The Mississippi Civil Defense Emergency Management Association (MCDEMA) will host its 2026 Mid-Winter Education Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi, from November 17 to 19, 2026. The conference brings together emergency management professionals, government representatives, public safety personnel, and industry partners from across the state to share knowledge, strengthen professional relationships, and advance emergency management practices.
Representing Mississippi’s emergency management community, MCDEMA works to advance the profession through education, increased public awareness, and professional development. Its conferences provide opportunities for local, county, municipal, tribal, and state partners to exchange ideas, discuss emerging challenges, and share best practices that strengthen community preparedness, response, and recovery.
Attendees will benefit from:
- Professional development and education through training opportunities and discussions focused on strengthening emergency management capabilities.
- Peer learning and collaboration through networking and exchanging programs, experiences, and best practices among emergency management professionals.
- Preparedness, response, and recovery insights through lessons learned and practical perspectives on supporting communities before, during, and after disasters.
- Public safety partnerships by connecting local, county, state, and tribal agencies with organizations that support Mississippi’s emergency management community.
- Industry engagement through opportunities to connect with vendors, service providers, and other partners supporting emergency management initiatives.
Connect with Hagerty
Hagerty’s Lee Mayfield and Tanya Shannon are proud to participate in this year’s event, bringing expertise across state, local, and federal disaster response and recovery. At the conference, our team will facilitate the following interactive tabletop exercises (TTX):
- The Decision Point (North & South): The Choices That Define Response and Recovery
November 18, 2026 | Northern Counties: 8:30 am (CT) | Southern Counties: 1:30 pm (CT)
In a disaster, there is rarely a perfect answer—only the best decision possible with the information and resources available. This interactive TTX brings Mississippi emergency management professionals together to navigate a realistic, evolving catastrophic disaster. As neighboring communities face competing priorities, stretched resources, and unexpected challenges, participants will work alongside peers to make critical decisions that shape response and recovery. Both sessions will feature the same exercise, with separate opportunities for professionals representing northern and southern counties to participate.
We look forward to connecting with colleagues and partners across Mississippi to share what we have learned, strengthen relationships, and explore ways to support more prepared and resilient communities.
Attending this year’s conference? Be sure to stop by our booth, join our session, and connect with our team.
To learn more about this year’s event, visit MCDEMA’s official conference website.
About Our Team
Lee Mayfield is a proven emergency management leader with nearly 20 years of experience in disaster planning, response, and recovery – specializing in state and local coordination, training, exercises, mass care, evacuation prioritization, and crisis response. Before joining Hagerty, Lee served as the Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management for Lee County, Florida. There, he supported the county’s response and recovery from Hurricane Irma in 2017. Lee has also held various roles at the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), including State Regional Coordinator, focusing on county-level coordination.
Tanya Shannon is an emergency management professional with 15 years of experience across local, state, federal, private, and nonprofit sectors. As a Deputy Director at Hagerty, she oversees disaster recovery projects across the southeastern US, supporting jurisdictions recovering from natural disasters and other large-scale incidents. Previously, she worked for FEMA, where she helped establish PA operations for more than 100 federally declared disasters and managed a nationwide training team.