Veteran Emergency Management Expert Will Oversee Emergency Preparation, Response and Recovery Activities in New York New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S Virgin Islands

WASHINGTON, D.C. - R. David Paulison, Acting Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response and head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), today announced the appointment of Stephen Kempf, Jr. as Director of FEMA's Region II office.

FEMA's Region II is headquartered in New York, NY, and oversees agency operations in New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

An emergency management expert with more than 25 years experience in the profession, Mr. Kempf will be begin his new assignment on Monday, January 30, 2006. This will be a second tour of duty as Region II director for Mr. Kempf, who was previously appointed by President George H.W. Bush and held the position from 1990 to 1993. During his time as Region II director, Mr. Kempf won praise for his successful handling of many noteworthy disasters, including the World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and the devastating coastal storms that struck the Northeast between 1991 and 1993.

"Mr. Kempf's past experience heading up FEMA's Region II office gives him an incredible amount of institutional knowledge," says Mr. Paulison. "His first hand experience as a director will be vital as FEMA works with its regional partners on all aspects of emergency management."

"I'm honored that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff and FEMA Director Paulison have entrusted me with this responsibility," says Mr. Kempf. "Our region faces many emergency management challenges, and I look forward to working with the dedicated professionals at FEMA and our public and private sector partner agencies and organizations to help ensure the safety of the region's citizens, businesses and infrastructure."

Mr. Kempf most recently served as the Vice President of Infrastructure Emergency Response and Coastal Protection Divisions at the engineering firm Hatch Mott MacDonald, in Freehold, New Jersey, where he directed marketing and business development activities involving infrastructure security planning, emergency management, coastal protection and municipal engineering. Also during his tenure, he was responsible for managing a team of disaster technicians and engineers in the assessment of damages to infrastructure and created a $10 million waterfront protection project combining coastal protection and recreation facilities.

Prior to Hatch Mott MacDonald, Kempf worked with GPU Nuclear Corporation, where he directed radiological offsite emergency preparedness activities for the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station.

Mr. Kempf currently serves as Vice president of the Jersey Shore Partnership, Inc., a public/private coastal advocacy group. At the appointment of New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, he has also served on the New Jersey Coastal Erosion Commission. Mr. Kempf was also a featured guest on the television program "Storms and Our Coastlines," which was part of the "Technogenesis" television series produced by the Stevens Institute of Technology and the Comcast Corporation. This program explored issues related to coastlines and the ways weather impacts coastal areas, and the discussion focused on how hurricanes and nor'easters affect the Northern Atlantic Seaboard and how science and technology can improve prediction and preparation for severe storms.

Mr. Kempf holds a Master of Science degree in human resource management and organizational development from Upsala College. In his long career Mr. Kempf has also earned many industry honors, including the Federal government's prestigious Meritorious Service Award.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003. For information on FEMA, go to www.fema.gov.