R. DAVID PAULISON

Former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency; Board of Trustees, UL

Chief R. David Paulison is a nationally and internationally recognized leader in emergency and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery, having completed seven years of federal service culminating in his appointment as administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Paulison is a proven organizational leader who won widespread praise for his restoration of FEMA as a competent, credible agency, and he became the first FEMA administrator to be sworn in as deputy secretary for Homeland Security. Previously, he served as administrator of the United States Fire Administration, director of preparedness at FEMA, and on the transition team during the design of the Department of Homeland Security. Paulison was the fire chief of Miami-Dade County and retired in 2001 after thirty years in firefighting and nine years as chief. Currently, he is the senior partner of Global Emergency Solutions and does consulting work for several large corporations including Motorola.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of Underwriters Laboratories and the National Fire Protection Association. Paulison holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida Atlantic University and completed the John F. Kennedy School of Government Program for Senior Executives at Harvard University.