Deanne Criswell, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has unveiled the appointment of 19 members to an advisory council that provides recommendations to the agency on disaster preparedness and response efforts.
Jeff Hansen, director of community safety for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, has been named chair of the National Advisory Council replacing outgoing chair W. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, FEMA said Tuesday.
Hansen, who previously served as vice chair of the council for four years, is the first tribal representative to hold the position of council chair.
He said the council will grow its members from 35 to 40 beginning in 2023 to include positions focused on climate change. The 16 new appointees and three returning members will begin their terms on Dec. 1.
The council has created approximately 400 recommendations to FEMA on a range of emergency management matters since its inception in 2006.
The full list and additional information on the council’s current members are available here.
