IEM Vice President Bryan Koon Receives the NIBS Distinguished Service Award
Koon was recognized for his contributions to the building sciences community
MORRISVILLE, NC, October 6, 2022 – IEM’s Bryan Koon, Vice President of International Homeland Security and Emergency Management, was recently honored with the “Distinguished Service Award” by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) at the organization’s annual Building Innovation Conference in Washington, DC. During their September 29 conference, NIBS recognized Koon for his substantial contributions in building sciences and his efforts to further the organization’s mission to improve the built environment.
Koon played a pivotal role on the NIBS Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council (MMC), a public-private partnership created to reduce to the costs of natural hazards as the Chair from 2018 to 2020 and the Vice Chair from 2014 to 2018. During this period the MMC conducted one of their landmark studies, the National Hazard Mitigation Report.
A key finding of the report showed that every dollar spent in mitigation could save the nation $11 dollars. This study is broadly referenced in national mitigation discussions, including recently by President Joe Biden.
Koon also spearheaded a national initiative for the development of a National Mitigation Resource Portal that aims to enhance community resilience activities by convening and streamlining mitigation tools efforts across the federal government and private sector.
Koon was unable to attend in person to receive the award, as he was supporting efforts for Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian. However, he stated “There is a lot more work to be done to make the nation more resilient and NIBS’s efforts significantly contribute to that mission. I am honored to reflect on the work done thus far with stakeholders, government agencies, and elected leaders to help develop political will and resources as we take steps to secure our built environment.” Koon noted that he is “confident that NIBS will continue to make a difference and move the need to help save lives and reduce the impact of disasters in a changing climate.”
