Ms. McKinnon has over 20 years emergency management background working at all levels of government incorporating businesses. She is currently with the City of Virginia Beach, the largest city in the state, as the Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator overseeing a comprehensive emergency management program. Ms. McKinnon’s experience in writing and implementing all hazards emergency plans is extensive. She also is a current Virginia Department of Emergency Management Incident Command System (ICS) instructor and teaches ICS classes on a regular basis utilizing her vast experience to bring real world examples to the class. Ms. McKinnon is retired from the U. S. Coast Guard with her last position as Chief of Emergency Management and Force Readiness for Sector Virginia.

She has a BS Degree in Emergency and Disaster Management and is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM). She is credentialed as an Incident Commander, Liaison Officer, Planning Section Chief and Operations Section Chief.