Allbaugh leaving FEMA in March
Director will depart after helping the agency move to the new Homeland Security Department
Joe Allbaugh, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, has announced he will leave FEMA March 1 -- after helping the agency make its transition to the new Homeland Security Department.
A FEMA news release Dec. 14 said that Allbaugh plans to pursue opportunities in the private sector. The Associated Press further noted that Allbaugh likely would become a key adviser in President Bush's re-election effort. He served as Bush's national campaign manager in 2000, and was chief of staff for then-Gov. Bush in Texas from 1995 to 2000.
"I have been a longtime advocate for the Department of Homeland Security and now that it is a reality and the president has a great team in place, I feel I can move on to my next challenge," Allbaugh said in a news release Dec. 14.
Under his watch, FEMA has responded to 89 major disasters, including last year's terrorist attacks. The agency received praise for its Web site, with its around-the-clock updates, in the tragedy's aftermath.
Other information technology milestones include launching a pilot version of DisasterHelp.gov, a one-stop portal for emergency preparedness and response information.
Allbaugh has called communications a top priority. As part of the Bush administration's funding request, FEMA would allocate $7 million for grants to states -- with at least 75 percent going to local governments -- for secure systems with video, voice and data capabilities, but the money hasn't come yet.
Allbaugh manages the agency's $3 billion budget and 2,500-plus federal employees.
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