Our committees
NHMA Committees contribute individually and collectively toward the achievement of the Goals and Objectives in the current 5 Year Strategic Plan. Each Committee develops specific actions so NHMA can achieve more equitable outcomes and better serve the needs of disadvantaged and under-resourced communities and populations. Every committee plays a key role in fostering a culture of mentoring among NHMA members to guide mitigation practitioners in their careers. Below is a list of NHMA’s standing committees. To learn more and get involved in one of these committees, email us at contact@nhma.info.
Public Policy and Advocacy
This Committee stays current with and influences national policy that impacts mitigation practices and their effectiveness. This includes the full pre- and post-disaster event lifecycle to enable communities to achieve measurable disaster risk reduction including strategies for linking mitigation with post-disaster recovery at the community level. Activities include developing white papers on key national policy and program challenges, products and desk references.
Chairman: Will Polk
Co-Chairman: Gary O'Neal
Education and Training
This Committee guides the continuing development and improvement of the NHMA Disaster Risk Reduction Curriculum and the development of multiple methods of delivery to hazard mitigation practitioners at the National, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial levels, in partnership with FEMA and other Federal Agencies. This includes developing partnerships with other organizations with similar missions, engaging Academic institutions and students, and support to Community training needs. The Committee is focused on the need to expand and further develop the Nation’s hazard mitigation practitioner workforce, especially at the local/community level.
Chairman: Nickea Bradley
Co-Chairman: Thomas Hughes
Emerging Leaders
his Committee recruits and engages emerging young leaders working in hazard mitigation and climate change adaptation and related careers to join NHMA and ensures their perspectives are incorporated in the direction of NHMA and the work of all NHMA Committees. Members assist NHMA to: engage students develop Student Chapters at collaborating public universities, high schools, independent study/home school; conduct research for key NHMA white papers on topics of national importance; and complete NHMA-offered curriculum for mitigation practitioners and pilot / early-access to ‘new’ educational offerings to improve effectiveness.
Chairman: Grace Olenzak
Co-Chairman: Sonia Clemens
