Chief Resilience Officer
District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency
Washington, District of Columbia
Melissa Deas serves as the Chief Resilience Officer at the District’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA). She leads efforts to ensure the District thrives in the face of change and builds resilience to sudden shocks (e.g. hurricanes, economic decline, and cyber-attacks) and chronic stresses (e.g. housing cost burden, stressed infrastructure, and inequality). She comes to HSEMA from the District’s Department of Energy and Environment, where she oversaw the implementation of the District’s climate preparedness plan: Climate Ready DC. Before working for the District, Melissa served as a resilience expert for state and local governments and at various non-profits. She created and led the Georgetown Climate Center’s adaptation & equity practice area and facilitated networks of resilience leaders to better share best practices across jurisdictions. At the California Energy Commission, Melissa spearheaded local resilience outreach to develop a statewide risk assessment tool called Cal-Adapt.
Disclosure information not submitted.
Tuesday, September 26, 2023
1:00pm – 2:00pm US EDT