Federal Disaster Housing and Recovery Expert, Chris Smith, Joins IEM
Former FEMA Senior Executive will bolster IEM’s housing and individual assistance program services
MORRISVILLE, NC, March 21, 2022 – IEM, a global woman- and minority-owned crisis management firm, is pleased to announce the addition of Chris Smith as the new Director of Individual Assistance and Disaster Housing. Mr. Smith’s invaluable experience in disaster response, homeland security, and emergency management strengthens and expands IEM’s capabilities to support our federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial clients with his expertise in individual assistance focusing on disaster survivors, housing programs and financial assistance following a disaster.
“As natural disasters become more intense and frequent, IEM continues to assist those experiencing displacement and property damage or loss by supporting our state, local, tribal and territorial partners as they provide vital housing and individual assistance,” said Bryan Koon, IEM Vice President of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. “Chris’ expertise in disaster recovery, individual assistance, and disaster housing will ensure IEM’s partners at all levels are able to quickly and equitably provide assistance to individuals and households impacted by disasters.”
As IEM’s Director of Individual Assistance and Disaster Housing, Mr. Smith will lead the company’s strategic and tactical disaster recovery to include individual assistance and housing deliveries – expanding our robust capacity to assist state, local, tribal, and territorial clients.
Mr. Smith has over 15 years of experience serving as a federal, state, and local emergency manager. He most recently served as a member of the senior leadership team at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington, D.C., leading the Office of Response and Recovery’s Individual Assistance Division which provides a multitude of programs to support disaster survivors. In this position, he directed the largest workforce in the agency through 175 federally declared disasters and oversaw the delivery of more than $52 billion in federal assistance to disaster survivors. Upon Congress’s passage of COVID funding for funeral assistance, Mr. Smith led his team to expeditiously develop the guidance to deliver more than $2 billion in financial aid to those who lost loved ones from COVID.
“I am excited to join IEM in this new role,” said Mr. Smith. “IEM has always been a leader in disaster assistance and housing, and I look forward to utilizing my FEMA and state-level experience in disaster recovery and emergency management to spearhead IEM’s expanding capabilities across the country.”
Prior to working at FEMA, he served as the Chief of Emergency Management and the Homeland Security Advisor to the Governor of the State of Nevada and Emergency Management Director for the Washoe County School District. In these roles, Mr. Smith advocated for emergency management initiatives before the Nevada Legislature and local county and city leadership helping to support response and recovery efforts in emergencies and disasters throughout the State. Mr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and Pollical Science and a Master of Education Leadership, both from the University of Nevada.
About IEM
IEM is a global homeland security and disaster management consulting firm dedicated to building a safe, secure, and resilient world. As the largest woman-owned homeland security and emergency management firm in the world, IEM provides services and expertise at every stage of the emergency management cycle—from preparedness and prevention/protection to mitigation, response, and recovery. We integrate science, technology, and real-world experience to provide our customers with solutions that work and outcomes that matter. For information, please visit www.iem.com.
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