Angela Gladwell
"We’ll be here until the job is done and every claimant receives the compensation they’re due."
Before joining the Claims Office, Angela directed FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs nationally, including the new Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) Program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, and the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program. She is the former director of FEMA’s Office of Environmental Planning and Historic Preservation and former Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Risk Management Directorate.
What motivated you to apply for this position?
I'm here because I care about the recovery of the people affected by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon fire and floods. We have the opportunity together to build and design a program that meets the unique needs of claimants. I have several decades worth of experience building and managing federal programs, and this new program will require all that experience and more. While in this position, I will continue to dedicate my time to listening and learning about the unique culture of Northern New Mexico and the outstanding needs we can help address through the Claims Office. I know how challenging the last year has been on the community. I know how frustrated claimants are. I would be frustrated as well, which is why I’m going to work very hard to get people what they need to recover.
What's the most important thing you want people to know?
We’re dedicated to creating a program that meets the needs of New Mexicans impacted by the wildfires and subsequent floods. Our office will provide unwavering support to the community to further their recovery while being mindful of the length of time it will take to do so. At the same time, the only way we’re going to be successful is to conduct ourselves with compassion, fairness, integrity and respect for all claimants and the broader public. I have integrated these values into our hiring, training and how we implement all aspects of our program.
Which FEMA core value do you resonate with the most?
Integrity. Integrity encompasses our responsibility to build public trust by keeping the commitments we make and being good stewards of the funds with which we have been entrusted. We can only earn that trust one day at a time, by being accountable, present, honest, and dependable, always choosing courage over comfort and choosing what's right over what's fun, fast, or easy. Integrity doesn't just happen — we have to choose to practice our values every day.