About PEMA

Leadership

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is led by Director Randy Padfield, with deputy directors overseeing program areas. Meet our executive and senior staff.

First Lady Lori Shapiro laughs while sitting at a table full of PEMA leadership.

Director & Executive Deputy Director

Randy Padfield Headshot

Director David 'Randy' Padfield

Randy Padfield has more than 35 years of progressive leadership experience in public safety spanning various roles in the disciplines of fire/rescue services, special operations, Emergency Medical Services, and emergency management. He previously served as the deputy director for Response Operations at PEMA, before being appointed to director of the agency in 2019. 

Prior to his tenure at PEMA, he was director of the Senator John J. Shumaker Public Safety Training Center at Harrisburg Area Community College, where he oversaw the development and delivery of training programs for fire, EMS, law enforcement and industry personnel.  

He previously worked as a Critical Care Flight Paramedic, has served on a regional Incident Management Team and the state's All-Hazards Incident Management Team, and is a contract instructor for the Emergency Management Institute and the National Fire Academy at the National Emergency Training Center, where he teaches courses in special operations management and incident command/management.

Padfield is an original member of Pennsylvania Task Force 1 Urban Search and Rescue Team, where he serves as a Task Force Leader and member of the National Urban Search and Rescue Incident Support Team that responds to large, complex disasters.

He has responded to multiple local, regional, state, and national disasters and emergencies in various capacities throughout his career, including the scene of the World Trade Center attack on September 11, 2001, hurricanes and floods, and most recently the Champlain Towers South condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, in 2021, and Hurricane Ian in 2022. 

He is a native of Saint Clair, Schuylkill County, and lives in Cumberland County with his wife and their two children.

Jeffrey Boyle Headshot

Executive Deputy Director Jeffrey Boyle

Jeffrey Boyle was appointed Executive Deputy Director of PEMA after extensive experience and success leading the agency’s 911 program. Boyle was responsible for the strategic planning, policy development, and management of a comprehensive, statewide 911 program. 

Partnering with the commonwealth's 911 community, Boyle made significant contributions that have allowed PEMA to meet the legislative requirements of Act 12 of 2015, and to facilitate the commonwealth's transition to Next Generation 911.

Under Boyle's leadership, the 911 office distributed more than $1 billion in support of county 911 operations. He helped implement many reforms to streamline business processes and improve oversight of 911 funding.

A new grant program was implemented to incentivize consolidation/regionalization of 911 systems, address aging infrastructure within county 911 centers, and enhance GIS data across Pennsylvania. New requirements for Pennsylvania 911 systems related to training, certification, quality assurance, administration, and GIS have been adopted.

Prior to leading the agency’s 911 Program, Boyle established the Compliance Review Division within PEMA’s Administration Deputate to ensure grant recipients make adequate progress towards stated goals while complying with applicable laws, rules, and regulations.  He also worked with all of PEMA’s federal grant programs during his time with the Office of the Budget, Comptroller Operations, prior to joining PEMA.  

Boyle holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the California University of Pennsylvania. He has 20 years of experience in progressively responsible accounting, audit, and information technology management positions with the commonwealth.

He is from Wilmerding, Allegheny County, and lives with his wife Marissa in Lancaster County.

Department Heads

Paula J. Wilcox Headshot

Director of Administration Paula J. Wilcox

Paula Wilcox serves the citizens of Pennsylvania with more than 30 years of business administration and human resources experience. Having served as the Director of Administrative Services within the Office of the Governor for nearly 12 years, she joined the PEMA team as the Deputy Director for Administration in January of 2018.

Wilcox attended Williamsport Area Community College for business accounting. and brings many years of fiscal, accounting, and human resources experience from the private sector with her.

She and her husband, Alan, relocated from Bradford to Dauphin County in 2006.

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Deputy Director of 911 Greg Kline

Greg Kline has more than 30 years of public safety experience with a focus in 911 technology, operations, project management and strategic planning.  Prior to joining PEMA, Kline was the deputy director of 911 for Dauphin County Department of Public Safety. As deputy director, he was appointed as the 911 Coordinator and responsible for 911 operations and technology, and assisted with emergency management activities. ​

During his tenure at Dauphin County, he led the procurement and implementation of technology projects, including 911 telephone systems, P25 radio network, and computer-aided dispatch solution. He guided the establishment of a regionalized public safety radio and 911 telephone partnerships. 

He has served in leadership positions with the South-Central Intercounty Communication Network (SCICNet), South-Central Intercounty Phone Network (SCIPNet), and 911 Advisory Board Technical Subcommittee. 

He was previously employed in the private sector as an application specialist where he was responsible for data development and database management for Enhanced 911 projects, customer training, and support.  

He is originally from Westmoreland County and currently lives in Dauphin County with his wife, their two children, and a spoiled yellow lab. ​

Larry West Headshot

Deputy Director of Recovery Larry West

Larry West was appointed Deputy Director for Recovery in May of 2023. He leads a dedicated team of emergency management specialists and professionals. Under his leadership, their primary focus is collaborating with counties, local municipalities, and federal emergency management partners to secure vital resources essential for recovering from disasters and also for mitigating future impacts and enhancing community resilience. ​

Larry's team navigates the complexities of the National Flood Insurance Program and mitigation project planning, ensuring that communities are prepared to handle the aftermath of floods and other natural disasters effectively.

Prior to joining PEMA, Larry served two years as business administrator and deputy mayor for the City of Scranton, where he played a pivotal role in the city's successful exit from Act 47. His responsibilities included preparing, implementing, and managing the city's annual operating and capital budgets.

Before his tenure in Scranton, he served as regional director for former Senator John Blake, where he gained extensive experience overseeing public policy hearings across 47 municipalities.

Originally from Lackawanna County, Larry enjoys competitive softball and other outdoor activities. He splits his personal time between Scranton and Dauphin County.  

Other Agency Leaders

Jonathan Anschutz

Manager
Commonwealth Response Coordination Center

Patrice Bratcher

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Executive Secretary to the Director

Leonard Cowitch Jr.

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Chief Counsel

Gregory Davis

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External Operations Director

Molly Dougherty

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External Affairs
Director

Dennis Edwards

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Bureau of Budget
Director

Brian Feist

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Bureau of Technological Hazards Director

Melissa Frey

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Strategic Operations Director

Mallory Gricoskie

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Digital
Director

Jeff Jumper

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Deputy Communications Director

Emina Kunovac

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Bureau of Grants
Manager

Wes Majors

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Legislative and Policy Director

Robert Meinert

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Internal Operations Director

Ruth A. Miller

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Communications
Director

Scott Stuccio

Rob Then headshot

State Meteorologist

Rob Then

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Bureau of Planning, Training, and Exercise Director (Acting)