Title: FEMA's Role during a Disaster
Speaker: Lynn Canton, FEMA Region II Administrator
Date: Friday, June 25, 2010 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Location: CoRE Bldg, CoRE Auditorium, Rutgers University, Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ
Announcement:
The Command, Control and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis (CCICADA), a Homeland Security Center of Excellence, and the Rutgers University Homeland Security Research Initiative (RUSHRI) will host FEMA Region II Administrator, Lynn Canton, to deliver a special lecture at Rutgers University on June 25, 2010.
FEMA was created in 1979 to provide federal assistance to states when a disaster overwhelms its capacity to respond. Today, under the direction of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FEMA is comprised of 2,600 full time employees and nearly 4,000 reserve employees. Canton was appointed by President Obama as Administrator for Region II, which covers New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
This talk will describe FEMA's role during a disaster. It will specifically address what FEMA does, how it operates at the regional level, its concept of operations and consequence management, and what it brings to the table during an emergency.
Bio:
Lynn Gilmore Canton, Regional Administrator
Lynn Gilmore Canton was appointed Region II Administrator in January, 2010, after nine years as Deputy Comptroller at New York's Office of the State Comptroller. As Deputy, Lynn was responsible for the Division of State Government Accountability, tracking transparency and accountability through audits and financial services.
This is Lynn's second tour as Region II Administrator. From 1995 to 2000 she directed response and recovery operations for 16 natural disasters in the region, administering over $2.5 billion in disaster relief obligations. Shortly thereafter, she was appointed by then FEMA Director James Lee Witt to serve as Executive Director of the agency where she created a management council of senior executives with responsibility for financial management, personnel, labor relations, congressional relations, public affairs, intergovernmental affairs, information technology, support services, and disaster response and recovery, winning FEMA's Senior Executive Peer Award in 2000.
Prior to her FEMA service, Lynn was Executive Director of the New York State Division of Minority and Women's Business Development, where she implemented policies ensuring that state agencies made good faith efforts to include minority and women-owned businesses in government procurements contracts. She was also appointed by Governor Mario Cuomo to be the Commissioner of the New York State Board of Parole where she developed policies and procedures for the operation of the Board, including guidelines for release consideration.
Lynn was appointed Deputy Director for Program Services at the New York State Division of Youth in 1983 where she was responsible for services for court adjudicated youth less than 21 years of age who were in residential treatment. She was accountable for developing a comprehensive system of efficient and effective educational, employment, and recreational services for youth. Prior to the Division of Youth, Lynn was a Program Associate for Criminal Justice at the New York State Executive Chamber where she worked with the Assistant Secretary for Criminal Justice in the administration of Governor Hugh Carey.
For four years Lynn taught the Foundations of Public Management course at the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at the State University of New York at Albany, where she also earned a BA in African American Studies and an MS in Education.
She is chair of the Training Committee at the National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers, and Treasurers and she is an active member of the Domestic Working Group of the GAO and the Intergovernmental Audit Forum. She is also a member of the Association for Government Accountability.
Last modified June 17, 2010.