Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force

Through advancing county policy priorities, elevating local strategies, and amplifying county voices, the Task Force will: 

• Ignite a national focus on disaster resilience by fostering strong intergovernmental partnerships and emphasizing the need for systemic reform to improve the nation’s preparedness, response and recovery capabilities. 
• Highlight the critical roles, innovations and challenges faced by county governments in disaster management, ensuring that counties remain integral partners in federal and state disaster policies and practices. 
• Achieve public policies that strengthen county capacity to mitigate, respond to and recover from disasters. Key policy goals include streamlining federal disaster funding, improving access to technical assistance and training and enhancing support for long-term recovery initiatives that address the growing frequency and severity of disasters. 
• Align a cohesive national and intergovernmental strategy for disaster reform, focusing on building more resilient communities through collaboration among federal, state, tribal and local governments, with special attention to underserved and vulnerable populations. 

Membership for this Task Force was appointed by NACo President James Gore in November 2024. 

Co-ChairS 

Hon. Adrian Garcia, Commissioner, Harris Co., Texas | Chair, NACo Justice & Public Safety Policy Steering Committee 

Hon. Cynthia Lee Sheng, Parish President, Jefferson Parish, La.  

ELECTED OFFICIALS

Hon. Paul Anderes, Commissioner, Union Co., Ore.  

Hon. Barry Anderson, Supervisor, Clay Co., Iowa  

Hon. Dakkia Bradshaw, Commissioner, Telfair Co., Ga. 

Hon. Ken Burke, Comptroller, Pinellas Co., Fla.

Hon. Ron Burrows, Commissioner, Rogers Co., Okla. 

Hon. Paula Dance, Sheriff, Pitt Co., N.C. 

Hon. Allen Dodson, Judge, Faulkner Co., Ark. 

Hon. Lena Fowler, Supervisor, Coconino Co., Ariz. | Chair, NACo Rural Action Caucus 

Hon. Heidi Hall, Supervisor, Nevada Co., Cali. 

Hon. Wes McCart, Commissioner, Stevens Co., Wash. | President, NACo Western Interstate Region 

Hon. Sharon Green Middleton, Councilmember, Baltimore City, Md. | Vice Chair, NACo Large Urban County Caucus 

Hon. Tamara Paltin, Councilmember, Maui Co., Hawaii  

Hon. Jessica Pyska, Supervisor, Lake Co., Calif.

Hon. Dave Somers, County Executive, Snohomish Co., Wash. 

Hon. Bill Truex, Commissioner, Charlotte Co., Fla.  

Hon. Mark Poloncarz, County Executive, Erie Co., N.Y. 

Hon. Larry Waters, Mayor, Sevier Co., Tenn. 

Hon. Frank Williams, Commissioner, Brunswick Co., N.C. | Chair, NACo Resilient Counties Advisory Board 

COUNTY EXPERTS & STATE ASSOCIATION OFFICIALS

Pat Alesandrini, Assessor, Hillsborough Co., Fla.

Nick Crossley, Director, Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Hamilton Co., Ohio

Jeff DuVall, Director, Dept. of Emergency Management, Sonoma Co., Calif.

Judd Freed, Director of Emergency Management, Ramsey Co., Minn.

Jim Henderson, Executive Director, Kentucky Association of Counties

Matt Machado, County Engineer, Santa Cruz Co., Calif.

Monica Nino, County Administrator, Contra Costa Co., Calif.

Eric Poole, Executive Director, Institute for County Govt., Florida Association of Counties

Cody Powell, Emergency Management Coordinator, Wise Co., Texas 

Provide recommendations for reforms and best practices for essential federal programs that improve disaster mitigation at the county level, including direct technical support, reduced administrative burdens and public accountability.

• Assess how federal assistance can better support pre-disaster mitigation projects at the county level, including multi-benefit projects.
• Explore lessons learned with mitigation programs like FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) and Public Assistance – Mitigation, HUD’s CDBG-Mitigation Program, and USDA Watershed Protection.  

Enhance the existing framework for federal, state, tribal and local partners to collaborate in a transparency and trusted manner in disaster response efforts.

• Improve the coordination of federal and state disaster response resources with county-level emergency management efforts, including combatting mis-and-dis information.
• Address barriers counties face in accessing federal resources in the immediate aftermath of a disaster and identify solutions to expedite funds, particularly for rural and under resourced communities.  

Expand access to the FEMA Public Assistance Dashboard, allowing county officials to track and address quality control and accountability issues with reimbursement claims.

• Streamline recovery programs and increase transparency on reimbursements to reduce administrative burdens and speed up assistance to affected counties.
• Enhance training and capacity building of county officials of FEMA rules and procedures.
• Analyze the impact of delays in federal disaster recovery funding on local communities.

Strengthen the capacity and skills of county officials to plan for and respond to disasters.

• Identify training and technical assistance opportunities for county officials.
• Secure national-level partnerships to offer and sustain capacity building programs and resources for county officials, including covering the fundamentals of federal resources.