by wscai-admin | Sep 23, 2021
Sophia Lopez has been surviving disasters her whole life. Now, she gets to educate others on how to do just that. Having personally experienced and survived tornadoes in Texas, hurricanes in Georgia and Louisiana, snowstorms in Eastern WA, and earthquakes in Hawaii, Sophia was a preparedness expert long before discovering she could major in it, let alone dedicate her life to it. She received a Master’s in Homeland Security Studies from Tulane University; is a Certified Emergency Manager with over eight years of practical experience in Emergency Management; and has over 20 years of experience in customer service. She has served on multiple deployments and activations, including supporting the USDA with the Avian Influenza outbreak in 2015 (HPAI) as the Documentation Lead and serving as the Logistics Section Chief for the King County COVID-19 response in 2020. She has worked in Emergency Management as a volunteer, student, and in private and public industry. Sophia currently works as a Program Manager with King County Emergency Management where she manages public education and outreach for disaster preparedness and business continuity.
by wscai-admin | Sep 23, 2021
Daniel Arauz has been with King County since October of 2019. He is responsible for leading the Dam Safety Program, co-leading the division’s Equity & Social Justice Change Team, as well as currently serving as the lead for the Trusted Partner Network project, which aims to deliver emergency alerts to non-English speaking populations. Daniel has worked in the Emergency Management field for 2 years. A Cornell University graduate, Daniel moved to Seattle to work with King County Emergency Management in 2019, and assisted the Public Outreach, Dam Safety, and Inclusive Emergency Communications Plan programs prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Daniel contributed to the COVID response as Food Access Branch Director. In late 2020, the Inclusive Emergency Communications Plan and Trusted Partner Network efforts were restarted, with Daniel leading the Trusted Partner Network team. He led these efforts until July 2021, when he shifted his focus to the Dam Safety Program. He is currently the acting lead for the TPN program. In his work in Emergency Management, equity has always been a leading principle. The King County Regional Trusted Partner Network can only be understood when seen through an equity lens, as it aims to directly address communication inequities that non-English speaking residents and historically underserved communities face during disasters. Daniel believes that this work will lead to more equitable outcomes from disasters. Whenever he’s not delving into his work, he enjoys practicing photography, playing ultimate frisbee and disc golf, and exploring the stunning Washington nature. In college, Daniel captained his school’s ultimate frisbee team and continues to play to this day. Photography is a more recent hobby, but he has found that it pairs really well with his love of the outdoors.
