Ms. Deanne Criswell was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on April 22, 2021 as the 12th Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Ms. Criswell is the first woman confirmed to serve as the Administrator, where she leads the nation's efforts in helping people before, during, and after disasters. She brings with her an extensive career in public service, with serving 30 years at all levels of government. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Criswell served as the Commissioner of the New York City Emergency Management Department from 2019 to 2021, where she was responsible for coordinating citywide emergency planning and response for all emergencies. One of her most significant accomplishments was leading the coordination of the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic to include preventing the collapse of the healthcare system, making sure no New Yorker went hungry, establishing a first of its kind non-congregate sheltering program, and supporting the country’s largest mass fatality program. Ms. Criswell began her career in emergency management in Aurora, Colorado, where she led strategic change in the city's emergency and disaster planning. During her tenure, Ms. Criswell coordinated transitional housing and family reunification efforts in response to receiving evacuees during the response to Hurricane Katrina. She previously served at FEMA as the leader of one of the Agency's National Incident Management Assistance Teams (IMAT) and as a Federal Coordinating Officer. In this role, Ms. Criswell was the primary Federal representative responsible for leading the agency's response to and recovery from emergencies and major disasters, from severe flooding in North Dakota to hurricanes in South Carolina to fires in Colorado. She also spent two years as an executive in the private sector, providing exceptional technical expertise and the experience necessary to help her clients achieve their critical missions. Ms. Criswell also proudly served 21 years in the Colorado Air National Guard. She is a veteran of two overseas tours to include as a fire officer in Kuwait immediately following the attacks of September 11, 2001, and to Qatar in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010 where she advised senior leadership on fire protection requirements for new and existing military bases in Afghanistan and Iraq. Ms. Criswell holds a Bachelor of Science from Colorado State University, a Master of Public Administration from the University of Colorado – Denver, and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School, Center for Homeland Defense and Security.

Andy Beshear grew up in Fayette, Franklin, and Clark counties and graduated from Henry Clay High School. He is the son of Steve and Jane Beshear, the 61st Governor and first lady. Along the way, they instilled in Andy the teachings of Andy’s grandfather, a Baptist minister from Dawson Springs, Kentucky, including the values of family, faith, and public service.

Marcus Coleman serves as the Director for the Department of Homeland Security Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships (DHS Partnerships Center), one of several centers of the White House Office of Faith-Based & Neighborhood Partnerships. Originally from Tucson, Arizona, Marcus has served at the intersection of building public private partnerships with faith-based and non-profit organizations for more than 15 years. As the Director of the DHS Partnerships Center, Marcus leads a team focused on building partnerships alongside others at FEMA and DHS to advance equity in emergency management and strengths climate resilience, improving the safety and security of the places where people worship, fellowship and serve and provides technical assistance to emergency managers, first responders and national security professionals on engaging faith-based and community organizations across DHS. The office is also an active partner of the DHS Blue Campaign, an effort designed to educate the public, law enforcement and other partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, and how to appropriately respond to possible cases. Marcus began his career at FEMA in 2010, where he was a program manager for the Individual and Community Preparedness Division. There he worked to create partnerships that represented both the public and private sectors which included co-developing FEMA - Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Course | IS-909: Community Preparedness: Implementing Simple Activities for Everyone. In 2013, Marcus transitioned to the DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships serving as Special Assistant to the Director. In 2018 Marcus transitioned to the private sector working at HWC where he supported projects that include marketing flood insurance and providing program management support to the Risk MAP program. Throughout his time at the DHS Partnerships Center, Coleman supported a number of disaster activations and special mission responses. This including responding to hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, the 2015 influx of unaccompanied children, Hurricane Ida, the Kentucky Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Flooding, and Tornadoes, Operation Allies Welcome and leading post-incident national outreach and messaging after several active shooter and active assailant incidents. In 2016, he won a FEMA Administrator’s Award for the work he did to encourage collaboration between faith leaders and first responders to improve the safety and security of places of worship. Coleman’s contributions to homeland security also include co-developing FEMA’s guidance for Engaging Faith-based and Community Organizations: Planning Considerations for Emergency Managers and contributing to FEMA’s course on Religious and Cultural Literacy and Competency in Disasters and leading the development and implementation of several national memorandums of agreement with organizations serving historically underrepresented communities. He has also written several articles featured in the Crisis Response Journal and has been featured in his current capacity on media outlets including the Better Samaritan Podcast; the Climate Initiative, the Chavis Chronicles, and the Jewish News Syndicate. Marcus is an alum of Howard University, American University, Harvard University National Preparedness Leadership Initiative and the Obama for America Campaign. Outside of his role at FEMA, Marcus stays active as a proud resident of Washington, DC as an Advisory Board Member for the National Institute of Civic Discourse, Board Member for Fair Chance and an active member of the Truman National Security Project, the Next Generation National Security #NextGenNatSec, and the Diversity in National Security Network and the Vanguard Fellows Program.

