Scarborough resident James Budway was recently appointed to the position of Emergency Management Agency director for Cumberland County. Budway and his team are based on High Street in Windham, and are responsible for responding to emergency situations throughout Cumberland County. Budway, 44, is about to retire from the Marine Corps, and has lived all over the eastern United States. But being born in Bangor, he chose to relocate his family to his native state. This week, he spoke to The Current of his experience in the Marines, his goals for his position as EMA director and his love for Maine.
Q: After living in several East Coast states, what prompted you to move back to Maine?
A: I was born in Bangor and I have relatives all the way down the 95 corridor. My kids are in ninth grade and 10th grade, and I wanted them to have some location stability, because I went to three different high schools. Also, my siblings and parents live here.
Q: Where were you living most recently?
A: We lived in Massachusetts at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, and I worked at Fort Devons with and infantry regiment, which is mostly Reserves who work for the military part time, on weekends.
Q: What do you think made you an attractive candidate for this position?
A: I don’t have a background here, so I came with a clean slate. That may have made me attractive. And my Marine Corps background and crisis management experience made me a good candidate.
Q: How has your experience in the Marine Corps prepared you for a job of this nature?
A: I’m retiring from the Marine Corps effective Oct. 1. I have been a member for 22 years, and prior to that I was in the Navy for five years. I also graduated from the Naval Academy with a bachelor of science in oceanography. In this job, my responsibility is to assess local conditions and possibilities in order to assess situations and be prepared for emergencies. In the Marine Corps, I was responsible for crisis management situation. That’s how the jobs are similar. There’s some overlap there.
Q: Can you explain more what the Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency director does?
A: The office here would get involved with something like the floods last year. We don’t anticipate terrorist attacks or anything like that, so we would become involved with something like that in order to help coordinate the efforts of the different municipalities within the county. In the event of any catastrophe, we have to provide assistance to our communities.
Q: What are your goals as director?
A; On behalf of the county, I want to provide the best service to the people of the county I can.
Q: How do you like it so far? Has anything exciting happened?
A: The last 12 days have been about meeting people and finding out who they are, what their issues are and how to be as responsive to their needs as possible. I’m already 12 days into the job and it’s excellent. I’ve got a great staff here that already knows the ropes and has brought me up to speed very quickly.
A: So, moving to Scarborough was the right decision for you and your family?
Q: Yes, I really like the area. I’ve traveled all over the world and have always considered Maine home. My wife Guada, and my children Edward and Ann have really enjoyed it. (My kids) have made friends and are very happy with it.
James Budway Q&A – The man to call in an emergency
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