I am pleased to announce the selection of Cortez Lawrence as Superintendent of the Emergency Management Institute. As Superintendent, Cortez will become a member of FEMA’s Senior Executive Service. He officially begins as Superintendent this Sunday, October 1, 2006.
Since 2001, Cortez has served as director of the National Fire Programs (NFP) Division at the U.S. Fire Administration within the DHS Preparedness Directorate, where he provided leadership for a multi-billion-dollar program and a 45-person staff of career employees and contractors. He directed the staff of NFP to deploy in its crisis mission in response to the attacks of September 11, 2001.
In 2005 and 2006, Cortez served on special details as Emergency Services Branch Chief and in the Principal Federal Official’s Support Cell at the FEMA Joint Field Office and Area Field Office in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Earlier in his career, he was deputy director of the Public Safety Department for the City of Auburn, Alabama, and worked as a fire marshal for the U.S. Department of State here in Washington and at assignments worldwide.
Becoming a member of the Senior Executive Service is a crowning achievement in a government career. The SES is comprised of the men and women charged with leading the continuing transformation of government. These leaders possess well-honed executive skills and share a broad perspective of government and a public service commitment which is grounded in the Constitution. Within FEMA, Cortez will become one of 39 members of the Senior Executive Service overseeing FEMA’s critical mission areas.
Cortez has a broad background in public safety and emergency management and extensive headquarters and field experience. Please join me in congratulating Cortez on his promotion and welcoming him to the FEMA leadership team.
