Kevin F. Jura, JP, ALM, MIA, MPS, NRP, FRSPH, CEM

The Honorable Kevin F. Jura is a mission-driven emergency management and public health executive, educator, and researcher with over 20 years of experience across local, state, federal, and international systems. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree at Tulane University, with a concentration in Leadership, Advocacy, and Equity, focusing on the intersection of public health, public safety—primarily emergency medical services (EMS)—and emergency and disaster preparedness systems. He concurrently holds a Master of Professional Studies in Emergency Management and graduate certificates in Advanced Emergency Management and Security Management, also from Tulane, and is concurrently completing a Master of Professional Studies in Homeland Security at Tulane.

Justice Jura holds a Master of Liberal Arts in International Relations from Harvard University, with a concentration in International Security and Nuclear Deterrence, and a Master in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva, Switzerland, with a concentration in Global Health and Global Security. He earned his Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Government, cum laude, from Harvard University.

He was appointed by the Governor of Massachusetts—and confirmed by the Governor’s Council—as a Justice of the Peace (functionally equivalent to a U.S. Magistrate Judge) and was formerly fifth in the line of succession to the Maryland Secretary of Health. Justice Jura brings a diverse portfolio of leadership across the Louisiana and Maryland Departments of Health. He previously served as Maryland’s Strategic National Stockpile Coordinator and currently co-leads EMS modernization efforts in Louisiana. He also serves as the Vice Chairman of the Louisiana State EMS Task Force, a legislatively established entity under the purview of the Louisiana Department of Health, Bureau of EMS.

In addition to his public service roles, Justice Jura holds elected leadership positions with the National Association of EMS Physicians® (NAEMSP®) at both the national and Louisiana chapter levels—a distinction held by very few non-physicians. Through these roles, he leads legislative and systems-based reform initiatives, including federal advocacy to expand the scope of practice of EMS to include the treatment and transport of operational canines injured in the line of duty.

Justice Jura is actively engaged as a principal or co-investigator on multiple research initiatives in collaboration with LSUHSC Shreveport, the Louisiana Department of Health, and NAEMSP®. His current research focuses on operational equity, CBRN preparedness, prehospital protocol reform, and health system disparities. He regularly disseminates his findings through national conferences, invited lectures, and scholarly poster presentations, reinforcing the translation of research into policy and frontline practice. He previously managed emergency operations for global health crises, such as Ebola and Zika. He coordinated interagency response efforts for National Special Security Events, including the G8 Summit and the 2015 Papal Visit.

He currently serves as an Adjunct Faculty Member in Disaster and Emergency Management at Columbia College (SC) and as a Teaching Assistant at Tulane University, supporting undergraduate and graduate public health instruction. He is an elected Fellow of the United Kingdom’s Royal Society for Public Health (FRSPH), an elected Lifetime Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), a Certified Emergency Manager® (CEM®), and a peer reviewer for several medical journals. His leadership has been recognized through the National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award (NOESA) and numerous federal, military, and interagency commendations for excellence in disaster operations, emergency management, public health, and public service.

Justice Jura’s professional contributions reflect a consistent commitment to interdisciplinary public health practice, multidisciplinary research, evidence-informed systems change, and the integration of frontline and academic perspectives to advance preparedness, equity, and resilience.