Michael Sharon

Michael Sharon is an accomplished emergency manager with over 32 years of experience in a wide variety of state and Federal organizations. He was Chief of Emergency Programs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Homeland Security, leading USDA’s worldwide Operations Center and developing interagency homeland security policy. Mike was also USDA’s primary advisor to the FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Strategic Group.

Mike enjoyed a 13-year career with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he was Deputy Superintendent of FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute. He also served as a preparedness division director and planning branch chief in FEMA Region III. Mike led disaster operations as Chief of the National Response Coordination Center’s Gold Team, was a FEMA liaison to the U.S. Secret Service during special events, and Incident Management Assistance Team leader. Mike entered Federal service with the U.S. Department of State, where he developed all-hazards emergency management and continuity plans.

Mike’s emergency management career started in Maryland, where he was the state’s exercise officer before becoming the Maryland Emergency Management Agency’s Assistant Director for Operations. He subsequently led the Maryland Department of the Environment’s Emergency Response Division, providing statewide hazardous materials response and radiological emergency readiness.

Mike is earned graduate degrees from the U.S. Army War College, the University of Baltimore, and Norwich University, and an undergraduate degree from LaSalle University. He is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and completed a combined 28 years of service as a Military Police officer in the active Army, National Guard, and Army Reserve—including over 6 years as an Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer. He is Certified Emergency Manager® and a Pennsylvania emergency management Practitioner Professional.

Mike supports the American Red Cross of Central Pennsylvania as a Government Operations liaison and Disaster Action Team member and is a member of the South Central PA Task Force Incident Management Team.