Partnered With
Year Joined
SummitET
Why I work at SummitET
I joined SummitET because we’re aligned in terms of mission, people, and culture. I approach the emergency management discipline from a mission-focused perspective. As a former founder of a similar firm, it was obvious that SummitET’s leadership team begins with the mission of our clients and customers in mind. If you begin there, and build a team of mission-focused, customer-service oriented professionals, a culture of quality naturally follows. The end result is quality of products for our clients, quality of experience for each other, and quality of life and purpose for ourselves.
Why my work/research will make a difference in the world
One of the first lessons I learned as a strategic communicator is that during a critical incident, information is as vital as food, water, and shelter. It is a cornerstone of our incident response objectives: saving lives, protecting property, preserving the environment, and ensuring unity of effort. In today’s complex and dynamic information environment, we help our customers navigate challenges to ensure that the right information reaches the right people, at the right time, in the right way. By providing individuals with actionable knowledge, we empower them to safeguard themselves, their families, and their neighbors—transforming them into informed, capable partners in the response effort.
The best advice I’ve ever received
“At the end of the day people won’t remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou’s wisdom applies not only to how we interact with our customers but also to how we lead and collaborate with others. Her words remind us that in our field, often the process is more important than the product. Emergency plans, training, and exercises serve an essential purpose, but the process of developing them forges relationships and strengthens connections that make all the difference during a critical incident response. Customer experiences that transcend the deliverable are more than just good business, they create lasting impacts when it matters most.
Education
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
B.A. Journalism and Technical Communications
Certifications
- ICS 100, 200, 700, 800
- FEMA
- Firefighter 1/EMT-B
Specializations
Critical Incident Response
Strategic Communications Leadership
Emergency Planning & Analysis
About Mark
Mark Amann is an executive emergency management advisor with more than 26 years of experience across all aspects of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery. He brings extensive expertise in homeland security and emergency management policy, incident response leadership, and strategic communications. Mark has served as principal-in-charge for hundreds of preparedness initiatives, supporting a diverse array of local, state, tribal, federal, military, and commercial partners. His broad planning and analysis experience includes leading Emergency Support Function 1 (ESF-1) integration efforts and authoring best practices for the State of California, developing emergency plans for major urban areas nationwide, crafting emergency messaging for earthquake early warning systems across the western United States, and leading COVID-19 after action reviews in support of the governor of a major U.S. state.
Mark is passionate about leveraging best practices to build consensus among diverse stakeholders and crafting solutions that enhance community preparedness and save lives. His high level of customer service and strategic insights have proven invaluable to leaders at all levels, from local elected officials and governors’ staff to military commanders and Fortune 500 executives. Recognized as a pioneer in technology and innovation within emergency management, Mark is a sought-after speaker and panelist at national trainings, conferences, and special events.
During his tenure with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Mark responded to more than 25 presidentially-declared disasters. His leadership included serving as the lead External Affairs Officer for Hurricane Ivan during the 2004 hurricane season and on the Urban Search and Rescue Incident Management Team in New York City following the September 11 attacks.