Public health educational publication, Spring 2002

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

n Wagner Alum plays Central Role in WTC Emergency Effort S I As was the case for In just 32 hours Odermatt set up the achieved the rank of captain and was made XB millions of other New command post and was thrust immediately chief of staff to the chief ofthe Housing Police. z Yorkers, September 11th started out as an ordi­ into the key role of being the top, hands-on official to coordinate the work of some 200 When the Housing Police Department joined with the NYPD in 1995, Odermatt was given ■Ba

z i & lohn Odermatt nary workday for John Odermatt (MS in Manage­ ment, ’97), first deputy director of the Mayor’s agencies, 40% of which have offices below Canal Street. One of the most daunting tasks Odermatt faced was the repair of the power infrastruc­ the responsibility of strategically reorganizing administrative operations to prepare for the historic merger. Office of Emergency Management (OEM). As Shortly after the merger was completed, he ture in lower Manhattan. With the Verizon was promoted to deputy inspector and was he and his colleagues were having coffee at building damaged, there was limited phone designated as commanding officer. Housing the OEM command center on the 23rd floor of service for weeks, and the destruction of a Bureau Special Projects Unit. 7 World Trade Center in downtown Manhattan, power transfer station knocked out electricity they heard a thunderous crash as the first to the area. Furthermore, there was a signifi­ A year later, he was designated the executive plane slammed into the North Tower of the cant danger that Freon tanks from air condi­ officer of the department’s Intelligence 00 World Trade Center. tioning units in the World Trade Center would Division, with 350 uniformed personnel under “We evacuated and headed for the OEM’s rupture and catch fire, creating deadly his command. Odermatt became involved with other office nearby on West Street,” Odermatt mustard gas. OEM after he was promoted to inspector in z explained. As they did, the second plane slammed into the South Tower, and they had In recognition of the enormity of Odermatt’s July 2000 and was named the first deputy director of the Office of Emergency Manage­ LU to dodge falling debris from the iio-story job and how effectively he accomplished it. ment. buildings. Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Odermatt S Eventually, Odermatt would meet up with Mayor commissioner of the OEM on April 4th of Slightly weary but determined, Odermatt o, Rudolph Giuliani, OEM Director Richard Sheirer, this year. declared, “I hope we never have a bigger chal­ lenge than this, but we’ll be prepared for o Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik, and Fire Commissioner Thomas von Essen. Within hours But that is only the latest in a series of posi­ tions of increasing public responsibility in Mr. anything,”

of the crashes, the decision was made to set Odermatt’s career. He started his climb in up the OEM command post on Pier 92 on policing very quickly, making sergeant and > Manhattan’s west side to direct the immediate lieutenant within seven years of entering the Parts of this article appear in an article by lohn Toscano, which rescue effort and the early recovery effort. Housing Police in 1982. By 1994, he had first appeared in the Western Queens Gazette, 12/12/01 LU o Wagner Honors Top Annual Donors Wagner, donors who have contributed $250 or more to the Annual Fund.

Robin Barnes, president of the Wagner Alumni Association and co-host •I of the event along with Dean Boufford, noted that, “these funds increase Wagner’s capacity to provide scholarships to deserving

ri students as well as enable the school to make some strategic invest­ ments in new programming and activities not covered with other

13 support.” Ms. Barnes continued by saying that, “Wagner alumni are a phenomenal group of individuals who, because they gave back to the community on a daily basis, are predisposed to give financially.” The Iio a Dean’s Circle and Friends of Wagner also include individuals who are not alumni but are dedicated to the mission of the Wagner School. This year, the Dean’s Circle welcomed into its ranks Florence and R. Arnold Handler, parents of a current Wagner Student, and Raymond Margolis, the father of Wagner alumna and Alumni Association board member Shereen Margolis. Dean’s Circle members (from left to right): Barbara Green, Phyllis Santry, Shereen Margolis, Raymond Margolis, Wagner Dean la Ivey Boufford, WAA President Robin Barnes, lames Laurel Molloy, president of the Wagner Student Association, closed the Drinane, Laura Cronin, and Mr. and Mrs. R. Arnold Handler. program by issuing a challenge to alumni. She announced that the class On February 4th, close to 75 alumni, faculty and friends gathered to honor of 2002 would set a goal to raise $2002 if an alumnus or group of the 19 individuals who contributed $1,000 or more to the Wagner Annual alumni would match that amount. Last year, the class of 2001 raised Fund. This group makes up the Dean’s Circle and is responsible for $2001. That amount was matched by Dr. Cynthia Ambres (MS’95). having contributed approximately $30,000 since 1999 for scholarships Individuals interested in matching this year’s class gift or making a and other important projects of the Wagner School. Wagner Jo Ivey donation to The Wagner Annual Fund should call Mondell Sealy, Boufford introduced these important donors as well as the Friends of director of development and alumni relations at (212) 998-6915.

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