James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt is currently Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of James Lee Witt Associates, LLC providing disaster
recovery and mitigation management services to state and
local governments, educational institutions, the international
community and corporations.
James Lee Witt has over 25 years of disaster management
experience, culminating in his appointment as the Director
of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he served
from 1993-2001. In this capacity, he is credited with turning
FEMA from an unsuccessful bureaucratic agency to an internationally
lauded all-hazards disaster management agency. His leadership
abilities have been praised by nationally recognized organizations,
including the Council for Excellence in Government, Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government, and the National
Association of Broadcasters.
Mr. Witt was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed
by the U.S. Senate as Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency in April 1993. In February 1996, President Clinton
elevated Mr. Witt to cabinet status - a first for a FEMA
Director. As FEMA Director, Mr. Witt coordinated federal
disaster relief on behalf of President Clinton, including
the response and recovery activities of 28 federal agencies
and departments, the American Red Cross and other voluntary
agencies. He also oversaw the National Flood Insurance Program,
the U.S. Fire Administration and other pro-active mitigation
activities that reduce loss of life and property from all
types of hazards. Mr. Witt directed 2,500 employees located
in Washington, DC and 10 regional offices.
From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Witt oversaw more than 350 disasters.
More importantly, he was responsible for response and recovery
operations for six of the ten most devastating disasters
of all time, including the most costly flood disaster in
the nation's history, the most costly earthquake, and a dozen
damaging hurricanes.
As Director of FEMA, Mr. Witt was the visionary and architect
of national government programs related to emergency preparedness
and mitigation, response, recovery. In addition to his experience
in emergency management on the State and local level, Mr.
Witt has expertise integrating community-based disaster management
with national emergency management strategy. He initiated
Project Impact, the first federally funded program dealing
with emergency preparedness and mitigation at the local level.
Mr. Witt integrated flood mitigation, control and protection
into FEMA's policy. After the devastating Midwest floods
of 1993, Mr. Witt pursued an aggressive flood prone property
acquisition and relocation program. By purchasing properties
that were repeatedly flooded, he saved taxpayers millions
of dollars when floods again ravaged the same Midwest area
again in 1995.
In 2003, Mr. Witt became the Chief Executive Officer of
the International Code Council (ICC), a 50,000-member association
dedicated to building safety, develops the codes used to
construct residential and commercial buildings, including
homes and schools. Through its founders, the ICC has more
than 190 years of collective experience developing building
safety codes that save lives. The majority of U.S. cities,
counties and states that adopt codes choose building and
fire safety codes developed by the ICC.
Mr. Witt's professional career includes the formation of
Witt Construction, a commercial and residential construction
company. After 12 years as a successful businessman and community
leader, he was elected County Judge for Yell County, serving
as the chief elected official for the county, with judicial
responsibilities for county and juvenile court. At age 34,
he was the youngest elected official in Arkansas, and was
later honored for his accomplishments by the National Association
of Counties. After being re-elected six times to the position,
Mr. Witt was tapped by then-Governor Bill Clinton to assume
leadership of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES).
He served as the Director of the Arkansas OES for four years.
«
back to News Front
|
James Lee Witt |