Andrew Marinik
Andrew Marinik is the new executive director for emergency management at Virginia Tech, effective July 10.
Marinik joined Virginia Tech 17 years ago, first working with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute for six years before serving as the emergency planner and subsequently the assistant director within Emergency Management.
He is responsible for university emergency plans, leading the university’s Incident Management Team, presentations on emergency preparedness, managing the VT Alerts program, and supporting the public safety mission for both events and incidents.
“I’m really excited about our future. I’m excited about where the potential to go is, the collaborative opportunities working with the community, and continuing the excellence that we have had so far,” said Marinik. He wants to continue to highlight that the Virginia Tech Emergency Management program is a service-oriented organization focused on safety and preparedness.
Marinik holds a master’s degree from Virginia Tech in industrial and systems engineering as well as two bachelor’s degrees — one in fire science and the other in chemistry from Lake Superior State University. He is a certified emergency manager and graduate of Harvard’s Leadership in Crisis program. Marinik has served as a volunteer firefighter for the Town of Blacksburg for the past 18 years. He is a special member with the Virginia Tech Rescue Squad, serving as an emergency medical technician.
Reporting to the interim associate vice president for public safety, Marinik is responsible for building, implementing, and sustaining programs, policies, and procedures for individual preparedness, departmental readiness, and university resiliency at Virginia Tech. He oversees a comprehensive emergency management program designed to educate, inform, and motivate campus constituents to “Be Hokie Ready.” He also provides guidance and facilitates integration of emergency management programs into existing campus organizations and activities, designs programs that maximize efficiency and effectiveness, and emphasizes outstanding customer service.
“Andrew, has worked tirelessly over the years, contributing to the continual improvement of the Virginia Tech Emergency Management program. In his new leadership position, as executive director, he will set the course, guiding the program forward to meet the needs of the university and preparing for any new challenges,” said Michael Mulhare, interim associate vice president for public safety.
Emergency Management takes an all-hazards approach to continuously further the capability of the community to plan for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from an incident or emergency. The program has an integral role in the coordination and planning of university response, recovery, and resumption of operations. Its programs align with industry standards and best practices and undergo a continual process of improvement.
The Virginia Tech Public Safety Division, comprised of Emergency Management, the Virginia Tech Police Department, and Environmental Health and Safety, has a critical role in supporting the well-being of the Virginia Tech community. The Emergency Management program is essential in planning for and responding to emergency incidents, and in creating a culture of preparedness where employees and students are safe and prepared in their work and living environments.
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