Brittney Ciarlo
Emergency Manager

High Performance Leadership Academy graduate

County: Huerfano County, Colo.

Number of years in role: 2

Don’t miss this in my county: Highway of Legends- beautiful scenery

Biggest challenge: Being a poor, rural county finding funding for nearly anything takes a lot of time. We depend on tourism to survive, COVID has taken a large toll on that income. We also had a large wildfire in 208 and are now spending a lot of time and resources on post-wildfire mitigation and have experienced many flood events which affect both life safety and finances.

Motivation for signing up for HPLA: My motivation came from my desire to continue growing in my career. I have enjoyed working in county government and wanted to ensure that I was able to provide something back to my County while learning new tactics to help myself grow and lead our county in new endeavors.

Favorite part of HPLA: General Colin Powell's influence on the HPLA was definitely my favorite part. He is such an inspiring and motivational man!!

Favorite leadership rule: It ain't as bad as you think, it'll look better in the morning

My oath or motto: My oath is to serve my county and community to the best of my ability in an honest and fair manner. I will not ask someone to do a task that I am not comfortable being a part of. I will be in the trenches with my team. I will remain humble while addressing issues and implementing change in a positive fashion. I will create a trusting relationship with my team and provide my support and full attention to their issues. Goals will be created with input and collaboration of necessary stakeholders. The future of the organization will be the basis for these goals. I will remember that my attitude rubs off on my team and remain positive through the challenges we face.  

In my spare time: Spend time with my children making memories! We are always on an adventure. We love being outdoors and spend a lot of time boating and camping.

I’m most looking forward to: Watching my newly developed team make strides in the emergency management program! The silo has been removed and we are going to accomplish so many great things as a group!