WASHINGTON — Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas released the following statement on the confirmation of Deanne Criswell as FEMA Administrator:
“I congratulate Deanne Criswell on her historic confirmation to lead the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and I am thrilled to welcome her to our team. Deanne is a proven leader on issues related to climate change, emergency management, and disaster response. She brings nearly six years of prior FEMA experience to this role. I look forward to working together to confront our most urgent challenges.
“I thank Bob Fenton for serving as Acting Administrator of FEMA. Bob’s trusted leadership has been invaluable during the pandemic as FEMA responded to multiple challenges at once.”
Deanne Criswell is the first woman to lead FEMA since its creation in 1979.