6 Sep 2010
Craig Fugate FEMA
administrator swore
in MaryAnn Tierney

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate on has sworn in MaryAnn Tierney as Regional Administrator for FEMA Region III

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate on Monday swore in MaryAnn Tierney as Regional Administrator for FEMA Region III, which includes Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Tierney served previously as the Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management for the city of Philadelphia.

"Regional Administrators are crucial to our ability to respond effectively to emergencies based on the needs of the communities we serve," said Fugate. "MaryAnn Tierney is not only an experienced emergency manager, but her background in local government and her knowledge of the region make her uniquely qualified to lead our efforts there. I look forward to working with MaryAnn as we support local officials and citizens in their efforts to keep their communities safe."

Tierney had served as the Deputy Managing Director for the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management since 2006. Prior to that, she spent seven years as the Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Preparedness for New York City, where she oversaw the revision of the city's coastal storm plan and led the city's debris removal efforts at the World Trade Center site.

Biography for MaryAnn Tierney, FEMA Regional Administrator, Region III

Tierney brings a depth of experience in local emergency management to her position as Regional Administration 

MaryAnn Tierney brings a depth of experience in local emergency management to her position as Regional Administration for FEMA Region III. From 2006 until 2010, Tierney served as Deputy Managing Director for Emergency Management for the city of Philadelphia. In that role, she transformed the city's operational emergency procedures, implemented new training and exercises for first responders, and strengthened the office's outreach to the private sector and community organizations.

Prior to her work in Philadelphia, Tierney spent seven years as the Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Preparedness for New York City. Her responsibilities in New York included overseeing the city's coastal storm plan, coordinating debris removal at the World Trade Center, and managing the federal reimbursement process for the city for response and recovery.

Tierney holds a Masters in Public Administration from New York University and a B.A. in political science from American University. She has also completed the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security's Executive Leaders Program.