Chris Miles keeps Rogers’ Mission in mind while leading emergency efforts

09/12/24 12:30:pm

In his role, Chris leads all emergency management and physical security efforts, planning for all-hazard emergency responses, providing guidance, and protecting our patients, staff, visitors, and property from threats. While his office is in Oconomowoc, Chris, executive director of preparedness, works with all our System locations to improve emergency readiness.

“I get to think outside the box and work with many different people to improve safety,” Chris says. “I’m proud of the way leaders come together and manage emergencies, specifically winter weather events. We have planning meetings, operational meetings throughout the event, and have an established incident command system.”

Chris is a Certified Emergency Manager, has numerous certifications and trainings from FEMA, and is a member of several organizations, including the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).

He marked two years at Rogers this past July and says he knew after visiting that it was a good fit.

“I was drawn to the position’s challenges,” he says. “Rogers didn’t have an established emergency management program, so I needed to start from scratch, which I also did at Texas Tech University. I met friendly people, saw an amazing campus, and was excited about an on-site café for all my snacking needs,” he jokes.

On a more serious note, Chris wholeheartedly supports Rogers’ Mission.

“I like that everything I do, along with everyone else here, helps patients with their care,” he says. “Even if someone is not directly working with patients, we all have a role to play in helping the organization fulfill its Mission.”

Prior to Rogers, Chris was the director for the Office of Emergency Management at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Before that, he was the director of the Emergency Management Division for Milwaukee County. While in that role, Chris and his family lived in Oconomowoc, so his position at Rogers has brought him home.

Getting to know Chris

Chris is married with three kids and two dogs: a Black Mouth Cur named Goose, and an English Mastiff named Mouse. He says his kids make fun of his fashion sense, saying “Apparently, Zubaz pants aren’t in style anymore.”

Chris is a big history buff and, much to his family’s chagrin, could spend hours in a museum. He’s excited about an upcoming trip to Gettysburg National Battlefield for his birthday.

In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. His favorite activities are cooking, traveling, and anything outdoors.

An interesting fact about Chris is that he was once a medicolegal investigator for a medical examiner’s office, where he examined all suspicious, violent, unexplained, and unexpected deaths.