Suozzi Nominates James J. Callahan III For Nassau County OEM Commissioner

Mineola, NY- Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi is proud to announce the appointment of Malverne resident James J. Callahan, III as Commissioner of Nassau County Office of Emergency Management.

“Mr. Callahan has a strong history of excellence in emergency management and his unique skill set and experience are just what Nassau County needs to ensure that each and every resident is prepared, and every precaution is taken in the event that a natural or manmade disaster occurs in our community,” County Executive Suozzi said. “The Office of Emergency Management is one of this County’s most vital departments to the health and safety of our residents, and this is the right man for that job.”

Since March 2001, Callahan has served as the Emergency Management Coordinator for the Village of Malverne, a department he helped create. He created a comprehensive emergency management plan including mitigation, response and recovery plans for hurricanes, terrorism, anthrax, winter storms, floods, evacuations and debris removal. He also created school and daycare disaster handbooks, and co-authored the village’s Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

His efforts earned him the prestigious 2005 New York Emergency Manger of the Year award in October 2005, an award given by the Northeast States Emergency Management Consortium in recognition of excellence, dedication and accomplishment in emergency management.

As a trustee and deputy Mayor of the Village of Malverne since March 1999, Callahan has served his community in a variety of capacities, serving as the Commissioner of Department of Public Works, Parks and Recreation, as well as Fire Commissioner. He is also a member of the New York State 911 Board where he helped create state policies and regulations to improve both the wired and wireless 911 system for the state.

A graduate of the State University of New York at Albany where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and the St. John’s University, School of Law, Callahan has been a partner in the Baldwin-based firm of Chesney & Murphy, LLP since 1996. While at Chesney & Murphy, Callahan handled cases involving product liability, attorney malpractice, negligence, as well as insurance, municipal and labor law. Callahan also served as the Malverne Village Prosecutor from April 1995 to April 1999.