Nikki is the co-manager for ITEP’s Tribal Climate Change Program. She is of the Diné Nation by way of Shonto and Blue Gap, AZ, and is of the Towering House Clan, born for the Reed People Clan, maternal grandfathers are of the Water that Flows Together Clan, and paternal grandfathers are of the Manygoats Clan. Nikki received her Bachelors and Masters of Forestry from Northern Arizona University (NAU) with a few years of post-graduate study at Michigan State University. For her undergraduate and Masters studies, she has worked extensively with the Cherokee Tribe of North Carolina, and has worked with various tribes including the Kaibab Paiute tribe. Prior to ITEP, Nikki has worked with the Merriam Powell Center for Environmental Research on a Climate Change Education Program, and at NAU Talent Search working with underrepresented, low-income, potential first generation college students at 10 middle and high schools in Northern Arizona. In addition, as a river guide and cultural interpreter working on the Colorado River-Grand Canyon and San Juan River, Nikki is the co-founder of the Native American River Guide Training Program and Fifth World Discoveries, was the first Native American President and Vice-President of the Grand Canyon River Guides Association (GCRG), and is a former associate director of the Native Voices Program. She is very passionate about advocating for and education about the protection and preservation of the environment and its resources. Nikki thoroughly enjoys gardening, her Navajo language and culture, and spending time with her large extended family in the southwest and Iowa

Kelbie Kennedy is a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and was born and raised on her Tribal Nation's reservation in Southeast, Oklahoma. On October 11, 2022, President Biden appointed Ms. Kennedy as the first tribal affairs political appointee in the history of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security. As the first FEMA National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Ms. Kennedy will directly advise the Administrator and the Agency on all tribal affairs and work to ensure that FEMA lives up to its treaty responsibilities to all Tribal Nations. Ms. Kennedy will also work across the Agency to implement the first FEMA National Tribal Strategy. Ms. Kennedy received her J.D. and certificate in American Indian Law from the University of Oklahoma, College of Law. She has focused her career on field of Federal Indian Law and has worked for Tribal Nations, private firms, and the federal government. Before joining the FEMA team, Ms. Kennedy spent over four years working in Washington D.C. for the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) as the Policy Manager and Policy Lead – National Security and Community Safety. In her role with NCAI, Ms. Kennedy worked on national policy issues surrounding tribal emergency management and resilience, tribal homeland security, tribal border issues, violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, public safety and justice, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Indian child and family welfare, and international Indigenous rights. Ms. Kennedy played pivotal role in the efforts to reauthorize the 2022 Violence Against Women Act, which restored Tribal Nation’s criminal jurisdiction over non-Indians for certain crimes. Alongside Tribal Nations she urged Congress to increase funding to build tribal homeland security and emergency management capacity and pushed FEMA to amend various polices that impacted Tribal Nations and tribal citizens. Ms. Kennedy also produced a Tribal Disaster Declaration Webinar Series in partnership with tribal emergency managers and FEMA experts. Before working at NCAI, Ms. Kennedy worked as the Assistant Attorney General for Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia. In her role as the Assistant Attorney General, Ms. Kennedy prosecuted both criminal and civil cases on behalf of the State, negotiated indigenous land claims, advised the Chuuk Governor, and testified before the Chuuk State legislature. Ms. Kennedy brings a wealth of knowledge and experience from her time in Indian Country and from the many Tribal Nation she has worked with over the years.

Spencer Whitaker is a Program Specialist for the Resilience Service Branch of the Infrastructure Security Division for CISA Headquarters who specializes in recovery and resilience. With over a decade of experience, Spencer assisted in the recovery of infrastructure caused by both Hurricane Ida and Hurricane Ian. In his free time, Spencer is an avid practitioner of Karate and enjoys bad dad jokes.

Daryl Schaffer retired as a U.S. Coast Guard Captain after nearly 31 years of service. He has a master’s degree in both Human Resource Management and Security and Disaster Management, and is currently a Ph.D. student concentrating on disaster and natural resource management at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has over 40 years of emergency management experience, has been a certified Incident Command System Type-1 Logistics Section Chief, Type-3 Incident Commander, Type-3 Planning Section Chief, and was a Unified Commander during Hurricane Katrina response.

Dr. John Pennington is an internationally recognized Homeland Security, Emergency Management, and public policy professional with an extensive focus on disaster policy in Alaska and the Alaskan Arctic. A former DHS-FEMA Region X Director, he is Director for the Master of Security & Disaster Management (MSDM) degree program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), where he also serves as Deputy Director of the Center for Arctic Security and Resilience (CASR). He received his Ph.D. in Indigenous Studies with a concentration in Indigenous Knowledge Systems, as a Mellon Fellow, from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, He is a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School’s Executive Leaders Program, is a twice certified CEM, and is a proud faculty member and alumni of the National Emergency Management Advanced Academy (NEMAA).

