Meet the Team
Christin
a Cornwell, CPM, CEM
Director, Department of Emergency Management
Christina Cornwell is a Certified Public Manager (CPM), Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) and Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP) with over 19 years of experience in local and state emergency management. Her expertise spans in a variety of areas, including planning, grant management, outreach, training, and exercise design/evaluation.
In 2024, Christina was honored with City of Laurel’s Kristie M. Mills Leadership Award. She has also received the Emergency Management Person of the Year Award from the Northern Anne Arundel County Chambers of Commerce’s Annual Community Safety Award in 2011, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Christina’s education includes graduation from the University of Virgina’s Senior Executive Institute in 2022; the Regional Executive Development Program from George Washington University’s Center for Execellence in Public Leadership in 2022; the Academy for Execellence in Government at the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy – Institute for Public Leadership and the Senior Executives in State and Local Government program at Harvard Kennedy School in 2024. She also completed the Emerging Leader Program with Leadership Maryland in 2024 and will begin the Leadership ICMA (International City/County Management Association) in April 2025.
She is an active member of the Maryland City County Management Association (MCCMA), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), and International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM). Additionally, she serves as the Vice President of the Maryland Municipal League (MML) – Emergency Management Officials Department and as a committee member of the Leadership Maryland – Emering Leader Program Committee.
Christina played a key role in the creation and implementation of of the Laurel Citizens University, which won a the 2023 Maryland Municipal League’s Municipal Achievement Award. She was also instrumental in the development of the City of Laurel’s first Strategic Plan and in organizing executive-level-team building events.
Currently, Christina is the Director of Emergency Management for the City of Laurel. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Emergency Management: prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery,addition to serving as the Emergency Manager, Foodplain Manager, and Community Rating System (CRS) Coordinator.
Lauren R. Thompson
Assistant Director, Department of Emergency Management
Lauren Thompson joined the City of Laurel Department of Emergency Management as the Assistant Director in November 2024. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in policial science from Temple University, as well as, a Master’s degree in public administration with a graduate certificate in emergency management and homeland security from the University of Central Florida. She recently relocated to Maryland from Florida where she lived and worked as an emergency management and security professional for 13 years.
Her experience spans across various public and private sector industries including higher education, healthcare, tourism/hospitality, and recreation. As a Deepwater Lifeguard and Lake Patrol Coordinator for Walt Disney World, Lauren was responsible for ensuring all lifeguards were CPR/AED certified and all emergency response equipment, including AEDs and trauma bags were ready for use. Lauren went on to obtain her license as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT-B) in August 2019. As an EMT-B, Lauren volunteered with the Central Florida Disaster Medical Coalition, which supports disaster and event operations in the Central Florida region. Through the Coalition, Lauren supported medical operations for events including Electric Daisy Carnival Music Festival and the Orlando Air Show. Today, Lauren is the City of Laurel’s AED Program Coordinator for the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS). She is also a certified American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor and is tasked with providing CPR/AED training for City of Laurel personnel.
Lauren began her career as an emergency management professional in 2012 when she accepted her role as the Emergency Preparedness Coordinator for Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts. She served in this role until 2016, at which point she transitioned into a new role with the University of Central Florida as the Manager of Security and Emergency Management. In each of her roles, Lauren has been dedicated to enhancing the safety, security, and preparedness of her colleagues through the creation and implementation of emergency response plans, as well as, facilitating training courses regarding fire evacuations, active shooter incidents, hurricane preparedness, and the incident command system. As an experienced liaison, Lauren has coordinated with local, state, and federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, the Florida National Guard Civil Support Teams, and the FBI during exercises, Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activations, and special events, including runDisney races and the Invictus Games.