TRI’s CEO Andrea Davis Featured in Louisiana Illuminator on FEMA’s Role in Disaster Response

NewsroomPreparednessResiliencyDisaster Recovery

Mar 5

Andrea Davis, CEO of The Resiliency Initiative and former FEMA External Affairs Director for the Louisiana Recovery Office, was recently featured in the Louisiana Illuminator discussing proposed changes to FEMA's structure and funding authority. In the article, Davis emphasized the widespread misunderstanding of FEMA’s role in disaster response, clarifying that the agency is not a first responder but a critical recovery partner. Drawing on her experience managing Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts, she also cautioned against turning over federal disaster funding to states without proper safeguards— “Every penny of taxpayer money should be monitored,” Davis noted, advocating for increased transparency and accountability in disaster funding systems.

Read the full article here: https://lailluminator.com/2025/03/05/louisiana-emergency-officials-weigh-in-on-trumps-call-for-fema-fixes/

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Andrea E. Davis

As the Founder, President and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative, a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), I empower small businesses and communities to become self-reliant through crisis and risk mitigation planning. I have over 20 years of experience in emergency management, business continuity, and public health, working for public, private, and non-profit sectors across various industries and geographies.

My core competencies include strategic policy development, program management, stakeholder engagement, and media relations. I have led global, enterprise-wide crisis management departments for multi-national, Fortune 500 companies, such as The Walt Disney Company and Walmart, overseeing large-scale responses to natural disasters, pandemics, cyberattacks, and social unrest. I have also served as the External Affairs Director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Louisiana Recovery Office for Hurricane Katrina, managing a recovery portfolio of over $25 billion.

My passion is volunteer service, which led to my selection as the Inaugural Emergency Manager of the Year in 2018 by the International Association of Emergency Managers and my induction into the Women’s Emergency Management Hall of Fame in 2013. Currently, I am Board Chair for the California Resiliency Alliance and the Northwest Arkansas American Red Cross. Additionally, I am an advisory board member for the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Management (I-DIEM) and the Dr. Lucy Jones Foundation.