Nick Schuler
Deputy Director, Communications/Incident Awareness, CAL FIRE

Nick provides essential guidance on crisis communications strategies to the Director/Fire Chief and collaborates closely with the Governor’s Office, the California Natural Resources Agency, and various state, local, and federal agencies. Nick has played a critical role in managing the Department’s statewide communications strategy during some of the largest disasters in California’s history, including the COVID-19 pandemic, major fire sieges, and other all hazard incidents and initiatives.
Throughout his distinguished career, Chief Schuler has dedicated over 18 years to Type 1 Incident Management Teams, holding key positions such as Public Information Officer, Operations Branch Director, Operations Section Chief, and Deputy Incident Commander.

Jim Beller
Emergency Management Lieutenant, Butte County Sheriff’s Office

Over 19 years of Law Enforcement experience. Oversees the BCSO Incident Management Team, BCSO Emergency Notifications Team, Regional Mutual Aid Coordinator for Cal-OES Region III.

Robyn Fennig
Assistant Director, Hazard Mitigation, Cal OES

Robyn Fennig was appointed Assistant Director of the Hazard Mitigation Program in February 2024 after serving as the Division Chief of Hazard Mitigation Planning for 2023-2024. Robyn brings a wealth of experience from Wisconsin’s Division of Emergency Management, where she worked from 2012-2017 and 2018-2023, serving as the State hazard Mitigation Officer, Public Assistance Officer, Individual Assistance Officer and EMAC State Coordinator at various points in her time at WEM. From 2017-2018, Robyn served as a Research Scientist at the Association of State Floodplain Managers, developing and teaching training on the Community Rating System, FEMA Public Assistance Program, as well as contributed to work on several ASFPM publications. She holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa and has been a Certified Floodplain Manager since 2012. Robyn is enthusiastic about connecting practitioners and communities to resources that build and enhance local resilience capabilities. She has an interest in the overlap between planning, zoning, and capital improvement planning with hazard mitigation and disaster recovery.

Scott Summerfield
Principal, SAE Communications

Scott Summerfield is an expert in strategic communications counsel with over three decades of award-winning public information/public participation experience, along with tenures at several organizations focused on community issues. Scott specializes in assisting our clients with their media training programs and strategic counsel.

Scott is the former Public Information Officer for the City of Newark and also served as project manager for the largest grant program in League of California Cities history, supervising a team of nine communications consultants throughout the state who worked with local communities to implement public education and public participation projects.
Scott also served as Director of Communications for the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. The Oakland native is a graduate of San Diego State University in Telecommunications/Film. He is a past president of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) and recipient of their lifetime achievement award; grants chair of the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame; a former executive board member of the City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA); a board member of the Bay Area Cable Excellence Awards; a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication in Los Angeles; and is a course manager and crisis communications instructor at the California Specialized Training Institute.

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