New deputy chief of emergency management joins Manatee County

On Monday, Jodie Setnor Fiske assumed her new role as deputy chief of emergency management in Manatee County.

Fiske previously served at the Office of the Governor, Florida Division of Emergency Management, where she was the statewide field supervisor of regional response coordination teams, as well as a regional response coordinator responsible for 10 counties in southwest Florida.

“It’s easy to serve when times are good, but it’s an honor to serve when times are tough," Fiske said in a Manatee County press release. "Preparing for and responding to tough times is what emergency management is all about. I am grateful to County Administrator Scott Hopes, Deputy County Administrator Robert Reinshuttle and Deputy Director of Public Safety Steve Litschauer for their confidence in me."

Fiske has been involved in mass shooting responses, such as the one at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018.

She has helped manage responses to Hurricane Michael in 2018, Hurricane Dorian in 2019, Hurricane Iota and Hurricane Eta in 2020, and Hurricane Elsa in 2021. She also worked the response to the 2021 Surfside building collapse in Miami-Dade County.

Fiske holds a Master of Science in homeland security and emergency management from Kaplan University and a Bachelor of Science in administration of criminal justice from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Her appointment follows a series of departmental reorganizations initiated by Hopes.

The role of emergency management chief is currently held by Steve Litschauer, who assumed the additional role of deputy director of public safety following the resignation of Public Safety Director Jacob Saur in July.

Manatee County also appointed a new utilities director, Evan Pilachowski, on Oct. 9, following the retirement of interim Utilities Director Jeffrey Goodwin, who had previously served as deputy director of utilities.