CHICAGO – Thomas C. Sivak, recently appointed as regional administrator of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), began his service on Monday, March 28, 2022. As Region 5’s administrator, Sivak will lead and coordinate all activities in support of FEMA’s mission with the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin and 34 federally recognized tribes in the region.
“I’m honored by this opportunity to lead the FEMA Region 5 office, building from my emergency management experiences serving the beautiful and diverse neighborhoods of Cook County and city of Chicago to join a team of seasoned responders dedicated to helping people across our Great Lakes states before, during and after disasters,” said Sivak. “I firmly believe we will continue achieving FEMA’s mission while finding innovative ways to foster communities that are safer and more resilient to future disaster risks.”
Prior to joining FEMA, Sivak was the Deputy Director of Operations for Cook County, Illinois Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security and served for six years as the Deputy Director for Emergency Management at Chicago’s Office of Emergency Management and Communication. Throughout Sivak’s 15-year emergency management and public safety career, he has proudly worked for private, urban area and county public sector organizations and filled leadership roles during major activations, including the 2012 Super Bowl, 2018 Mercy Hospital active shooter incident, COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest in May and August 2020, and presidential election consequence management.
Sivak is a Certified Emergency Manager through the International Association of Emergency Managers and a graduate of the Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He holds a Master of Science in Public Service Leadership from DePaul University as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marquette University and is originally from East Cleveland, Ohio.
FEMA's mission is helping people before, during, and after disasters.