Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Brett Padgett announced the hiring of Joseph Hernon G’18 as Syracuse University’s Associate Vice President for Emergency and Environmental Risk Services. He began his tenure on September 16.
Hernon is well-known to many at the University, having previously served as director of emergency management and business continuity from 2016-2021. During that time, he spearheaded the University’s response to two major infectious disease outbreaks – the 2018 mumps outbreak and the COVD-19 pandemic.
He will lead a new department in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. The Emergency and Environmental Risk Services unit will unify several safety and risk functions at the University, including Environmental Health and Safety Services, Fire and Life Safety Services, Global Safety and Support, and Syracuse University Ambulance.
Hernon, a military veteran and member of the New York State Air National Guard, has years of emergency management experience, including over 20 years in emergency management as a senior non-commissioned officer for the 174th Attack Wing of the New York State Air National Guard.
Hernon was most recently the Associate Vice President for Campus Safety, Emergency Management and Environmental Health and Safety at Colgate University. Prior to joining Syracuse in 2016, he was the deputy director of emergency services for Oneida County. Hernon is also a Department of Defense certified hazmat technician, who has served in active duty deployments to Afghanistan, Djibouti, Kuwait, and Iraq.
Hernon holds a master’s degree in public administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice studies from Cazenovia College and a certificate of advanced study in security from the Institute of National Security and Counterterrorism at Syracuse University.