Our Team

Our team works in close partnership with our clients offering innovative and cost effective efficiencies to every event response. We encourage our employees to explore new technologies, ideas, and business trends that contribute to their personal and professional development, while remaining aligned with Bergeron Emergency Services overall goals and objectives.

Bergeron Emergency Services staff are fully trained and certified FEMA, OSHA, MOT, FHWA.  READ MORE

Bergeron Emergency Services Founder and CEO Ronald M. “J.R.” Bergeron, Jr. has over 30 years of heavy construction, design-build, site development, and disaster management experience. He has successfully overseen more than 300 disaster activations, including 80 major recovery projects across the United States, with a strong concentration in South and Central Florida.

J.R. began his disaster response career with large-scale recovery efforts following Hurricane Wilma in 2005, where he managed the processing of more than two million cubic yards of hurricane debris. His expertise in debris management continued to scale, most recently demonstrated through a significant recycling project for Broward County Waste & Recycling Services. Under his leadership, the project successfully processed over 1.8 million cubic yards of hurricane debris—both vegetative and hazardous—that had been stockpiled for more than five years.

As CEO, J.R. leads all aspects of Bergeron Emergency Services’ operations, including bidding, contract negotiations, and the management and control of disaster response projects nationwide. He possesses extensive and thorough knowledge of FEMA Public Assistance Program requirements and has a proven ability to guide clients in maximizing their full reimbursement potential.

J.R. has decades of specialized experience in Grapple Truck Fleet Management, coordinating both in-house fleets and nationwide subcontractor networks, with a deep logistical understanding of the unique needs of each locality. His company is a trusted tier-one contractor with services spanning land operations, marine operations, and comprehensive disaster recovery capabilities.

Widely respected for his ability to build lasting partnerships, J.R. has established strong, reliable relationships with local, state, and federal agencies, especially throughout the Southeast. His visionary leadership continues to drive the company’s mission, growth, and reputation as a leading disaster response partner.

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Sally Bergeron has more than 15 years of specialized experience in government relations with a focus on disaster response. She expertly monitors legislative changes, FEMA updates, and public assistance program guidelines, ensuring that our company policies and disaster response protocols remain fully compliant and up to date.

Sally plays a critical role in keeping management teams informed of evolving regulations and fosters seamless communication with clients and partners to support key operational transitions. She is highly skilled at building and maintaining strong relationships with government officials and agencies, influencing policy and legislation that directly impact disaster response operations.

During active disaster events, Sally provides an additional layer of quality control to ensure strict adherence to FEMA and public assistance program requirements. Her contributions have been pivotal to the success of numerous response efforts, including major activations for Hurricanes Michael, Irma, and Matthew.

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Lee Buffington has over 15 years of dedicated disaster response experience, successfully managing all facets of emergency operations including pickup and haul, road clearance, and debris management site (DMS) setup and safety. Since 2008, he has led operations management for more than 45 disaster response activations across the United States, from Texas to Connecticut, including significant events such as Hurricane Michael in 2018. Lee is highly knowledgeable in FEMA, Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), and Public Assistance Program requirements, ensuring seamless compliance and efficient project execution.

In addition to his disaster response expertise, Lee has over 30 years of proven experience in sales, marketing, and business management. His background includes mastery in accurate takeoffs, design, estimating, budgeting, contracting, purchasing, invoicing, and project management. Throughout his career, he has consistently implemented process improvements in budgeting and production systems to enhance profitability and ensure project success.

Lee is known for his ability to work collaboratively with designers, subcontractors, inspectors, government officials, and clients to develop and execute comprehensive plans that achieve project goals while preserving structural integrity and property values. His extensive experience in effectively managing and coordinating subcontractors and vendors across multiple projects further underscores his leadership and operational strengths.

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Daniel McClaran has more than 30 years of experience in disaster response and land development work. As an area manager, he has overseen multiple activation responses and provided on-site management and safety for both pickup/haul and DMS. His disaster response work dates back to Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and includes area management road clearance work for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), Broward County, Florida, Florida Turnpike Authority, and countless state agencies. Mr. McClaran is fully experienced with FEMA, FDOT and Public Assistance Programs.

Robert Maples began his career in disaster response in the summer of 2004 and has since built over 21 years of extensive experience in the tree and storm debris industry. Throughout his career, Robert has successfully led large-scale field operations, providing critical logistic support and managing debris sites in response to natural disasters across the country.

His work has spanned major recovery efforts from New York City, New York, to Moore, Oklahoma, and Houston, Texas, where he has consistently demonstrated his ability to coordinate complex operations in high-pressure environments. Robert’s expertise includes direct collaboration with private sector partners, as well as Federal, State, and Local Governmental Agencies, fostering strong working relationships and earning a trusted reputation in the industry.

Robert’s proven leadership, hands-on operational knowledge, and commitment to efficient, safe disaster recovery have made him a valuable asset in the field of emergency response and storm debris management.

Lesley Parrish possesses over 30 years of experience in business, financial management, and operational resources, with a specialized focus in disaster response, contractual and bidding preparation, line-item service estimations, and comprehensive data analysis.

Lesley has worked extensively on high-profile data management and disaster response projects for some of the nation’s most significant storms, including Hurricane Idalia, Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Michael, Hurricane Irma, Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Wilma, Hurricane Katrina, and Hurricane Andrew. Her deep expertise ensures that all contractual requirements, bid specifications, and quality control measures are met with accuracy and efficiency.

She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University and a Master’s degree from the University of Phoenix. For over 15 years, Lesley has collaborated closely with attorneys throughout the Southeast, providing critical support on contract management and compliance.

Lesley’s proven ability to navigate complex operational frameworks, paired with her commitment to excellence, makes her an invaluable asset in any project demanding rigorous attention to detail and accountability.

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Shane Hunter is a seasoned professional with nearly two decades of experience in the tree and storm debris management industry. Since founding his own tree service company in 2006, Shane has built a strong reputation specializing in the safe removal of dead, dangerous, and diseased trees, as well as large-scale land clearing projects. His commitment to safety is backed by OSHA 10 and 20 certifications.

In 2008, Shane expanded into the storm recovery sector, where he has since developed extensive expertise in both field operations and high-level project management. In 2017, Shane joined Bergeron Emergency Services and was part of our award-winning response to Hurricane Irma. Over the years, he has successfully scaled storm response capabilities, increasing fleets of bucket trucks and storm equipment to serve major recovery efforts throughout the Southeastern United States including overseeing disaster debris cleanup for the Virginia Department of Transportation following Hurricane Helene in 2024.

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A lifelong resident of Trenton, Georgia, and founder of Tree Monkey Tree Service (now MEED Forestry), Daniel has more than 25 years of experience in tree maintenance, tree removal and land clearing.  He initially became involved in disaster recovery when a major tornado struck his hometown. By 2019, his expertise was recognized by local utility companies, who began calling on his company for storm cleanup along roads and utility easements.

In 2024, MEED Forestry partnered with Daniel’s Tree Service to assist in major disaster recovery efforts in middle Georgia. His extensive field experience and leadership led to his current role as Operations Manager with BES, overseeing disaster debris cleanup for the Virginia Department of Transportation as of January 2025.