Bill has dedicated over 34 years to the fire service, beginning his career as a volunteer with the River Oaks Volunteer Fire Department. Through hard work and dedication, he rose through the ranks to serve as Chief of the Department, retiring after 20 years of service.

In 1996, Bill joined the Garland Fire Department, where he currently serves as a Captain, proudly leading the crew at Station 8 on C-shift, the department’s Heavy Rescue Team. Over the years, he has actively contributed to the department’s development by serving on both the Paramedic and Firefighter Advisory Committees. He is currently the Honor Guard Commander and a member of the the Peer Support Team.

An engaged leader within the firefighting community, Bill is serving his fourth term as President of the Garland Fire Fighters Association (IAFF Local 1293), having previously held the role of Secretary/Treasurer. He also serves as the Zone B Trustee for the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters and represents District 11 on the IAFF Behavioral Health Committee.

Passionate about the mental health and well-being of firefighters, Bill has worked tirelessly to support those in the fire service throughout the U.S. and Canada. Since 2019, he has served as a Master Instructor with the IAFF Behavioral Health Division, teaching courses on Peer Support, Resiliency, and related topics in both in-person and virtual settings.

Bill is married to his wife, Audra. Together, they share a blended family of six children and two grandchildren, along with two dogs and a cat. When not serving the citizens of Garland or advocating for firefighter wellness, Bill enjoys woodworking in his home workshop or relaxing by the pond on their property in Brock, Texas.

I have been a firefighter/paramedic with The Woodlands Fire Department for 17 years.  Prior to coming to The Woodlands Fire Department, I served in the same capacity with the City of Kerrville Fire Department for 7 years.  I serve on The Woodlands Fire Department peer support team, and on the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters peer support team as the District 4 Peer Support Coordinator.  I am the President of The Woodlands Professional Fire Fighters Association, Local 3846, and also Chairman of our 501(c)3 the Montgomery County First Responders Foundation.  

Amy Ramon, a 35-year veteran of the fire service, has served as Fire Chief for the Cy-Fair Fire Department for the last 11 years.

Chief Ramon is credentialed as a Chief Fire Officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence and a Certified Fire Executive through the Texas Fire Chiefs' Association. She has a Juris Doctorate from South Texas College of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in January 2011. Ramon also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. She is certified as a Master Firefighter and Head of Department through TCFP.

Chief Ramon is involved in numerous committees with Lone Star College, working to advance the fields of fire science and EMS. Chief Ramon was recently awarded the prestigious honor of being named Fire Chief of the Year by the Texas Fire Chiefs Association and holds the 1st VP position for the Texas Fire Chiefs Association (TFCA).

She is an instructor for the Texas Fire Chiefs Academy and volunteers for the TFCA Legislative Committee. She is on the Executive Board of the Harris County Fire Chiefs Association.

Manny Casarez has served as Fire Chief of the Boerne Fire Department since 2023, leading emergency services in the Texas Hill Country with a focus on professionalism, preparedness, and community trust. He began his fire service career with the Universal City Fire Department in 2004 and served as its Fire Chief from 2016 to 2023. In addition to his executive leadership roles, Chief Casarez has contributed to the development of future first responders as adjunct faculty with the San Antonio College First Responders Academy since 2012, where he primarily teaches within the degree program.

Chief Casarez holds an Associate’s Degree in Fire Science from San Antonio College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Fire and Emergency Services Administration from Texas A&M University–San Antonio, and a Certified Public Manager (CPM) designation from Texas State University. He is also a graduate of the Texas Fire Chiefs Academy. Actively engaged at the regional and state levels, Chief Casarez serves on numerous committees, including the Texas Fire Chiefs Association Health & Wellness Committee, Chair of the Alamo Area Fire Chiefs Association Training Committee, the Kendall County Peer Support Team, the AACOG Regional Preparedness Advisory Committee, and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection HB 1593 Committee.

