Maurstad Upgraded As Flood Boss

David I. Maurstad, who has been the Federal Emergency Management Agency's acting insurance administrator and mitigation director for the past two years, has been named to the post on a permanent basis, it was announced last week.

Mr. Maurstad's presidential appointment was announced Thursday by FEMA's acting director, David Paulison.

Mr. Paulison said Mr. Maurstad would “continue to lead our nationwide efforts to encourage individuals, cities and states to mitigate against future disasters, as well as oversee the nation's flood insurance program.”

Mr. Maurstad's appointment was announced as part of a senior leadership team presented to FEMA employees by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

That announcement included the news that President George W. Bush intends to nominate Mr. Paulison as undersecretary of Federal Emergency Management at DHS.

Since he was appointed as acting administrator and director in June 2004, Mr. Maurstad has led his division and the NFIP through two record-breaking hurricane seasons.

In 2004, the NFIP settled nearly $2 billion in flood claims–most from the four hurricanes which hit Florida and Alabama before stretching all the way into Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Last year, the NFIP set a record by successfully closing nearly 250,000 flood claims for an expected total of nearly $23 billion from the season's unprecedented 27 named tropical storms.

Officials said Mr. Maurstad, during his tenure, has also:

o Led President Bush's push to modernize antiquated flood maps.

o Overseen advisory base flood elevations issued to hurricane-devastated communities to help them rebuild stronger and safer.

o Overseen engineering teams working in heavily damaged areas to learn more about the action of wind and waves on the built environment.

o Led efforts to ensure that buildings in earthquake-prone areas are constructed to be more resistant to shaking.

His areas of oversight include the National Flood Insurance Program, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, the National Dam Safety Program and the National Hurricane Program.

Mr. Maurstad works with public and private risk managers, as well as leaders in government, industry, research and academia.

Previously, Mr. Maurstad served as regional director of FEMA's Region VIII since October 2001, where he coordinated FEMA's prevention, preparedness and disaster response and recovery activities in Colorado, Montana, North and South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

Prior to that appointment, Mr. Maurstad was the lieutenant governor of Nebraska, a position to which he was elected in 1998.