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FEMA's 10 Regional Directors' Bios

The Federal Emergency Management Agency divides the country into ten regions and each has a regional director setting policy and programs, in the event of a disaster.

As you can see from their bios, which I've excerpted below, some may have disaster relief experience, but quite a few appear to have very little expertise for this crucial public safety field.

Based on their FEMA bios, I'd say the worst of the lot are Region 1's Horak, who's experience in retailing and p.r. consulting; Region 3's Arcuri, who's bio lists no qualifications, just a resume detailing her rise through the FEMA ranks; Region 8's Maurstad, who's created programs honoring teenage leaders for their courage; and the most unqualified may be Region 10's Pennington, who authored more than 30 laws when he serves in the WA legislature.

Check out today's Seattle Times article on Pennington and his piss-pour resume for disaster expertise.

Given the recent abysmal record of FEMA, I'm not willing to say any of the agency's regional directors are qualified and ready to meet the challenges of disasters and relief efforts, for the simple reason we know how FEMA's head, idiot Michael Brown, padded his resume and experience.

^^^

Region 1
CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, VT
Kenneth L. Horak
Acting Director

[...] Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Horak served as an officer in the United States Navy with duty assignments in Washington D.C., Norfolk, Va., and London, England. His private sector professional experience includes business retailing and public relations consulting.

A Massachusetts native, Mr. Horak holds a BA degree in American Government from Harvard College [...]

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Region 2

NJ, NY, PR, VI
Joseph F. Picciano
Office of the Director

[...] Prior to his service with FEMA, Mr. Picciano worked with engineering consultants in the fields of floodplain management, environmental planning and engineering. Mr. Picciano graduated from Newark College of Engineering in 1971 with a BS in Civil Engineering, and received a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology in 1976. Mr. Picciano was honored as a distinguished Alumnus for 2002. Mr. Picciano is a licensed professional engineer and resident of Bergen County, New Jersey [...]

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Region 3
DC, DE, MD, PA, VA, WV
Patricia G. Arcuri
Acting Regional Director

Patricia G. Arcuri has assumed the position of Deputy Regional Director and has also been appointed by Director Allbaugh as the Acting Regional Director for FEMA Region III. She succeeded Peter G. Cote who retired on Jan. 3. Before being named Deputy Regional Director, Pat served as the FEMA Region III Director of the Administration and Resource Planning Division (ARP). Pat brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in FEMA's programs.

Pat began her FEMA career as a disaster temporary employee after Hurricane Agnes in 1972. Her initial 90-day appointment was renewed repeatedly. In 1974, she became a permanent full-time administrative assistant in the Executive Office of Emergency Preparedness. In 1974, the Executive Office of Emergency Preparedness became part of the Department of Housing and Urban Development as the Federal Disaster Assistance Administration. It became an independent agency, FEMA, in 1979.

Moving up the career ladder, Pat transitioned to the program area, first to Individual Assistance, then Public Assistance. When the Branch Chief for Public Assistance left, Pat was promoted to the position. She was then reassigned around 1990 to the Deputy Director of the Emergency Management National Preparedness Program Division (EMNPP) to manage Regional Response Plan activities. In 1993, FEMA was reorganized. Among the new units was the Operations Support Division, and Pat became its first director. The new division was responsible for activities such as information technology, logistics management, procurement, grants management, payroll and personnel. This division later evolved into ARP.

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Region 4
AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN
Kenneth O. Burris, Jr.
Regional Director

[...] Before accepting this post, Mr. Burris had served as the first Chief Operating Officer of the U.S. Fire Administration since September 1999. Burris oversaw the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Fire Administration, including the National Fire Academy, and serves as the primary advisor to the FEMA Director and the USFA Administrator on overall operations and management of the fire administration.

Before joining FEMA, Mr. Burris had served as a firefighter for more than 22 years, and had been the fire chief in Marietta, Georgia, since 1992. He is credited with applying innovative techniques and strong leadership to that department, which serves as a national model.

A native of Kansas City, Missouri, Burris holds a BS degree in Safety and Fire Protection Engineering Technology from the University of Cincinnati, where he graduated cum laude. He also holds a Masters of Public Administration at Kennesaw University [...]

