MANATEE COUNTY, FL (May 23, 2023) - The Manatee County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) voted today to install Jodie Setnor Fiske as the Director of Public Safety. Fiske, who has been Acting Director since January 2023, started with Manatee County Emergency Management in November 2022.
“Since that date, she has been non-stop in her commitment to make Manatee County better as it relates to Public Safety,” said Acting County Administrator Lee Washington, during his presentation of Fiske to the BOCC. The board voted unanimously to confirm the appointment.
“My family and I are so grateful for the confidence shown in me by County Administrator Washington and the Board of County Commissioners,” said Fiske. “Most of all, I want to thank all of my incredible teammates in Public Safety. They set a high bar for service to the community, and to be welcomed into their ranks with the positivity and excitement shown to me each day, has reinforced this is truly the top county in the state to be afforded the opportunity to work for.”
Prior to her tenure with the County, Fiske was the Florida Field Supervisor of Regional Response Coordination Teams and the Regional Response Coordinator for Region 6. In these roles, she was responsible for overseeing preparedness, planning, recovery and mitigation emergency management needs in 10 Florida counties in Southwest Florida.
Director Fiske's experience in disaster response and recovery is extensive, contributing to various operations, including the Parkland School Shooting and Hurricane Michael in 2018, the Naval Air Station Pensacola Base Shooting in Escambia County and Hurricane Dorian in 2019. In 2020, she played a critical role in COVID-19 Operations, as well as the response efforts for Hurricane Iona, Hurricane Eta and the Piney Point Gypsum Stack Breach in Manatee County.
Fiske holds a Master of Science degree in Homeland Security/Emergency Management from Kaplan University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Criminal Justice from George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.