His professional certifications through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection include Master Firefighter, Fire Instructor III, Fire Investigator, Fire Inspector/Plans Examiner, Wildland Firefighter, and Incident Safety Officer. Chief Casarez has been married to his wife, Vanessa, for 23 years and is the proud father of four children and grandfather to two grandsons.

Chaplain John M. Hosea is a retired combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient whose life reflects unwavering service, resilience, and faith. After sustaining injuries in combat, he transformed hardship into purpose, channeling the strength forged in military service into supporting those who stand on the front lines today. As the Lead Chaplain for the Hood County Sheriff’s Office and a Hostage and Crisis Negotiator with the Region 8 Special Operations Unit, John provides vital care to law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, and their families. His firsthand experience with operational stress, cumulative trauma, and high-stakes environments uniquely equips him to serve first responders across disciplines—offering calm, clarity, and grounded spiritual and emotional support in moments when lives and communities hang in the balance.

With dual master’s degrees in Mental Health and Wellness and Clinical Mental Health Counseling, specializing in trauma, John blends clinical competence, pastoral presence, and real-world crisis expertise. He serves as a counselor, chaplain, and trusted resource for law enforcement, the fire service, EMS, veterans, and the broader community, delivering evidence-informed, trauma-responsive, faith-integrated care. Driven by deep compassion and a steadfast devotion to Jesus, John helps individuals restore resilience, strengthen emotional and spiritual readiness, and navigate the complex realities of public safety work. His life stands as a testament to the power of service, the strength of faith, and the sacred calling to care for those who sacrifice daily for others.

Alisa McDonald joined Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) in 2022 as the Program Director for Public Safety Wellness. Since joining TEEX, Alisa created and implemented Support That Saves: Building and Sustaining Peer Support which is a 3-day comprehensive peer support training for those wishing to create, revamp or rebuild first responder peer support. In addition, Alisa created TEEX Public Safety Wellness and Counseling Center which provides no cost counseling to first responders and public safety professionals

Prior to joining TEEX, Alisa served as Regional Manager for the Texas Department of Public Safety Victim and Employee Support Services for the North and Southeast Texas Regions. Before her promotion to Regional Manager, she worked as a regional counselor for the Southeast Texas Region, providing victim services to 11 counties as well as employee support services and counseling to both commissioned and civilian staff. Alisa was also an integral team member in serving those (both commissioned and civilian) affected by the Santa Fe School Shooting, El Paso Walmart shooting, Midland-Odessa Mass Shooting, and White Settlement Church Shooting. Additionally, she successfully supervised clinical personnel at both Scotty’s House Child Advocacy Center and an inpatient acute psychiatric facility.

Since 2008, Alisa has assisted and counseled victims of child sexual and physical abuse, domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault, as well as working with first responders. Her licensure as an LPC-Supervisor has allowed her to provide clinical supervision for developing counselors for the last 10 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Counseling from Sam Houston State University. Alisa is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor (LPC-S) and holds certifications in trauma treatment, grief counseling, dialectical behavior therapy and IASIS microcurrent neurofeedback. She is also trained to administer eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Lowell Ercanbrack is a pastor, chaplain, and community leader with more than 20 years of service in the fire service, dedicated to caring for first responders and the communities they serve. He currently serves as Chaplain and firefighter for the Granbury Volunteer Fire Department and sits on its Board of Directors, where he contributes to strategic support, organizational growth, and member well-being. He also serves as Chaplain for District 16 of the State Firefighters’ and Fire Marshals’ Association of Texas (SFFMA) and is an elected Statewide Chaplain for SFFMA and serves on the executive board for SFFMA, helping lead chaplain training and certification initiatives that strengthen the emotional, spiritual, and moral resilience of firefighters across Texas. In his pastoral role, Ercanbrack is the Pastor of Kingdom Life Church in Granbury, Texas, where he provides spiritual leadership, discipleship, apostolic guidance, and community engagement rooted in Kingdom values.

