Horizons Fall 2014

15 HORIZONS T he well-known Boy Scout motto “be prepared” is the heart of John Barnwell’s (M.B.A., 2006) role as an adviser and subject matter expert at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) National Preparedness Directorate and the United States Department of Homeland Security. He specializes in medical, public health, and general emergency and disaster preparedness. He has also brought that expertise home, as a consultant with Nova Southeastern University, to create a comprehen- sive emergency management plan that covers every conceiv- able emergency situation. Now working at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., Barnwell grew up in South Florida and received his undergraduate degree in biological sciences from Stanford University. For graduate work, Barnwell immedi- ately considered the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. “I had heard for a long time about the strength of NSU graduate programs. The Huizenga School was just the right size, had a great reputation, and was well connected in the community. It was just the best program,” he said. “There were sensible options for working students and multiple opportunities to collaborate with other graduate programs,” he added. He also was impressed with the accessibility and support of NSU professors. “Among other subjects, I had a couple of great professors in both marketing and human resource management. Those were favorite courses and stood out because they integrated current events with individ- ual and group presentations,” he said, citing instructors Leslie Tworoger, D.B.A., and Daniel Austin, Ph.D., NSU professor emeritus. Barnwell also liked being part of a university that was growing. “I was there when the RecPlex had just been built. It was another feather in the cap of the university, an invest- ment in the right direction, and a welcome addition to the other first-class facilities on campus. We’ve also seen the creation of other structures, such as the Center of Excellence for Coral Reef Ecosystems Research. These are tangible assets to the community that will do great things for a long time to come,” he said. From an M.B.A. to national security How does an M.B.A. graduate end up in the Depart- ment of Homeland Security? “NSU gave me the opportu- nity to specialize,” he said. And with his interest in the sciences, Barnwell decided to focus his M.B.A. in health services administration. His first yearlong position out of graduate school, as an administrative fellow at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, was designed “to participate in hospital opera- tions, contribute to how a hospital is run, and guide what happens from patient admittance to discharge.” That posi- tion, combined with a series of hurricanes that struck South Florida at the time, laid the groundwork for his move to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. During his three-year tenure there, Barnwell served as assistant administrator for the emergency management program. Jackson, considered to be one of the leading pediatric and adult trauma and burn centers in the United States, is one of the few academic medical centers in the nation capable of handling major disaster situations. While at Jackson, a number of natural disasters struck, causing Barnwell to refocus his priorities. “A series of hurricanes came through and further solidified me in emergency management,” Barnwell recalled. “NSU gave me the opportunity to specialize.” —John Barnwell NSU alumnus John Barnwell is an adviser and subject-matter expert at the Federal Emergency Management Agency National Preparedness Directorate and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. By Jodi Noding