Marcus Martin serves as the Program Manager for the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) where he leads the implementation of nationwide programs dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in emergency management and community-based adaption projects. In his role, he oversees the Bridging Support for Underserved and Indigenous Populations in Landfall Disasters (BUILD) Program, HERricane Program, and coordination and deployment of I-DIEM Equity Response Teams. Mr. Martin is a tenured and accomplished emergency management professional with over 22 years’ experience in Disaster Response and Recovery Planning. Previous experiences include roles as Division Director of Preparedness and Recovery and Chief of Planning and Operations with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Management consulting in the private sector and serving as a professional Firefighter/Paramedic with the Orange County Fire Rescue Department and the Town of Eatonville Volunteer Fire Department. Mr. Martin received his Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University and Bachelor of Arts (B.A) in Public Relations from the University of South Carolina. Additionally, Mr. Martin is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional with a DEI certificate from Cornell University, who has worked with organizations at the local, state, and federal levels on assessing policy and plan reviews and developing and implementing strategies to improve organizational DEI. Mr. Martin enjoys providing advocacy for our communities and now uses his experience to advocate for professional parity for women, people of color and other marginalized groups.