Board of Directors

My name is Justin Powell, and I serve as Walton County’s Volunteer CERT Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator and operate in ESF 15, Volunteer and Donations. Since 2017, I have managed the Walton County Volunteer CERT Program and beginning in 2020, I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Florida CERT Association Board of Directors.

I began my career serving in the Army National Guard, where I worked as a Motor Transportation Operator for six years.

During my time in the Guard, I found assisting those in need and serving my local community was my life’s passion.

Upon completing my basic CERT course, I had the opportunity to utilize my training during Hurricane Michael, where we deployed to Calhoun, Bay and Jackson counties for Human Services support.

As Volunteer CERT Coordinator, I continued my education and completed the “Train the Trainer” course, where I have trained over 75 local volunteers. In 2020, I have led our CERT Team through over 1,000 volunteer hours, with missions including COVID support, traffic and crowd control, mass feeding effort, and provided logistical support for POD Operations. These missions and more allowed our team to be nominated and won the 2021 Volunteer Agency Service Award from Governor’s Hurricane Conference.

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District Chief Bruce Caruso began his fire service career with the City of Dania in 1982. Through the 29 years that he served with the department, he rose to the rank of Division Chief of Emergency Medical Services. In 2011, the City of Dania Beach contracted with the Broward Sheriff’s Office to provide Fire Rescue services. Chief Caruso served as the Division Chief of EMS for the Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services for the next two years. In 2013, Chief Caruso became the Assistant District Chief in the City of Weston, and in 2014, he was promoted to the rank of District Chief of Cooper City where he currently serves.

Chief Caruso is a member of the Broward Regional EMS Council. He currently serves as the chair of the Fire Chief’s Association of Broward County CERT Sub-committee. He is also the past chair of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County EMS Subcommittee.

Chief Caruso was the recipient of the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County Leadership Award. He has also worked on many established committees, both at the local and county level. He was also recognized with the 2017 Silver Star award by the Florida CERT Association.

Chief Caruso holds an Associate Degree in Emergency Medical Services from Broward College. He is a state of Florida Certified Firefighter and Paramedic.

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Justin Wells has been serving his community as a firefighter for over an decade. He has a passion for all things educationally related to the field of EMS, Fire, Workplace Safety, and Public Safety. This interest found him in 2002 when his uncle suffered a seizure and firefighters responded to his uncle’s residence. He has continued to advance his knowledge, education, and experience within his career and will be completed with his Doctorate of Education/Organizational Leadership student at Northcentral University fall of 2024. He has obtained a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership/Emergency Management from Waldorf University and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Safety Administration/Emergency Management from Florida Atlantic University.

Justin is an emergency management coordinator who has deployed to Queens, NY post-Tropical Cyclone Ida, and Hurricane Ian in Fort Myers, FL. He is a dedicated EMS professor, American Heart Association’s CPR, ACLS, and PALS instructor, Fire Explorer Advisor, Emergency Management Specialist, IAFF Peer Support member, Policies, and Procedures Committee, and joyfully serves as a CERT program manager, State of Florida CERT Association Board Member, and owner/ founder of 501c3 non- for profit organization PRIME Consultants Community Outreach Inc.

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Kathy Sellen is the Public Education Manager for Polk County Fire Rescue in Polk County Florida. Sellen is a State Certified Fire Life and Safety Educator and coordinates all public education for PCFR including the CERT program. She has served as the Polk County CERT Manager since 2017. The PCFR CERT currently has over 500 active members serving on 37 Teams across the county. Sellen implemented TEEN CERT in Polk County in 2018 and continues to grow the TEEN CERT program throughout the Polk County area.

Sellen serves as Treasurer for the Florida CERT Association.

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Pinder is the CERT Coordinator and Mitigation Planner for Charlotte County Emergency Management. Her role as the Charlotte County CERT coordinator started in 2014, and since that time, the program has expanded considerably and now provides firefighter rehab to Charlotte County Fire and EMS, first aid support at public events and advanced training programs. The team has expanded to 300 active members.

Pinder has been awarded the Charlotte County Public Safety Employee of the Year in 2016 and the Employee of the Year in 2017. She is also a certified Florida Associated Emergency Manager.

Pinder serves as Treasurer for the Florida CERT Association, representing Region 6.

Email Ellen Pinder

In this role I managed our EMPA and EMPG grants as well as our transportation disadvantaged program and coordinated with the Department of Health on our Special Needs Registry. In addition, I served as our Logistics Section Chief during activations. On 1/3/2023, I was promoted to Coordinator, I continue to manage our EMPA and EMPG grants as well as updating and maintaining our plans, during activations I now serve as the planning section Chief.

Prior to EM, I had volunteer experience with other entities such as after school programs and food pantries. During my time with Franklin County Emergency Management, I have played a minor role in our CERT program, but as of recently have I begun to have a more active role with the Franklin County CERT. I am currently working with my Director, Jennifer Daniels, and our lead CERT volunteer, Tim Keith-Lucas, on rebuilding our CERT team and exploring options on the expansion of our program.

