David Zocchetti is Chief Counsel for the California Emergency Management Agency. During his over twenty years with the OES/Cal EMA, he has served in various capacities, including manager of the OES Planning Branch and manager of the Hazardous Material Section. He has participated in over 30 federally declared and 60 state declared disasters ranging from major earthquakes to hazardous materials spills to wild-land fires. He has also served the state as Senior Consultant to the bi-partisan State Assembly Select Committee on Hazardous Materials, Pipeline, Chemical Plant and Refinery Safety.
As Chief Counsel he is responsible for the Cal EMA Internal Audits, Legislation and Legal Offices. He is a member of the National Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) Legal Affairs Committee and the National Emergency Management Association Legal Counsels Committee.
He holds both bachelor and masters’ degrees in Environmental Planning from California State University Sacramento, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.
He recently published a chapter on public records in the American Bar Association’s Book, “A Legal Guide to Homeland Security and Emergency Management for State and Local Governments.”