JESSICA CASTRO
Johnson County Department of Emergency Services – Emergency Management Division
Overland Park,KS
1
Language
1
Certification
10
years of professional experience
Emerging emergency management professional with hands-on experience supporting county-level preparedness, response, and recovery operations through a paid internship with Johnson County Emergency Management. Experienced working in an Emergency Operations Center (EOC), supporting regional response during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, coordinating across Emergency Support Functions (ESFs), developing public preparedness campaigns, and utilizing WebEOC (Juvare) and Everbridge. Brings more than 15 years of operations, logistics, leadership, and public service experience with a proven ability to remain calm under pressure, solve complex problems, and coordinate multiple priorities. Currently completing an Associate of Arts degree at Johnson County Community College and accepted to Kansas Wesleyan University to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Management with a minor in Criminal Justice. Passionate about building resilient communities and pursuing a career with FEMA focused on disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation.
Work History
Emergency Management Intern (Paid)
3 Months- Completed a competitive 12-week paid internship supporting Johnson County Emergency Management's daily preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities.
- Served as a member of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team supporting regional emergency coordination during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, working extended operational shifts alongside representatives from multiple Emergency Support Functions (ESFs).
- Assisted with emergency planning initiatives, operational meetings, preparedness projects, and collaborative planning efforts involving local, state, federal, nonprofit, and private-sector partners.
- Developed multiple public preparedness and safety social media campaigns that were published across official Johnson County Emergency Management social media platforms.
- Utilized WebEOC (Juvare) for incident management and Everbridge for emergency notification and mass communication.
- Participated in Duty Officer operations, monitoring severe weather, situational awareness, and emergency notifications.
- Observed Emergency Communications operations within the Johnson County 911 Dispatch Center to better understand emergency call processing and interagency coordination.
- Participated in a Sheriff's Office ride-along with the Director of the Johnson County Department of Emergency Services, gaining firsthand exposure to county-wide public safety operations and emergency response.
- Visited the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Forecast Office to learn about meteorological forecasting, severe weather monitoring, and decision support services.
- Participated in emergency management meetings, trainings, exercises, and community outreach initiatives while strengthening knowledge of NIMS, ICS, Emergency Support Functions, public information, and disaster coordination.
Supplemental Staffing Coordinator / Human Resources
2 Years 5 Months- Coordinated staffing operations across more than ten hospital units supporting over 150 clinical professionals.
- Managed complex staffing schedules, payroll incentives, compliance documentation, and workforce logistics.
- Scheduled Float Pool RNs, CNAs, Safety Attendants, Bed Control, and Transport teams.
- Processed payroll bonuses, audited timecards, and ensured labor law compliance.
- Coordinated onboarding for contingency staff while maintaining Joint Commission compliance.
- Served as interim department leader when needed, supporting employee relations and documentation.
- Collaborated with over 60 staffing agencies and hospital leadership to meet rapidly changing operational needs.
- Coordinated employee engagement initiatives including Nurses Week and CPR training events.
Specialty Scheduler
9 Months- Managed more than 200 weekly referrals supporting 34 physicians and 15 nurse practitioners across eight specialties.
- Managed high-volume scheduling and referral coordination while handling up to 300 calls daily.
- Created department training manuals and trained new employees.
- Developed workflow improvements adopted by management.
- Consistently achieved perfect patient satisfaction scores.
- Assisted Spanish-speaking patients, improving access to healthcare services.
General Manager
4 Years 3 Months- Directed daily restaurant operations including payroll, staffing, inventory, compliance, budgeting, and customer service.
- Planned and executed large-scale events including New Year's Eve, Halloween, holiday celebrations, themed promotions, and community events.
- Managed event logistics including decorations, vendor coordination, food and beverage specials, promotional materials, employee costumes, budgets, and on-site operations.
- Supervised and trained more than 30 employees while fostering a collaborative, high-performing workplace.
- Developed training materials and operational procedures.
- Built a reputation for creating successful, memorable events through exceptional planning, creativity, and attention to detail.
Education
Associate of Arts - Liberal Arts
- President's Honor Roll
- Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
- National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS)
- GPA: 4.00 GPA
Bachelor of Arts - Emergency Management, Criminal Justice
Accepted for Spring 2027
Skills
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Operations
Emergency Planning & Preparedness
Incident Command System (ICS) & National Incident Management System (NIMS)
Emergency Support Functions (ESFs)
WebEOC (Juvare)
Everbridge Mass Notification System
Public Information & Social Media Campaign Development
Community Outreach & Preparedness Education
Cross-Agency Collaboration
Research & Technical Writing
Project & Event Coordination
High-Volume Operations Management
Healthcare Staffing & Scheduling
Compliance & Documentation
Leadership & Team Coordination
Customer Service & Public Relations
Fluent in Spanish (Written & Spoken)
Certification
- FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI)
- IS-100.c — Introduction to the Incident Command System
- IS-700.b — National Incident Management System (NIMS): An Introduction
- IS-800.d — National Response Framework (NRF): An Introduction
- IS-2200 — Basic Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Functions
- IS-2901 — National Disaster Recovery Framework (NDRF) Overview
- Additional Certifications
- CPR Certified
- Ongoing Healthcare Compliance Training (HIPAA, Joint Commission)
LANGUAGES
Spanish — Native/Bilingual Proficiency
HONORS & ACHIEVEMENTS
4.00 Cumulative GPA, President's Honor Roll — Johnson County Community College, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), Accepted to Kansas Wesleyan University Bachelor of Arts in Emergency Management Program (Spring 2027)
Timeline
Emergency Management Intern (Paid)
Johnson County Department of Emergency Services – Emergency Management Division
05.2026 - 08.2026Read More
Supplemental Staffing Coordinator / Human Resources
AdventHealth
05.2023 - 10.2025Read More
Specialty Scheduler
AdventHealth
07.2022 - 04.2023Read More
General Manager
Salt & Pepper Group
04.2016 - 07.2020Read More
Kansas Wesleyan University
Bachelor of Arts from Emergency Management, Criminal Justice
Read More
Johnson County Community College
Associate of Arts from Liberal Arts
Read More