U.S. Chamber Pledges to Work with New FEMA Team

Strategies for Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Among Top Priorities

WASHINGTON, D.C.–The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its affiliate, the Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC), issued the following statement on President Barack Obama's nomination of Craig Fugate to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

"We welcome an experienced and capable leader like Craig Fugate to lead the FEMA team," said Ann Beauchesne, vice president of National Security and Emergency Preparedness at the U.S. Chamber. "His leadership as Florida's chief emergency manager during the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons makes him an excellent choice to serve as the nation's principle emergency adviser.

"America's businesses have taken significant steps to ensure the security, preparedness, and resiliency of their own facilities and systems," Beauchesne said. "The Chamber looks forward to working with Mr. Fugate and his team to help prepare and protect the nation's critical infrastructures."

Stephen Jordan, senior vice president and executive director of the BCLC, praised Fugate's nomination. "We are pleased that someone with Mr. Fugate's experience and ability has been tapped to lead this important agency. We are committed to working with FEMA to improve how our nation and our local communities respond to and recover from disasters," he said.

"Businesses are key players in helping communities become disaster-ready and resilient, and they are valuable partners to any relief and economic recovery effort," Jordan said. "I have no doubt that Mr. Fugate understands the importance of mobilizing the business community in response to disasters. We are ready to work with FEMA—continuing our strong working relationship from years past—to make sure our nation's disaster relief and recovery processes are the best in the world."

The U.S. Chamber's National Security Task Force comprises more than 130 businesses, associations, and chambers representing the 18 critical infrastructure sectors. BCLC is a 501(c)3 affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and manages the U.S. Chamber's Disaster Assistance and Recovery program. BCLC is a resource and voice for businesses and their social and philanthropic interests.

The U.S. Chamber is the world's largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses and organizations of every size, sector, and region.

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