UW’s Division of Campus Community Safety, which includes SafeCampus, the University of Washington Police Department and UW Emergency Management, is excited to welcome Kelley Biastock as the new Director of UW Emergency Management.
Kelley is responsible for working with the greater University communities to plan and prepare for crises, disasters and major emergency incidents, particularly those that affect the Seattle campus, while supporting emergency preparedness and response work at UW Bothell and UW Tacoma, as well as other university locations. She joins Barry Morgan, UW’s Plans, Training & Exercises Manager, who has been filling the director role on an interim basis. Huge thanks to Barry for his hard work over the past nine months.
Together with internal and external partners, UW Emergency Management offers planning and training support to schools and units; identifies threats and hazards; develops mitigation and solutions to threats and hazards; supports effective response efforts and promotes prevention actions — all with the goal of shortening the impact and length of time involved in recovery efforts.
Kelley has more than 15 years of emergency management experience and comes to UW from Anchorage, Alaska. Most recently, she supported the CDC Foundation on the Therapeutics Task Force, working with the State of Alaska Department of Health in ensuring equitable distribution of COVID-19 therapeutics across the vast geography. Prior to that, she served as the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health. In this role, Kelley managed the public health and emergency preparedness program as well as helped lead the city’s response to the COVID-19 emergency.
Most notably, Kelley worked for the American Red Cross of Alaska. She managed the statewide disaster program as the Regional Disaster Officer. Her many years of contribution in the public and non-profit sectors along with the emergency management expertise and ability to partner well with multiple agencies will serve UW well.
In her spare time, Kelley loves to travel, read and be in the great outdoors hiking, gardening and taking strolls with her husband and their dog, Potter. She is the proud mama to a creative and loving 16-year-old, and a strong willed and compassionate 3-year-old. Kelley and her family look forward to continuing to have new adventures in the Pacific Northwest.