Danielle Arigoni is an urban planner and community resilience expert. She currently serves as Managing Director for Policy and Solutions at National Housing Trust, and is author of Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation (Island Press) which explores the impacts of climate change on people over 65 and the need for community-scale solutions to reduce risk for all. Previously, Danielle served in leadership positions at AARP, HUD and EPA, and holds a master’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.

Julie Shiyou-Woodard is the President and CEO of Smart Home America, a non-profit organization working at the intersections of disaster resilience, policy, affordable housing, and insurance. Under her leadership, Smart Home America has fostered a culture of resilience by supporting local efforts to implement proven solutions that strengthen homes and businesses, reducing disaster-related losses and insurance costs. Julie's advocacy has led to local and state policy changes that enhance building methods, codes, and incentives for construction. With over 20 years of experience in local and state government, Julie has developed and managed environmental and hazard mitigation projects in collaboration with federal, state, and local agencies. Her expertise allows her to collaborate effectively with leaders at various levels of government, implementing policies that support property mitigation and disaster resilience. Julie's contributions have been crucial to the success of programs like FORTIFIED Home™, FORTIFIED Multifamily™, and FORTIFIED Commercial™, resulting in thousands of designations and projects. Julie is committed to ensuring equity and closing the insurance gap for vulnerable populations. She has expanded Smart Home America's staff, added continuing education approvals in over 10 states, and broadened the organization's mission to improve workforce housing. Julie's extensive experience includes roles as Principal Planner at the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission, Wildland Urban Interface Coordinator for the State of Alabama Forestry Commission, and Community Program Director at the Mobile County District Attorney's Office. She resides in Mobile, Alabama, with her family.

Janet Newcomb (jnewcomb@ncaper.org) is the Executive Director of NCAPER, the National Coalition for Arts’ Preparedness & Emergency Response, and the Performing Arts Coordinator for the Performing Arts Readiness (PAR) project at Lyrasis. During her career Jan has directed nine arts organizations including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, four arts councils in NY and SC and a community arts center. She served as Director of Grants at the SC Arts Commission and taught modern dance at the University of Buffalo and the University of SC. In 2009, Jan began consulting on leadership transition and development for arts organizations; her clients include: Long Wharf Theatre, Lexington Philharmonic, Miami Summer Music Festival, South Arts, and others. In 2015, she designed and was asked to direct the MA in Leadership in the Arts & Entertainment Industries Program at NYIT in Manhattan. In 2009, Jan received the Community Achievement Award from Mayor Joseph Riley, Charleston, SC. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Lifetime Service Award from The Arts Council of the Southern Finger Lakes in her hometown of Corning, NY. She holds a BA in Music, Hood College, MA in Dance, from The George Washington University.

Melanie Perello is a Program Analyst in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program at FEMA Headquarters. Within HMGP, Melanie works on equity, program implementation, and nature-based solutions.

Cli joined the Mitigation Framework Leadership Group (MitFLG) team in July 2022 in the role of Project Manager for the National Initiative to Advance Building Codes. She works to further the initiative through management of the interagency Building Codes Taskforce. Prior to FEMA, Cli worked with a disaster recovery and preparedness non-profit organization based in New Orleans and received her B.S. from Tulane University.

"John Ingargiola is a lead physical scientist in the Resilience Organization at the the Federal Emergency Management Agency in Washington, DC. Ingargiola’s work involves a broad range of mitigation activities that include pre- and post-disaster building sciences, building science education, working with model building codes and standards- producing organizations, guiding agency policy and strategy on building codes, and developing technical guidance for hazard mitigation and coordination. He currently serves as the Subject Matter Lead for the MitFLG Building Codes Task Force which is championing the White House led National Initiative for Advancing Building Codes. Ingargiola holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering from the Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art."

Jennifer is the new Resilience Project Manager with the Coastal Program at the NH Department of Environmental Services where she works with coastal communities and partners on coastal resiliency projects. She recently left her previous position as New Hampshire’s State NFIP Coordinator, a role she held for 18 years.

Nielsen serves as the Branch Chief for the Procurement Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT), which is a branch within FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD). He has been a member of PDAT for over 7 years and, in this role, he oversees the development of policies, internal controls, and training deliveries on the procurement under grants subject matter. He has deployed over 25 times in support of PDAT missions and delivered over 100 trainings. Prior to joining PDAT, he worked for FEMA’s Procurement and Fiscal Law Division where he served as the division paralegal and as a Contracting Officer Representative. Nielsen was born in Miami and charted his course towards FEMA and Washington, D.C., in November 2014 after four years as a private practice paralegal. Nielsen received his bachelor’s degree in legal studies and his master’s degree in National Security Affairs from Nova Southeastern University.

Lisa Messano is the Change Management Deputy for Resilience Action Partners and a subject matter expert contributing to CERC-developed projects across the nation. As part of the Resilience Action Partners team for FEMA’s inaugural CERC contract, she co-led the development and implementation of the flood risk communication toolkit and video series for community officials and contributed to initiatory equity-centered approaches.

FEMA, Program Analyst