Today, FEMA announced that Acting Administrator Pete Gaynor has appointed 15 members to FEMA’s National Advisory Council (NAC).
“Our new members bring incredible expertise to the NAC. Not only do they have intimate knowledge of the historic 2017 and 2018 disaster seasons, but also in-depth subject knowledge on the whole community partnership to help people before, during and after disasters,” Acting Administrator Gaynor said. “I look forward to their input and guidance as we work together to make our nation more resilient to all-hazards.”
The NAC is an advisory committee established by federal law to ensure effective and ongoing coordination of federal emergency management activities. The NAC provides advice to the FEMA Administrator through recommendations on all aspects of emergency management. For example, in 2019 the NAC has examined how to continue building financial preparedness, how to structure the Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities program, as well as how to help close the insurance gap.
The NAC consists of up to 35 members, including a diverse cross-section of officials, emergency managers, and emergency responders from state, local, tribal and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. In this year’s open application period, FEMA received more than 90 membership applications to fill the 15 open positions. The qualifications of each candidate were carefully considered during an intensive review process that included a recommendation panel of senior FEMA leadership.
The 15 NAC members appointed in 2019: Steve Birnbaum, President, Resudox Solutions LLC (Arlington, VA); Donna Boston, Director, Emergency Management, County of Orange, California (Silverado, CA); Paul Brennan, Director, Pre-Hospital EMS, and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Lawrence General Hospital (Lawrence, MA); Charles Esteves, Administrator, Guam Office of Civil Defense (Agna Heights, GU); Lori Hodges, Director, Emergency Management, Larimer County, Colorado (Fort Collins, CO); Nim Kidd, Chief, Texas Division of Emergency Management and Vice Chancellor, Texas A&M University System (Austin, TX); Jackie Lindsey, Cabinet Secretary for Homeland Security and Emergency Management, State of New Mexico (Santa Fe, NM); Nicolette Louissaint, Ph.D., Executive Director, Healthcare Ready (Washington, DC); Warren Miller, State Representative, NVOAD Board of Directors and National Disaster Field Coordinator, National Baptist Convention USA, Inc. (Madison, MS); Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer, State of Florida (Tallahassee, FL); Carol Salas, Psy.D., Director, Puerto Rico University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (San Juan, PR); James Schwartz, Deputy County Manager, Arlington County (Arlington, VA); Carrie Speranza, Chief of Staff, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (Washington, DC); Jeff Stern, Ph.D., Director, Virginia Department of Emergency Management (Richmond, VA); and Bruce Walker, Assistant Secretary for Electricity, Department of Energy (Washington, DC).
For those interested in applying to be a member of the NAC, FEMA anticipates accepting membership applications in September 2020 for positions beginning in December 2020. Check https://www.fema.gov/national-advisory-council for more information.
