Jeff Byard serves as the Associate Administrator for the Office of Response and Recovery (ORR) at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Mr. Byard assumed the role and was sworn in during the height of the Agency’s response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.
Prior to joining ORR, Mr. Byard served in several capacities with the Alabama Emergency Management Agency (AEMA), most recently as the Executive Operations Officer. Mr. Byard began his career in emergency management in 2002, as the AEMA Mitigation Division Planner. He later served as the Public Assistance Officer and the Recovery Branch Chief. From 2006 to 2007, Mr. Byard served as the Director of Alabama’s Transitional Recovery Office, where he led and coordinated the timely delivery of FEMA’s disaster recovery assistance and support to state and local governments.
Mr. Byard returned to AEMA in 2007 to serve as the Executive Operations Officer, with responsibility for response, recovery, and field operations. In that role, he oversaw the creation and implementation of the Alabama Field Response Structure, resulting in several improvements to the response and recovery model for the state. On multiple occasions, Mr. Byard led emergency management operations for the State of Alabama, serving as either the Alabama State Coordinating Officer or Deputy. These operations included the country’s first large-scale state evacuation during Hurricane Gustav, response and recovery operations for the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill, and other significant disasters such as the 2011 Super Outbreak; the largest, costliest, and also one of the deadliest, tornado outbreaks ever recorded.
Mr. Byard was a charter member of the FEMA Region IV Regional Advisory Council, which still serves to advise the FEMA Regional Administrator on emergency management issues specific to the region and states; including unique geographic, demographic, and other considerations.
Mr. Byard honorably served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1990-1994. Soon after leaving the Armed Services, he obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Troy University. He is also a graduate of the Alabama Public Safety Leadership Academy. Mr. Byard and his wife Sara have four daughters.