Inyo County Welcomes New Emergency Services Manager

The Inyo County Board of Supervisors this week officially welcomed new Emergency Services Manager Lisa Cox to the organization.

Cox comes to Inyo County from the Inyo National Forest, where she served the past three years as the public affairs officer. In her new capacity with Inyo County, Cox will be responsible for managing disaster preparation, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts, as well as the planning, budgeting, training, and programming related to emergency preparedness and response functions.

She will also serve as a liaison with local, state, and federal agencies, and work directly with county departments to develop response plans, effectively manage incidents, and systematically restore county operations following adverse events.

“We are very lucky to have Lisa on our team,” Chairperson Scott Marcellin said. “She brings a wealth of experience in a variety of arenas – most importantly incident command, working with state and federal agencies, and communications. And her love for this area and the care she shows for its residents and visitors is evident, giving us all the confidence that she will meet every challenge with the utmost dedication and drive.”

Cox spent her career working in public lands, and for the last 17 years in the federal service. Her permanent service career includes working as an interpretive park ranger for the USFWS – San Diego National Wildlife Refuge Complex, a fire information officer for the U.S. Forest Service – San Bernardino National Forest, and most recently as the public affairs officer for Inyo National Forest. She also spent the last nine years working with federal and state incident command teams, and currently is a Complex (Type 1) Public Information Officer.

She was born and raised in Ventura County where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Resource Management at California State University, Channel Islands. After spending most of her life in Southern California, the Eastern Sierra has stolen her heart with the close-knit community, the big backyard, and all the backpacking and dirt biking she can dream of.

“I am humbled and honored to be serving my community in this new capacity for the County of Inyo. The support of the staff here, including my predecessor, Mikaela Torres, has been overwhelmingly appreciated, and I will do my absolute best to rise to the expectations and needs of this role,” Cox said. “Thank you to the County for your trust to serve, and as I continue working to earn it with our community members, I welcome any input. Please reach out to me if you have any needs at [email protected].”