Tony Russell

Tony Russell is the Superintendent at the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) in Anniston, Ala. As Superintendent, Mr. Russell provides executive level management and leadership for the CDP as it provides unique, hands on training to more than 45,000 emergency responders a year from local, state, and tribal agencies. He is also responsible for operations of the CDP’s 176-acre campus, which is home to the only training facility in the country where civilian responders can train in a toxic agent environment and the nation’s only hospital training facility dedicated solely to preparing the healthcare, public health, and environmental health communities for mass casualty events related to terrorism or natural disasters. Mr. Russell previously served as a Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) for Region VIII between 2003 and 2009. In addition to his FCO duties, in 2009, he assumed the role of Acting Director of the FEMA Louisiana Recovery Office for Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike, with offices throughout the State, including Baton Rouge and New Orleans. In 2009 he was appointed by the President as the FEMA Region VI Regional Administrator and served in that capacity until 2012. Then, in 2014, he was designated as the Acting Region VIII Administrator, serving as the Senior Executive for all FEMA priorities and requirements in the States of Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, and Utah. Mr. Russell is an active member of the emergency management community, including the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and he holds the designation of Certified Emergency Manager (CEM).