Nancy Dragani is the Acting Regional Administrator for FEMA Region VIII. In this role, she oversees and coordinates FEMA’s all-hazards preparedness and emergency management efforts within the region’s tribal nations and states of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. These efforts include executing FEMA’s preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation programs in concert with partners from all levels of government, volunteer and faith-based groups, and the private sector.
Prior to joining FEMA in January 2016 as the Region VIII Deputy Regional Administrator, Ms. Dragani worked for the Ohio Emergency Management Agency (EMA) for 20 years, where she was the Executive Director from 2005 to 2014. In this position, she led the state's coordinated preparedness and response to both man-made and natural disasters, administered the State Homeland Security Funding Program, and oversaw disaster recovery and mitigation efforts.
Before her tenure as Executive Director, she served as the Director of Operations, Director of Administration, and Public Information Chief for Ohio EMA. In 2004, Ms. Dragani retired from the Ohio National Guard with 22 years of combined U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Air National Guard service.
In addition to her roles in state and federal government, Ms. Dragani has served on FEMA’s National Advisory Council and the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism Advisory Board. She also held the position of President of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) for 2008 to 2009 and she was the 2014 recipient of NEMA’s Lacy E. Suiter Distinguished Service Award, an award given annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to emergency management.
Ms. Dragani has a Master of Arts from the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, where she also graduated from the Executive Leadership program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Dominican College.