Reliant – strategic consulting llc

With more than 40 years of experience in the Emergency Management field, Chuck started Reliant Strategic Consulting in February 2024.

Beginning in the U.S. Navy submarine service, Chuck was raised in the high-stakes world of nuclear weapons safety, security, operations, and response. He participated in a strategic weapons load-out, test firing of telemetry missiles, and three deterrent patrols. Onboard submarines he learned the importance of attention to details, and the value of preparation and exercise.

Chuck had a successful career in Law Enforcement – retiring from the Manteca Police Department, in Manteca California. He served as an acting watch commander, traffic collision investigator, domestic violence investigator, and high-speed pursuit driving instructor. He responded to numerous critical incidents, shootings, pursuits, crimes in-progress, and natural disaster -including a large-scale flood.

After retiring from law enforcement, Chuck completed an Associate Degree in Nursing and embarked on a nursing career. He served as an Operating Room nurse, post-surgical floor nurse, and public health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator. He was the principal planner and lead for the Hays County Public Health Department during the 2009 Novel H1N1 Pandemic. He designed and implemented the Hays County TX response, managing a satellite clinic and the related CDC response grant. During this time, he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Management, from Ashford University.

In 2014, Chuck became the first titled Emergency Manager for Austin Water, the water/wastewater utility provider for the capital city of Austin, Texas. He built the EM program, taking it from a single FTE position to a team of 6, and established the utility’s Incident Management Team and Department Operations Center. During his tenure the utility experienced multiple critical incidents, including two of the largest boil water notices in U.S. history, impacting more than 1 million customers. Chuck was the EM during the 2020 Covid pandemic, Winter Storm Uri in 2021, and Winter Storm Mara in 2023.

In December of 2020, Chuck graduated the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security Master’s program with a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies, with an emphasis on Emergency Management. His thesis “Assumption and Adaptation in Emergency Response: Evaluating the Strategic Guidance of the National Incident Management System” was published and is the basis for the development of the Strategic Response Practice.

Chuck is currently the Director of Emergency Management for Austin Energy, the power generation and distribution utility for Austin, Texas. He is a Registered Nurse, Certified Emergency Manager through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), FEMA Professional Continuity Practitioner, Certified Project Officer, and certified Incident Command System instructor.