Major P. May

Administrator, Region IV

Photo of Major P. May

Major Phillip (Phil) May is administrator of FEMA's Region IV.  He coordinates response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness activities in Region IV's eight states -Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. He is also a pre-designated principal federal officer in the event of a human influenza pandemic.

May assumed his second tour as Region IV director on October 15, 2006; he had previously been Region IV director 1981-1994, when he coordinated FEMA preparations and response to several disasters, including hurricanes Hugo in 1989 and Andrew in 1992. The president designated May as the federal coordinating officer for FEMA's response to Hurricane Andrew, as well as for several other storms.

His work during the recovery from Hurricane Andrew earned May both the Distinguished Meritorious Service Award and the Distinguished Civil Service Medal from FEMA in 1994. Honors for his tireless efforts in the wake of Andrew and other disasters did not end there. The Department of Health and Human Services presented May with its first national Disaster Medical Services Award in 1994.

With more than 21 years at FEMA, May left to pursue opportunities working with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, and for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency.

After attending the University of Montevallo, May received his commission as an officer in the U.S. Air Force in 1971 and served as a member of the Alabama National Guard from 1971 to 1983.  He completed nuclear accident and radiological emergency response courses at the Inter-Service Nuclear Weapons School.

Last Modified: Friday, 16-Nov-2007 09:42:41 EST