NOV 5 & 6 2025

GRB Convention Center

Jeanne O'Donnell & Mariela Balam: Speaking at the Disaster Expo Texas

Jeanne O'Donnell & Mariela Balam

Jeanne- Senior Program Manager / Mariela- Emergency Management Coordinator  -  Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management

Linking Prevention and Recovery to Mass Fatality Response Operations

This session will discuss moving from Lessons Learned to Lessons Applied in mass fatality planning. Using recent incidents as a starting point, emergency managers can build resilient plans when they understand how to integrate existing programs and resources into response planning. The opportunities and challenges of engaging with existing prevention and recovery programs and connecting with non-profits that serve our county.

About Jeanne O'Donnell & Mariela Balam

Jeanne O’Donnell is a Sr. Program Manager for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management and is tasked to the Emergency Operations Center during disaster activations. She currently serves as the emergency preparedness liaison to the County’s unincorporated areas and leads efforts on community resilience. She directs operations for County Local Assistance Centers and has led planning projects on mass fatalities, planning for people with disabilities, recovery, volunteer, and donations management. A graduate of FEMA’s Advanced Academy, Ms. O’Donnell has represented the County on numerous State task forces and is a founding member the Southern California Chapter of Women in Homeland Security and served on the Board of Directors for the California Emergency Services Association. Before joining the County, Ms. O’Donnell was a consultant assisting cities, counties, and territories throughout the United States on post-disaster recovery efforts. Ms. O’Donnell is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton.

Mariela Balam serves as an Emergency Management Coordinator for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. She has been in her current positions since 2014. Most recently, Ms. Balam has been leading the development of the long-term mass violence recovery plan for Los Angeles County, bringing together County departments and operational area partners to develop a coordinator and cohesive long term recovery plan and supported the recovery efforts for the Lunar Year MCI in Monterey Park. She has over 20 years’ experience in the public and non-profit service sectors. Ms. Balam has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach, and a Master of Arts degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Leadership and Management from California State University, Northridge