Interview with Jessi Nalepa Former FEMA Director of External Affairs

Messaging is everything. COVID-19 has shown us once again how incredibly important it is for us to understand how to work with media. Whether it's collaborating with stakeholders like CDC, FEMA, public health, and local emergency management groups, or managing and informing politicians, the handling of rumor control from the 24-hour news cycle like CNN, Fox News, CNBC and their local affiliates, and of course the onslaught of opinions on social media. Messaging impacts lives and emergency managers must understand this in order to be successful in disaster services. Jessi spent nearly a decade in federal service. Most recently, she served as Director of External Affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In this role, she managed the daily operations of the agency’s public affairs, strategic communications, congressional and intergovernmental affairs, as well as the Ready.gov campaign. During her tenure at FEMA, Jessi also served as the Director of Congressional Affairs where she was the agency’s principal liaison with the U.S. Congress and ensured that the agency’s priorities were reflected throughout the legislative and oversight process.A proven crisis communications expert, Jessi effectively coordinated and led the FEMA’s external communications and engagements for over 234 Presidentially declared disasters, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic as well as some of the Nation’s most devastating hurricanes and wildfires.Before her service in the executive branch, Jessi spent nearly seven years on Capitol Hill. She culminated her Capitol Hill career by serving as the Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul (TX-10), then Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security.Jessi Nalepa's current role is the Hagerty Consulting Communications Director responsible for driving the company’s external communications strategy and brand through effective media engagement, digital communication, as well as public relations and advocacy campaigns.