Beyond his ministry and fire service leadership, Ercanbrack has a strong record of civic and inter-church involvement. He previously served as Mayor of DeLeon, Texas, bringing servant leadership and commitment to local government. He currently serves as President of the Lake Granbury Ministerial Alliance, fostering unity and cooperative outreach among area churches, and is an active member of the Hood County Pastors Council, working with fellow pastors to address community needs and promote spiritual collaboration. His life and work reflect a deep commitment to faith, service, and the well-being of both first responders and his broader community.

Tammy Jo Boudreaux, LCSW, MBA is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 26 years of experience and a deep commitment to those who serve on the front lines. She is the co-founder of Boudreaux 2.0 Counseling & Consulting, a private practice in  Missouri City, TX that specializes in providing trauma informed psychotherapy to emergency responders, military personnel, and their families impacted by critical incidents and PTSD. Her specialized skillset includes EMDR, emotion focused and somatic experience therapy to address PTSD, trauma exposure, work-life impact and cumulative stress.  

Tammy Jo serves as an EMDR mental health practitioner on the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) teams for the City of Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, and the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT). She has been deployed to multiple debriefs with different agencies throughout the state to provide clinical support to responders post critical incident, including the major incidents in Santa Fe (2018) and Uvalde (2022).

Additionally, she partners with these agencies to provide individual counseling, dispatcher-specific support, and skills-based workshops such as Managing Stress and Anxiety. 

She also partners with Greater Harris County 9-1-1 and CAPCOG to facilitate dispatcher specific workshops, such as “Burnout Behind the Headset”, “Coping Skills for Tele-Communicators,” “Managing Trauma behind the Headset.”

She has served as an EDMR mental health practitioner with the LEMIT Post-Critical Incident Seminar (PCIS) team since 2013 and serves as Clinical Director for PCIS Texas. She has also contributed to the development of Louisiana PCIS. She has participated in more than 55 PCIS seminars since 2013.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology & Sociology and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston. She earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas.

Lieutenant Karen L Padgett is a 20-year veteran of Dallas Fire-Rescue, where she has served in both operational and leadership assignments dedicated to protecting the citizens of Dallas while advancing firefighter health, safety, and performance. She currently serves as the department’s Wellness, Fitness, and Performance Coordinator, leading initiatives that enhance firefighter readiness, resilience, injury prevention, and overall wellness.

Through the Texas Commission on Fire Protection, Lieutenant Padgett holds certifications as a Master Structure Firefighter, Master Instructor, Fire Officer II, and Incident Safety Officer. She is also a certified LivingWorks SafeTALK Trainer, Applied Suicide Intervention Skills (ASIST) certified, and IAFF Peer Support trained. Additional certifications include CrossFit Level 1 Trainer, USA Weightlifting Club Coach, Functional Movement Systems 1 (FMS1) and numerous CrossFit specialty certifications along with an Associate of Applied Science in Clinical Laboratory Science. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Krodle Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, reflecting her commitment to leadership and service beyond the fire service.

Throughout her career, Lieutenant Padgett has been committed to developing firefighters both on and off the fireground. She has served as a firefighter, paramedic, company officer, instructor, peer team member, and wellness leader, combining operational experience with a passion for improving firefighter wellness and longevity. As a certified SafeTALK instructor and peer support advocate, she has helped expand behavioral health awareness and suicide prevention efforts while mentoring firefighters in leadership, fitness, and professional development.

Lieutenant Padgett has contributed to numerous department and statewide initiatives focused on firefighter safety, physical fitness, mental wellness, and organizational excellence. She believes the strength of the fire service begins with investing in its people and is committed to building resilient firefighters and high-performing organizations through education, leadership, and evidence-based wellness practices. Lieutenant Padgett is honored to serve as Chief Mike Wisko’s appointee and contribute to advancing peer support and suicide prevention throughout the state.