New NEMO Coordinator on Disaster Management Plans
Daniel Mendez
It’s been three weeks since Retired Captain Daniel Mendez took up office as the National Emergency Coordinator at NEMO, replacing Retired Colonel Shelton DeFour who had held the post for almost two decades. Mendez, who is the husband of Governor General Dame Froyla T’zalam, says that he has been in the background of disaster management and that he plans to build on the foundation set by his predecessors.
(Ret’d) Captain Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator
“It has been challenging, it’s been a steep learning curve – to use that cliché. What I am trying to envision, what I really would want NEMO to be able to do in the future is to be in a better position to be able to face the new challenges that we will be facing, we know for sure. Climate change is the reality; we know that higher sea levels will mean higher storm surges increased flooding. We are currently seeing the effects of El Niño and the possibility that it may cause some sort of event that we need to consider. So I would like to see NEMO in a better leadership position to be able to look at all of these risks and really address them and to work in a more comprehensive manner across the whole country. Comprehensive disaster management means working with businesses, communities, individuals, organizations and government – basically anyone who has an interest and that really should be everyone because we are all affected by it.”
Duane Moody
“Was it a tough decision to make?”
(Ret’d) Captain Daniel Mendez
“It was not really. I have been really studying this, I’ve been working in the background in disaster management, but stepping into the leadership position is like anyone in a leadership position would tell you, comes with its own challenges and rewards as well.”
Duane Moody
“You know there are some people who would say you have some big shoes to fill. How do you respond to that?”
(Ret’d) Captain Daniel Mendez
“That is true. All my predecessors have been doing an excellent job so we have created a very good system and really what we need to do now is to really enhance what has been built and really make it better in order for us to meet the future challenges of climate change.”
