Ms. Kelley Mure, M. Ed, is a seasoned and highly accomplished Emergency Management and Homeland Security professional currently serving as Director, Emergency Preparedness at ICF International. She brings over 25 years of cross-sector experience, including critical public sector leadership roles as a City Emergency Manager and a County Homeland Security & Emergency Management Director.

Ms. Mure’s deep expertise in public information and crisis communications is paramount to her distinguished career. She has served in crucial command positions—including Incident Commander and EOC Director—and, significantly, as a Public Information Officer (PIO) during major real-world incidents. She is a FEMA-certified All-Hazards IMT PIO Instructor, providing advanced training to federal, military, and local agencies across the country.

Her operational experience includes leading the Individual Assistance Branch following the catastrophic Paradise Fire, where she managed complex public messaging and direct support for displaced populations. A key architect of community resilience, Ms. Mure has led the development of over 80 HSEEP-compliant exercises and authored numerous key plans, including the City of Virginia Beach’s Critical Transportation Needs (CTN) Framework, which integrated practical job aids and public messaging templates. She holds a Master’s degree, maintains numerous professional certifications, and currently serves as the Communications Officer for the Arizona Emergency Manager’s Association, reflecting her commitment to advancing whole-community preparedness and building resilient systems for the future.

Kirk P. Cree, MPA, CPM, CIT brings over 30 years of experience in public safety and public service. His professional career began in Southern California law enforcement as a Deputy and Sr. Deputy for Ventura County and after five years, moved south to Los Angeles County. He later transitioned into county and state positions in both child and adult protection investigative units and program management in Colorado and Arizona. Kirk has extensive experience in crisis response/management and enjoys working with diverse and special populations. He was recently a Community Engagement Manager for the Arizona Division of Developmental Disabilities where he received recognition for his work in the creation of and providing new training to first responders statewide. In 2022, he earned the National Certified Public Manager designation from Arizona State University. Kirk has returned to his public safety roots by joining the Phoenix Fire Department as a Crisis Intervention Supervisor and maintains that position today where he is responsible for supervising Field Crisis Response Units throughout the City. Kirk considers himself a lifelong learner earning a BA in Psychology and Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge. Kirk was California P.O.S.T. certified when he was a law enforcement officer and in 2024, completed and certified in the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training through the Phoenix Police Department. Kirk has been working on completing the FEMA-Advanced Professional Series since 2024 and signing up for courses when available. Kirk’s interest in emergency management began as a resident who lived through and witnessed the ’92 LA Riots, the ’93 Malibu (Old Topanga) Fire, and the ’94 Northridge 6.7 Earthquake. Kirk is a practitioner of servant leadership and looking forward to supporting and serving the Board and the members of the Arizona Association of Emergency Managers to the best of his abilities during his term as one of the two Board Members at Large.

With almost 30 years of residency in rural Arizona, Carl Melford has dedicated his career to public service. Beginning as a Detention Officer and Classification Specialist in the Gila County Jail at age 18, Carl soon became an AZPOST-Certified Police Officer for the City of Globe Police Department after graduating from the Southern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Center (SALETC) at age 21. In 2015, Carl found his home in emergency management as the EOC Coordinator with Gila County Health & Emergency Management. By 2017, he was promoted to Emergency Manager, where he has since led the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in responses to over 30 wildfires, including three of the ten largest in Arizona’s history. Under Carl’s leadership, the EOC has successfully managed over 70 evacuations and numerous sheltering operations. His efforts during the Mescal, Telegraph, and Backbone fires, as well as his post-fire flooding work, earned him the 2023 Distinguished Service Award from the Arizona Emergency Management Association (AZEM). Carl’s accomplishments include leading Gila County’s Congressional Award-winning COVID-19 response and acting as Incident Commander for the 2022 Star Valley Tornado recovery. His expertise extends to coordinating responses to hazmat incidents, winter storms, extreme weather events, search and rescue operations, election security, and training exercises.  

Known for his passion, dedication, humor, and hopelessly optimistic attitude, Carl brings positivity, innovation, and resilience to every challenge.