JOE MYERS

Founder & Executive Vice President

Prior to establishing DSI, Joseph F. Myers served as the Director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management for nine years, and the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) for over eight years. He has been involved in emergency management in city, county, and state government for more than 40 years. As the Director of FDEM, Mr. Myers was responsible for the State’s Emergency Response Plan after Hurricane Andrew and ensuring coordination among cities, counties, and the State in preparation for natural disasters and in response to them. He also designed and implemented the Florida Emergency Management System, which is the foundation in use to this day.

Mr. Myers came to his position in Florida from North Carolina after serving in that State’s Division of Emergency Management for approximately twenty years. While serving as Director in North Carolina, Mr. Myers developed the Model Systems Project, which was designed to assist FEMA with the transformation from the cold war to all future hazard emergency management.

Mr. Myers was twice elected President of the National Emergency Management Association and served on Governor Jeb Bush’s Florida Terrorism Advisory Board. He has also received numerous awards, including the Lacy E. Suiter Distinguished Service Award, the Neil Frank Award, the Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina National Guard and the Florida Fire Chief’s, the Bob Sheet’s Award, and the Governor’s Award for the State of Florida. As a State Director, Mr. Myers served as a State Coordinating Officer for numerous disasters, including Hurricanes Gloria, Hugo, Andrew, Opal, and Floyd and also managed the Gulf War Repatriation, Cuban Mass Migration, and the 1998 Florida Fires. Mr. Myers also served on the NEMA Mitigation Committee for two years and played a key leadership role in the development and implementation of national and state mitigation strategies and programs—including those found in the current Stafford Act.