Elizabeth A. Zimmerman to Support IEM as Senior Executive Advisor

RESEARCH TRIANGLE, NC, September 29, 2017 – Today, IEM—a global security consulting firm specializing in emergency management and homeland security—announced Elizabeth A. Zimmerman will join the company as Senior Executive Advisor. Zimmerman previously served as Associate Administrator and Director of Disaster Operations at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and is a nationally recognized leader in emergency management.

Zimmerman has years of experience serving disaster survivors in times of crisis. She has directed response and recovery operations for over 400 major disasters and 70 emergency declarations at the state and federal levels. Her expertise at the state level led to her Presidential appointment as Associate Administrator and Director of Disaster Operations at the Office of Response and Recovery (ORR) at FEMA in 2009, where she served as the highest-ranking female executive at the agency.

At FEMA, Zimmerman directed programs and operations for the agency’s Response, Recovery, and Logistics Directorates and for the Office of Federal Disaster Coordination (OFDC), including during major disaster and emergency activations. She also directed one of the most significant changes to FEMA’s statutory authorities in the agency’s history through the development, coordination, and implementation of the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act (SRIA), and she collaborated closely with senior Administration officials to ensure communities impacted by disasters will receive the full benefit of FEMA grants.

“Ms. Zimmerman is a world-class expert on what it takes to deliver resources and support help to people when they need it most,” said IEM’s CEO and President, Madhu Beriwal. “Beth has managed literally hundreds of major disasters and pioneered historic innovations in emergency management that are saving millions of dollars and helping communities build back safer and stronger. Beth is also a true leader and role model for women in emergency management. She is a true asset to the IEM team.”

Prior to her service at FEMA, Zimmerman held positions as the Assistant Director of Recovery and as the Disaster Recovery Manager at the State of Arizona’s Division of Emergency Management. Zimmerman also held a wide array of positions in Utah and Arizona as an emergency manager.

Zimmerman holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University, she graduated from the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and is certified in the Professional Development Series at the Emergency Management Institute. Zimmerman also attended the Leadership Development Program at Arizona Government University. Honors and awards received include: 2014 International Women in Homeland Security & Emergency Management Hall of Fame Inductee; 2009 Emergency Management Accreditation Program – Eric Tolbert Distinguished Service Award; 2008 Arizona Division of Emergency Management – Outstanding Team Achievement, TOPOFF 4 Exercise; 2006 Arizona Office of the Governor – Volunteer Heroes: Katrina & Beyond; 1999 Arizona Emergency Services Association – Excellence in Emergency Management; and 1986 Utah Office of the Governor – Outstanding Service Award.