CERT Training has been my passion for over 15 years and with 22 years of full spectrum Emergency Management experience, I understand how vital training and education is to supporting and enhancing community resilience. Having worked with the local, state and federal entities through and have worked within now my primary role being in recovery, I have witnessed the community emergency response team throughout Florida continually come together to provide immeasurable support in disaster preparedness and response to areas in need.

Email Laurie Carley

In his efforts to build CERT programs, and revitalize existing ones, he has instructed more than 15 CERT Basic Courses and trained over 200 volunteers.

He has coordinated response efforts of volunteers to local disasters including tornados, structure fires, and major flooding.

With the support of dedicated and skilled team members, he has also organized and deployed volunteers to assist with recovery efforts across the State of Florida. These efforts include Hurricanes Irma, Michael, and Idalia.

Email Riley Tuff

Over the last 10 years Deputy Valle has volunteered over 3,600 hours to the agency. During that period Deputy Valle participated in several search and rescue missions, twice locating the missing person safely. (2014 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrjvm9IN7xw and in 2022 as part of the Marine Bureau). As part of his current duties on Marine Patrol, Deputy Valle is tasked with search and rescue. Most recently he led a team of 10 citizen volunteers searching for a missing elderly lady with dementia. With this background and his previous 12 years of service on the State of Florida’s Human Relations Commission, a Gubernatorial Appointment, it was natural for Deputy Valle to seek to serve on the Florida CERT Association’s Board of Directors. Mario will serve as an instructor for the Collier County Sheriff’s Office CERT program.

Where I volunteered then became an employee. I worked with veterans who had PTSD and Depression, and grief counseling.

I have been actively involved in CERT since 2010 starting in Texas and now in Florida. Currently serving as a member of the North Collier Fire Rescue Department CERT Team, since early 2017,

In 2019 I received the Florida Cert Member of the year award at the annual Florida Cert Association Conference.

When hurricane Michael struck the Florida Panhandle in 2018, I was assigned to take our team to assist Bay County in the recovery efforts. We spent 10 days assisting there with setting up a shelter, getting people registered, giving them cot and a blanket and showing then where to get food and water.

Email Ray Wodynski

Carol Sjursen has been actively involved with CERT since 2003 and currently serves as the volunteer CERT Program Manager for the Deerfield Beach CERT Team, a position she has held since 2010. Under her leadership, the Deerfield Beach CERT Team was recognized by the Florida CERT Association with the 2012 State CERT Team of the Year Award.

Carol began attending the Florida CERT Association Conferences in 2004, and has served on their Board of Directors representing CERT members in Region 7 since 2013. Carol served for 4 years (2016-2019) as the Association’s Vice President and for 2 years (2020 and 2021) as the Association’s President.

With an undergraduate degree in teaching, Carol loves being in front of a classroom. She has developed and taught numerous CERT classes, not only for the Deerfield Beach CERT Team, but for other teams in Broward County as well as at the State Conferences. She is Train the Trainer and Program Manager certified at the EMI Local Level, and is also a Stop the Bleed instructor.

Carol is involved with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) as the Assistant Emergency Coordinator and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) where she serves as the Broward County RACES Officer. In times of disaster, these organizations serve Broward County Emergency Management by providing emergency communications through amateur “ham” radios should normal means of communications fail.

To keep skills sharp as a communicator, Carol has assisted with behind-the-scenes communications for numerous events such as the Miami Marathon and helps organize and participates in Amateur Radio Field Day where communications are made under simulated emergency conditions. She serves as the Communications Chair for The Winterfest Boat Parade, where she is a part of the Unified Command Staff and oversees the ham radio operators along the 12 mile parade route.

In addition to her many volunteer organizations, Carol is a full-time Realtor® in the South Florida market.

In 2010, the Fire Chiefs’ Association of Broward County presented Carol with the Broward County CERT Member of the Year Award. In 2012, Carol was recognized as the State CERT Member of the Year by the Florida CERT Association.

Carol has a passion for helping others and continues to serve and help those in need. After Hurricane Wilma, the Deerfield Beach CERT Team helped set up the POD in the City where CERT provided water and ice to close to 1,000 vehicles per hour. Carol responded to the Parkland Shootings, deployed to the Panhandle following Hurricane Michael, deployed to the Surfside building collapse, deployed to Fort Myers following Hurricane Ian, and, most recently, assisted after the Fort Lauderdale floods. In addition to deploying following disasters, Carol keeps busy providing canteen services to First Responders in Broward County.

Carol was recently interviewed by Miami’s WSVN Channel 7 and was featured in the WSVN Spotlight as well as their annual Hurricane Special.

Carol has her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University. She believes that training is critical to the success of any organization, and has continued to take advanced certification classes so that she can continue to train others. She abides by the Shirley Chisholm quote, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.”

Email Carol Sjursen

Her career is marked by her unwavering commitment to fostering intellectual growth and instilling a love for learning in her students. She has been instrumental in creating an environment that encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and creativity. In 2017 she joIned Lauderhill CERT and was an integral part of their largest emergency drill in 2018. Now, as she embarks on her journey with Florida CERT, she is eager to broaden her horizons, acquire new knowledge, and share it with the larger community. Rodriguez-Wells firmly believes in the power of education as a tool for empowerment and is excited about the opportunity to continue making a positive impact.