Mark Ward
Assistant Director, Emergency Management
Mark Ward is currently serving as the Assistant Director of Emergency Management for the Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP).
Prior to his role with the GOHSEP, Mark served as the Director of Administration and Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness for Pointe Coupee Parish. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role day to day operations and in coordinating and executing emergency response efforts for the parish. Before that, Mark served as a Lieutenant with the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office, where he held key responsibilities as the Director of 911 and Assistant Director of the parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Mark's background in emergency management includes leading response efforts to a wide range of crises, including Mississippi River floods, winter weather events, train derailments, tropical storms and hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the flood of 2016.
In addition to his roles in emergency management, Mark has served for 23 years with the Louisiana National Guard. He has responded to both federal and state missions, including multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan. As the Senior Enlisted Advisor for the CBRNE Enhanced Force Response-Package Search and Extraction element, Mark played a critical role in the readiness of rapid response forces to respond to large-scale CBRNE disasters, both regionally and nationally.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Mark is actively involved in various nonprofit and volunteer organizations. He has served as a board member for the Pointe Coupee Parish Chamber of Commerce, executive board member for the 18th JDC CASA, Pointe Coupee Parish 4H shooting sports instructor, and Vice President of the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association.
Mark is married to Courtney Elizabeth Ward, and together they have two children, Mackenzie and Jax.
