Government
FEMA Chief Resigns Unexpectedly With Key Recovery Actions Still Unresolved
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FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., where agency officials confirmed Nov. 17 that Acting Administrator David Richardson resigned as the agency works to resume delayed disaster-recovery actions following the federal shutdown.
David Richardson has resigned as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security confirmed Nov. 17. His abrupt departure follows the end of the federal government’s 43-day shutdown and comes as the agency manages overlapping disaster-response demands.
A DHS spokesperson told the Associated Press that Richardson stepped down after roughly six months in the role. The department did not provide a reason for his resignation. Politico reported that DHS thanked Richardson for his service during an active hurricane season.
The transition comes as FEMA works through funding and program delays that accumulated during the shutdown.
The agency’s Disaster Relief Fund has operated under a continuing resolution that constrained some large-project obligations, and the freeze stalled reviews for hazard-mitigation grants and environmental clearances tied to long-term recovery projects. FEMA has not said whether Richardson’s departure will affect the pace of those actions.
The Washington Post reported that Richardson had drawn internal criticism for limited availability during the late-October floods in Texas, though FEMA’s regional and field teams continued operating during the response.
David Richardson, shown here during recent congressional testimony, resigned Nov. 17 as FEMA’s acting administrator, the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security confirmed. His departure comes as the agency works through shutdown-related delays in disaster-recovery and mitigation programs.
Screen Grab courtesy of CSPAN
Richardson previously served as the agency’s deputy associate administrator for resilience before becoming acting administrator in May.
The Trump administration has not officially announced who will assume acting leadership. Politico reports that, starting Dec. 1, FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Evans will assume the role of acting administrator, according to comments by a DHS spokesperson. The outlet added that Richardson is also leaving his job as head of the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, a department President Trump has reportedly sought to close.
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FEMA continues to lead recovery operations in Texas, Alaska and mid-Atlantic communities hit by fall storms as agencies resume normal operations under the stopgap funding measure enacted Nov. 12.
ENR requested additional comment from FEMA and DHS regarding the leadership transition but the agencies did not respond by press time.
Bryan Gottlieb is the online editor at Engineering News-Record (ENR).
Gottlieb is a five-time Society of Professional Journalists Excellence in Journalism award winner with more than a decade of experience covering business, construction and community issues, including finance, law and real estate. He has reported for Adweek and the San Diego Daily Transcript and led a community newsroom in Santa Monica, Calif. He served as editor-in-chief of the Detroit Metro Times and as managing editor at Roofing Contractor, where he helped shape national industry coverage. At Engineering News-Record, Gottlieb covers breaking news, large-scale infrastructure and megaprojects, regulatory developments and business trends across the U.S. and global construction sectors.
email: gottliebb@enr.com | office: (248) 786-1591
