Gov. Kevin Stitt has hired Mark Gower as the Director of the Department of Oklahoma Emergency Management (OEM).

“Mark Gower has been dedicated to the safety and security of Oklahomans his entire career,” said Gov. Stitt. “His expertise is well suited to guide the Department of Emergency Management, and I look forward to working with him as we continue to move our state forward.”

“I am deeply honored by Governor Stitt’s faith in me to serve our citizens,” said Gower. “I am excited to join him and our dedicated emergency management professionals across Oklahoma. I will work tirelessly alongside our governor to build trust, efficiency, and accountability through working to provide quality, customer-focused services to our citizens, cities, towns, and counties statewide.”

Mark Gower currently is the Chief Information Security Officer and CyberCommand Director for the State of Oklahoma. With over 20-years of experience in Information Security and Technology, Gower has a broad and varied knowledge base to draw upon. His expertise includes Cybersecurity, Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, and Emergency Preparedness and Response. Gower holds multiple certifications, including Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Business Continuity Planner (CBCP), and Certified Information Security Manager (CISM).

The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM) prepares for, responds to, recovers from and mitigates against disasters and emergencies. The department maintains the State Emergency Operations Center which serves as a command center for reporting emergencies and coordinating state response activities. OEM delivers service to Oklahoma cities, towns and counties through the network of more than 400 local emergency managers. OEM also maintains, regularly updates and exercises the State Emergency Operations Plan. The department provides funding and/or assistance to more than 400 local emergency management departments throughout the state.