Texas communities benefit from knowledge gained by first responders at TEEX Annual Leadership Development Symposium

people sitting in chairs in a ballroom listening to speaker on stage
man in a cowboy hat and boots speaks on stage to an audiance

SAN MARCOS, TEXAS – After a one-year hiatus, Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service’s (TEEX) Leadership Development Symposium returned to San Marcos, Texas, from May 17-19, 2022. The annual symposium, celebrating its 13th year, offers an unmatched opportunity for education and leadership development of the Texas emergency response community.

This year, several sessions dealt with mental resilience, aligning with May’s Mental Health Awareness Month. This topic is vital to the first responder community, as responders are up to five times more likely to experience depression and PTSD, according to the Ruderman Foundation.

The symposium is vital to the state of Texas, as Les Stephens, Fire Chief for the city of San Marcos, explains. “It fills a need that isn’t being filled anywhere else. We have certifications, formal education and fire service education conferences, but we don’t have anything fully devoted to building better leaders.” Symposium Training Manager Sean Fay agrees, “There is no other event that exposes fire service professionals to cutting-edge leadership issues. It fills a huge need for the Texas Fire Service and beyond.” Of the more than 1000 attendees at this year’s symposium, 96% came from Texas, representing 51% of Texas counties.

Lessons learned at the symposium often have an impact in the field. Brandon Wade, Assistant Chief of Operations and Logistics for the Austin Fire Department, says, “It’s rare that we go to an incident and our people can’t do the task. It’s not that they can’t throw the ladder or pull the hose line. It’s rarely the failure of the task. The issue is more often the failure of leadership and decision-making.”

Presenters from varying backgrounds – academics, corporate leaders, veterans, medical professionals, entrepreneurs and motivational speakers – offered a wide range of perspectives on leadership, benefitting everyone in public service. Attendees heard from speakers such as YouTube influencer Jason Patton; business professor, veteran, and entrepreneur Dr. Bridgette Chambers; Texas A&M University Director of Athletics Ross Bjork; Rob Mendez, coach, inspirational speaker and author; and Ron Derrick, Corporate Emergency Manager for Whataburger Restaurants.

Distributed by:
Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service
Vita Vaughn | Director of Marketing and Communications/CMO
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