HANOVER, MD (August 1, 2024) — Sara Bender, Director of Disaster Risk Reduction of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM), has successfully completed the prestigious Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS).

“We are incredibly proud of Sara Bender’s accomplishment in completing the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security,” said Russ Strickland, MDEM’s Secretary. “Her dedication and hard work exemplify the balance we strive for at MDEM between our immediate responsibilities and ongoing professional development. Despite the significant demands of recent community recovery efforts, Sara managed to excel in this rigorous program. Her achievement reinforces our commitment to developing our talent, ensuring we are always prepared to serve and protect the people of Maryland with the highest level of expertise and resilience.”

In her role at MDEM, Ms. Bender oversees critical areas, such as Disaster Recovery, Hazard Mitigation, Risk Analysis, Communications, and Whole Community Integration. With over six years of dedicated service to MDEM, Ms. Bender’s expertise and leadership have significantly contributed to enhancing Maryland’s resilience and preparedness.

Throughout the hybrid Executive Leaders Program, she collaborated with Homeland Security officials across the nation to address current policy, strategy, and organizational design challenges. This program, offered by CHDS, brings together a diverse group of professionals from emergency management, education, law enforcement, fire service, homeland security, public health, and local government, providing a comprehensive view of the homeland security landscape.

The Naval Postgraduate School’s CHDS is renowned as the nation’s leading Homeland Security educator. The program fosters critical thinking, leadership, and policy development skills among its participants. CHDS is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) National Preparedness Directorate within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Chas Eby, MDEM’s Deputy Secretary, is also a graduate of the CHDS master’s degree program.

Ms. Bender stated: “Participating in the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School has been incredibly valuable, and I plan to use the insights and connections gained to enhance our efforts at MDEM to build a safer and more resilient Maryland. I’m excited to put this knowledge to use and work together with Maryland’s communities and partners to reduce disaster risks and handle any challenges in the homeland security and emergency management space that come our way.”

ABOUT NPS: The mission of the Naval Postgraduate School is to provide unique advanced education and research programs in order to increase the combat effectiveness of the U.S. and Allied armed forces as well as enhance the security of the United States. For information, visit www.nps.edu.

About MDEM: MDEM is a national leader in emergency management that provides Maryland residents, organizations, and emergency management partners with expert information, programmatic activities, and leadership in the delivery of financial, technical, and physical resources “to shape a resilient Maryland where communities thrive.” We do this by being Maryland’s designated source of official risk reduction and consequence management information.