Deanne Criswell | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Administrator of theFederal Emergency Management Agency | |
| In office April 26, 2021 – January 20, 2025 | |
| President | Joe Biden |
| Deputy | Erik Hooks |
| Preceded by | Pete Gaynor |
| Commissioner ofNew York City Emergency Management | |
| In office July 1, 2019 – April 26, 2021 | |
| Mayor | Bill de Blasio |
| Preceded by | Joseph Esposito |
| Succeeded by | John Scrivani |
| Personal details | |
| Education | Colorado State University (BS) University of Colorado, Denver (MPA) Naval Postgraduate School (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Air Force |
| Years of service | 1992–2013 |
| Rank | Senior Master Sergeant |
| Unit | Colorado Air National Guard -140th Wing |
Deanne Bennett Criswell[1] is an American emergency management officer who served as the administrator of theFederal Emergency Management Agency from 2021 to 2025. Criswell is the first woman to lead FEMA.[2] She was previously the commissioner of theNew York City Emergency Management Office.[3][4]
Criswell attended elementary school inFree Soil, Michigan and graduated in 1984 fromCatholic Central High School inManistee, Michigan. She then earned a Bachelor of Science in technology education fromColorado State University, aMaster of Public Administration from theUniversity of Colorado Denver, and a Master of Arts inhomeland security from theNaval Postgraduate School.[5][6][7]
Criswell served as a member of theColorado Air National Guard with the140th Wing and was deployed toKuwait directly after the September 11, 2001, attacks. She also worked as a firefighter for 21 years. Criswell managed theOffice of Emergency Management for the city ofAurora, Colorado.[2] She later worked in theFederal Emergency Management Agency during theBarack Obama administration before becoming the commissioner of theNew York City Emergency Management department in 2019.[8]
Her nomination to be the next FEMA administrator was submitted to theUnited States Senate on February 22, 2021.[1] She was confirmed unanimously on April 22, 2021, by voice vote, and was sworn in byDepartment of Homeland Security SecretaryAlejandro Mayorkas on April 26, 2021.[9][2]
In the aftermath ofHurricane Helene andHurricane Milton, Criswell has been accused of abusing her power to deliberately deny relief to disaster victims who were political supporters of President-electDonald Trump.[10] Theattorney general of Florida is suing Criswell and other FEMA employees, some of whom have claimed this discrimination is widespread in the agency.[11]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Commissioner ofNew York City Emergency Management 2019–2021 | Succeeded by John Scrivani |
| Preceded by Robert J. Fenton Acting | Administrator of theFederal Emergency Management Agency 2021–2025 | Succeeded by Tony Robinson Acting |
| Directors |  | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dept. of Homeland Security |
| ||||
*denotes acting | |||||
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