Director, Systemwide Emergency Management & Continuity
California State University
Long Beach, California, United States
Jenny Novak is an award winning, Certified Emergency Manager, with nearly two decades of professional emergency management experience. In 2020, Jenny was selected as the first systemwide Director of Emergency Management and Continuity for the 22-campus California State University system. Previously, she worked in response for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services during several presidentially declared major disasters. Jenny is the author of The Anatomy of Resilience (2026), a narrative nonfiction book exploring how individuals and communities navigate crisis and recovery.
Jenny’s academic background is in Hazards Geography. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Geography from Cal Poly Humboldt in 2007 and Master of Arts Degree in Geography at the University of Southern California in 2012. In 2022, Jenny completed the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense & Security’s Executive Leaders Program.
Jenny currently serves as President of the California Emergency Services Association Southern Chapter. In 2016, Jenny was honored at the White House for her innovation in preparedness training development for higher education.
Doing More with Less: Expanding Emergency Management Capacity through Partnerships
Thursday, October 29, 2026
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST