BOTHELL, Wash. – Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long swore in Mike O’Hare as the new Regional Administrator (RA) for FEMA Region 10 on Monday.
“I am pleased to be joining FEMA as the administrator for Region 10,” O’Hare said. “I look forward to working closely with our government, private sector and non-governmental partners as we continue to strengthen our culture of preparedness and community resilience.”
Prior to joining FEMA, O’Hare served nearly ten years with the State of Alaska Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, most recently as the Director of the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. During his tenure as the Director, O’Hare determined policies and response operations with the Governor, the Adjutant General, Legislature, Congressional delegation and local jurisdictions. O’Hare also led Alaska in crisis management roles serving as State Coordinating Officer for several state and federal disasters and the director of multiple full-scale and functional exercises of national significance.
O’Hare previously also served the State of Alaska as Acting Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs. His earlier career with the state includes serving as a Legislative Aide in the Alaska State Legislature and managing Information Technology in the State of Alaska Legislative Affairs Agency.
In his role as RA, O’Hare is responsible for the direction and leadership of FEMA’s emergency management efforts in support of the states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and the 271 Federally Recognized Tribes and Alaska Native Villages within the region. These efforts include delivering FEMA’s preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation programs in concert with partners from all levels of government, volunteer organizations, faith-based groups and the private sector.
O’Hare holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Long Island University graduating from Southampton College in 1984, and completed the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative Executive Education Program from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 2012.
O’Hare and his wife Valerie have two children and live in Chugiak, Alaska.
If you need additional information, please call the FEMA Region10 news desk at 425-487-4610
FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.