For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact: 202-282-8010
As part of her ongoing effort to improve and streamline Gulf Coast recovery efforts, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a further realignment of offices today. The Gulf Coast Recovery Office, a temporary operation created after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to oversee the multi-state Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) operations of the Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas Transition Recovery Offices (TRO), will be dissolved. The Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office will assume operations of the Gulf Coast Recovery Office. Secretary Napolitano recently announced Tony Russell as the Acting Director of the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office, and he will continue to serve in that role, reporting directly to the FEMA Administrator in Washington, D.C.
"I am committed to ensuring that FEMA has the best operational structure, which supports the most effective recovery process for the Gulf Coast," said Secretary Napolitano. "Dissolving the Gulf Coast Recovery Office at this time and moving those operations to the Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office will lead to faster decision making and improve efficiency in recovery operations."
There will be no delays or disruption of work as a result of this transition and project funding will continue to be reviewed through the Joint FEMA/State teams recently created by Secretary Napolitano. Operations in Alabama, Mississippi and Texas have already been transitioned.
Supportive transition services are being provided to every Gulf Coast Recovery Office staff member to ensure they have every opportunity to seek and find meaningful employment.
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