mark n. pazon

executive specialist, public safety and security

Mark N. Pazin is a highly respected executive leader in law enforcement, homeland security, and emergency management with more than 30 years of experience leading complex public safety organizations and advising senior government leaders on security, resilience, and crisis response. At Emergent Global Solutions, he provides strategic counsel to government agencies, critical infrastructure operators, and private sector organizations on security strategy, homeland security, emergency preparedness, organizational resilience, and executive crisis management.

Mark's distinguished career spans executive leadership at the local and state levels. As Sheriff of Merced County and President of the California State Sheriffs' Association, he worked collaboratively with state, federal, and local leaders to advance public safety policy, strengthen interagency coordination, and address evolving security challenges.

He later served as Chief of the Law Enforcement and Homeland Security Branch at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), where he led statewide law enforcement coordination, homeland security operations, and integrated emergency response during California's most complex disasters, major public events, mass casualty incidents, and emerging threats. In this role, he helped coordinate multiagency operations involving federal, state, tribal, and local partners while strengthening California's all-hazards preparedness and response capabilities.

Throughout his career, Mark has earned a reputation for building trusted partnerships, leading high-performing organizations, and developing collaborative solutions to complex security and operational challenges. His expertise includes homeland security, executive protection of critical infrastructure, crisis leadership, intelligence coordination, emergency management, public safety governance, and intergovernmental collaboration.

Mark has served on numerous state and national advisory boards and executive committees focused on public safety, homeland security, and emergency management. He holds a master's degree in National Security and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, bringing both strategic insight and operational experience to organizations seeking to strengthen resilience, manage enterprise risk, and enhance security in an increasingly complex threat environment.