Big Blue Public Health Illumination Seminar Series Summer Safety & Emergency Preparedness

Hollie Hagan is a public health major at the University of Kentucky with hands-on experience across multiple areas of public health. She currently serves as a senator in the University of Kentucky Student Government Association representing the College of Public Health, where she advocates for student needs and public health initiatives. Hollie is also a member of the Lewis Honors College. Through her academic and leadership experiences, including work with a local health department and in other community settings, she is passionate about improving health at the community level.

Robert McCool is a program coordinator at the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center (KIPRC) in the UK College of Public Health. During his 30 years at KIPRC he has served as the principal investigator for numerous funded projects and as a project manager, program coordinator, injury prevention specialist, training developer and instructor, and program evaluator. Robert has worked in a wide variety of prevention areas but his specialties include traffic safety, residential fire prevention, emergency preparedness, and training development. When he is not working for KIPRC, Robert serves as a part-time police officer and police instructor. He is also a certified firefighter and emergency medical technician as well as a state-approved search and rescue instructor. Robert is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University (BS, '88; MS, '94). He has also completed doctoral coursework at UK and is recognized by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a Master Trainer.

As the Public Health Director for the Pike County Health Department, Tammy Riley serves as a varied community health advocate and skilled allied health education professional experienced in developing hospital and agency partnerships. With a strong public relations background, Riley promotes community health across private, public, and governmental sectors, providing a variety of public health services to the community served by the department as appointing authority. Riley performs a variety of tasks which include planning and financial management, as well as assessing and analyzing the health status of the county. She has a close working relationship with state agencies which provide technical assistance and support, incorporating Core Public Health Functions and essential public health services into the practice of the agency. Riley oversaw the public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the historic eastern Kentucky flood in 2022 (requesting the implementation of a CASPER, the CDC’s rapid needs assessment), and a recent suicide cluster in Pike County.

Currently, Riley is on the Board of Directors of the Unite Pike Coalition, Big Sandy Diabetes Coalition, the Pike County Domestic Violence Coalition, and American National University.  Riley serves on the Kentucky Health Departments Association’s (KHDA) Executive Committee as the President. Riley is also a participant in the Kentucky Department of Public Health’s Local World Changer Project. Riley received the 2022 KHDA Trailbrazer Award for her leadership and innovation in public health service.

In 2021, Riley received community recognition as Citizen of the Year from the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. Riley also received the Baird Family Service Award from the University of Pikeville and delivered the convocation address for the Fall 2021 opening ceremony. Riley was the recipient of the Extra Mile Day from the City of Pikeville, has served as President of the Kiwanis Club and was selected Kiwanian of the year in 2013. Riley also served on the Board of Directors for the Appalachian Scholars House, the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, and the local YMCA.

A native of Pike County, Riley is a 1992 graduate of the University of Pikeville (then Pikeville College). She earned her Master of Arts degree in Adult and Higher Education from Morehead State University and worked in medical sales for over ten years before becoming the campus director and senior administrator for the Pikeville and Bristol campuses of American National University. She received the Distinguished Service Award in 2010, was selected as Campus Director of the Year in 2013, and oversaw the launch of the Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, and Associate’s Degree in Nursing programs.

Joshua Horton joined GCHD in December 2019. He has over ten years of experience in leadership and has worked to grow all the programs here at the health department. Joshua is originally from Hardinsburg, Kentucky. Before joining GCHD, he was the Safety, Compliance, and Emergency Management Coordinator at Breckinridge Health, Inc.

Joshua is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Western Governors University, Western Kentucky University, and Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. He earned a Master's in Safety, Security, Emergency Management, Master’s in Business Administration, Bachelor's of Science in Education, and an Associate of Arts.

Marlaina Meier serves as the HR/Finance Director and Preparedness Coordinator for the Grayson County Health Department, where she has worked for 20 years. She holds associate degrees in Arts, Business Administration, Human Resources, and Accounting.

Throughout her career, Marlaina has contributed to numerous initiatives, with three projects standing out as those she is most proud of: collaborating with the local Board of Health and county emergency management to secure 50% of the funding for a community emergency preparedness trailer; writing a state grant to purchase fire extinguishers and smoke/CO₂ detectors for distribution at community events; and helping plan and coordinate a countywide active shooter drill involving law enforcement, EMS, and the local hospital. Marlaina is especially passionate about educating the community to be proactive, rather than reactive, when preparing for disasters and emergencies.