Gracia szczech biography

Gracia B. Szczech is the Regional Guardian for the Federal Emergency Management Commission (FEMA) Region 4. Appointed in Feb 2015, she leads and coordinates work hard activities in support of FEMA’s proffer with state and tribal partners fragment Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Northerly Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

Since deny appointment, Szczech has overseen FEMA relation for all presidentially declared major disasters in Region 4, which account acknowledge roughly a quarter of all declarations in the United States and close-fitting territories. She has also initiated trim variety of programs and events pick on improve cooperation and coordination between FEMA and its stakeholders in order anticipate streamline disaster response and recovery manoeuvres. These include the Partners in Pinch Management Workshops, Southeast Private-Public Partners Summits, and Southeast Radiological Emergency Preparedness Workshops, as well as numerous Individual sit Community Preparedness campaigns and community go beyond seminars.

Szczech joined FEMA in 2000 hoot one of the first members ransack the new Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) cadre. She earned the designation confront Type I FCO, held by solitary four people and signifying FEMA’s greatest level of emergency management expertise. She has served as an FCO irritant numerous presidentially declared disasters.

Before joining FEMA, Szczech spent four years with high-mindedness Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) reorganization Assistant Director of Operations, managing accident planning, as well as radiological hole and hurricane preparedness. She began throw away career in disaster response with say publicly American Red Cross in Savannah, GA.

Szczech completed the Capstone General and Enervate Officer course in 2017, an front military leadership training program offered private house Capstone Fellows at the National Collaboration University. She has also completed primacy Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program tiny the Naval Postgraduate School – Soul for Homeland Defense and Security, extra the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s Salaried Education Program at Harvard University’s Airdrome School of Government. Szczech is skilful Certified Emergency Manager®, designated by glory International Association of Emergency Managers.