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Region 5
IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI
Edward G. Buikema
Regional Director

[...] In September 2001, Mr. Buikema was appointed as the Regional Director of FEMA's Region V. He coordinated FEMA mitigation, preparedness, and disaster response and recovery activities in six states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin. Since his appointment, he has overseen the response and recovery to 22 presidential disaster and emergency declarations that have occurred in Region V. The Department of Homeland Security designated him as one of the original Principal Federal Officials in December 2003. He has been involved in leadership positions in several high profile events including the 2004 Democratic National Convention and the Top Officials series of exercises. He is co-chair of the Great Lakes Partnership for Critical Infrastructure Security and Interdependence, a member of the Executive Committee of the Chicago Federal Executive Board, and a member of the Executive Committee of the Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Prior to coming to FEMA, Mr. Buikema was Director of the Emergency Management Division of the Michigan State Police. He was responsible for the administration of the state’s emergency management system and served as the State Coordinating Officer for presidential disaster declarations. He was an officer with the Michigan State Police for more than 26 years, with responsibilities ranging from law enforcement to serving as the governor’s authorized representative for nine presidential-declared disasters [...]

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Region 6
AR, LA, NM, OK, TX
Gary Jones
Regional Director

[...] In 1993, Mr. Jones was designated deputy regional director and has served as acting regional director on four other separate occasions. From 1983 until 1993, Mr. Jones worked in the FEMA Region VI Technological Hazards Branch, serving as branch chief and regional assistance committee chairman. The branch program responsibilities included Radiological Emergency Preparedness, Radiological Defense, Hazardous Materials, Earthquake Preparedness, Hurricane Preparedness, Dam Safety and the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program.

Mr. Jones has 41 years of government experience at the federal and state level. Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Jones worked for the Arkansas Department of Health in a variety of emergency medical services positions and later served three years as the director of Arkansas’ Emergency Medical Services Program. Following his 13 years with the Arkansas Department of Health, Mr. Jones served as the Arkansas state coordinator for physician recruitment with the U.S. Public Health Service [...]

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Region 7
IA, KS, MO, NE
Dick Hainje
Regional Director

[...] Prior to coming to FEMA, Mr. Hainje was an elected member of the South Dakota state legislature and a 24-year veteran of the Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Department. Hainje was elected to the state senate in 1996 and re-elected in 1998 and 2000, and spent four years on the state’s Appropriations Committee. He joined the Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Department in 1977 and rose through the ranks to division fire chief of prevention in 1999. Part of his responsibilities included injury prevention and fire safety programs for school children. Mr. Hainje worked closely with FEMA during the floods of 1997, when South Dakota and other states were threatened with spring flooding [...]

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Region 8
CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY
David Maurstad
Regional Director

[...] Prior to that appointment, Mr. Maurstad was the Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, a position to which he was elected in 1998. In that position, Mr. Maurstad served as federal liaison and tribal liaison and chairman of the Nebraska Information Technology Commission. During his tenure as lieutenant governor, he also worked with the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services on early childhood learning issues and created a program to recognize young people from across Nebraska for their achievements and personal courage.

Mr. Maurstad had previously served as a member of the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature. He had also previously served on the Beatrice School Board and was mayor of that city.

Mr. Maurstad holds a bachelor of science degree in business administration and an MBA from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

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Region 9
AZ, CA, Guam, HI, NV, CNMI, RMI, FSM, American Somoa
Patricia E. Armes
Acting Regional Director

[...] In addition, Ms. Armes continues to serve as the region's Deputy Director, a post she assumed in December 2000. Previously Ms. Armes had served as director of the Operations Support Division and as branch chief of Program Services. She also served as Acting Regional Director from January 2000 until November 2002.

Before joining FEMA, Ms. Armes was director of the Business Management Department of the Navy Finance Center in San Francisco, a position assigned to her after the capitalization of the data automation centers by the Defense Information System Agency in 1994. Prior to that, she had served more than 10 years with that organization being promoted from budget analyst to the director of the Budget and Accounting Division and then director of the Management Support Division. She began there in 1982 as a NAVCOMPT financial management trainee [...]

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Region 10
AK, ID, OR, WA
John Pennington
Regional Director

[...] In August of 2004 Mr. Pennington was appointed by the Department of Homeland Security as a member of the Principal Federal Official (PFO) cadre. He serves on the executive committee of the Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council of Alaska (ATACA) and is an ex-officio member of the State of Washington’s Emergency Management Council (EMC).

Prior to joining FEMA, Mr. Pennington served four terms of elected office in the Washington State House of Representatives. He served as Speaker Pro Tempore for three terms, and enjoyed the distinction of being the youngest House Speaker Pro Tem ever elected in Washington State. During his tenure, he authored more than 30 bills that became law [...]