Gerilee W. Bennett is the Acting Director of Hazard Mitigation Assistance within FEMA’s Mitigation Directorate. Hazard Mitigation Assistance reduces disaster suffering by delivering grant programs that decrease disaster losses. She oversees program strategic planning and resourcing for FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Assistance Programs, including the Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities (BRIC) Program, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the Flood Mitigation Assistance Program, and the new Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund.
Ms. Bennett previously served as the Director of the Recovery Interagency Coordination Division, where she oversaw the Recovery Support Function Leadership Group and the Interagency Recovery Coordination disaster field cadre and operations. During her tenure in FEMA Recovery, Ms. Bennett was responsible for leading the initial development and implementation of the National Disaster Recovery Framework, the Federal Interagency Operational Plan for Recovery, and a number of catastrophic disaster recovery plans and exercises. She has supported an array of disaster assistance operations from headquarters and field offices, including the COVID-19 pandemic, 2017 hurricanes, 2016 Louisiana Flooding and Hurricane Matthew, Hurricanes Isaac and Sandy in 2012, the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill, the 2004 and 2005 Hurricanes, and the 2001 World Trade Center attacks.
Ms. Bennett holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and German from the University of Idaho and a Master of Arts in Security Studies from the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security.