[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 34 (Monday, February 27, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E238]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN RECOGNITION OF JUAN ORTIZ' PUBLIC SERVICE

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, February 27, 2017

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Juan Ortiz, who is 
leaving the City of Fort Worth after 18 years of service to assume a 
new position with the City of Austin. After graduating from the 
University of North Texas with a degree in Emergency Administration and 
Disaster Planning, he began his career as a Fort Worth Emergency 
Management Officer. After four years, he was hired as Emergency 
Management Coordinator with the City of Corpus Christi. Ortiz returned 
to Fort Worth in 2003 as Emergency Management Coordinator where he 
coordinates and supervises emergency management and homeland security 
operations during natural or man-made emergencies and disasters. One of 
his primary duties is overseeing a joint city and county Emergency 
Operations Center (EOC). He coordinated EOC operations in response to 
multiple natural disasters and large scale public events including 
Huricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, 2011's record setting winter storm 
and Super Bowl XLV. In addition to EOC operations, Mr. Ortiz 
coordinated all of the City of Fort Worth's operations in response to 
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.
   In his position, Mr. Ortiz has demonstrated a level of 
professionalism and expertise in emergency management that he has 
graciously shared with colleagues across the State of Texas and 
nationally. In 2001, he was recognized by the University of North Texas 
as a distinguished alumni for his contributions to the emergency 
management profession. Mr. Ortiz also faithfully served his country for 
28 years in the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves, retiring in 2015 as a Chief 
Petty Officer.
   Mr. Ortiz has served on several committees and advisory groups 
including the National Academy of Science Earth and Life Studies 
Disaster Roundtable, National Research Council's Committee on Disaster 
Research in the Social Sciences, Center for Biosecurity of UPMC Nuclear 
Resilience Expert Advisory Group, the North Central Texas Council of 
Government Regional Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee, the 
Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Urban Area Security Initiative, Texas 
Coastal Advisory Team, and as Co-Chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth 
Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere Radar Test Bed. He 
served as Chair of the Tarrant County Local Emergency Planning 
Committee for the last 6 years. He currently serves as a member of the 
State of Texas Emergency Management Performance Grant Steering 
Committee and as chair of the State of Texas Evacuation Transportation 
Network Working Group.
   I would like to express my appreciation to Juan Ortiz for his many 
years of exemplary public service and extend best wishes as he begins a 
new chapter in his profession.

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