Tracy Friend
Tracy Friend has worked in many facets of Emergency Management across the United States and internationally.
With an emphasis on education and project organization, she began her career educating family and staff on preparedness at the US embassies in Beijing, China, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has consulted with multinational corporations on Crisis Management, Continuity of Operations, and Business Continuity.
She recently worked on an internal after-action report on FEMA's support for mass community vaccination centers across the United States. Within this contract, she led multiple improvement analysis teams deployed to the 39 pilot community vaccination centers, and then transitioned to lead technical site assistance teams for support to the same centers. She has contributed as a Subject Matter Expert to these tasks and also managed the technical research and writing teams for FEMA's COVID-19 Initial Assessment Report. She supported the publishing of an Independent Assessment of FEMA’s Public Assistance Program, which is being utilized by FEMA to simplify and streamline program requirements, reduce the burden on stakeholders/applicants, and expand access to PA grant funding.
Ms. Friend initiated Community Resiliency Groups with the public, private, faith-based and government entities in Fairfax County, Virginia. As the Northern Virginia UASI Regional Vulnerable Populations Coordinator, she was responsible for facilitating coordination and collaboration between 50+ long-term care facilities in seven counties and their respective state and local emergency management and health departments. She was the communications and training manager for FEMA's Flood Risk MAP program contract partner and assisted with education on the development and use of the National Risk Index tool and Risk Rating 2.0. She participated in public and government educational outreach for community map changes and other contract-related materials. She has managed a team of planners for eight Mitigation plan updates for the state of North Carolina. She has stood up and operated multiple call centers to support the U.S. Virgin Islands for Hurricanes Irma and Maria and in Florida for unemployment claims for COVID-19.
Ms. Friend considers service a vital ingredient in her life. She finds volunteer work rewarding and relishes the opportunity it provides to work with and serve the community. Ms. Friend is a volunteer with the American Red Cross. While overseas, she authored and taught hazard preparedness to secondary schools with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society, later adapting and teaching the course to middle-schoolers in Colorado. Most recently, she has been helping with the organization of volunteers for mass builds of bunkbeds for children lacking their own beds.
She enjoys traveling abroad, cooking food from different cultures, gardening, and in general, being active and outdoors. For three years, she led five youth groups on quarterly service projects and annual camps with jungle treks in Malaysia. Ms. Friend capitalized on her love of food, teaching, and cooking when she owned and operated a cooking school in China. Through the school, she helped Chinese maids expand their resumes by teaching them how to cook American meals such as roast beef, potato-leak soup, sloppy joes, and tacos with handmade tortillas and salsas.
Mrs. Friend is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®). She is an experienced Project Management Professional (PMP®) and is a certified Scrum Master. She has held the certification of Associate Business Continuity Professional (ABCP) from DRII International.
Mrs. Friend is a graduate of FEMA's Emergency Management Executive and Advanced Academies. Mrs. Friend earned an Executive Master of Professional Studies (EMPS) from Georgetown University in Emergency and Disaster Management. She received her Bachelor of Science with a double major in Emergency Management and Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College.
Links to Biography References
· Independent Assessment of FEMA’s Public Assistance ProgramLinks to an external site.
· Risk Mapping, Assessment and Planning (Risk MAP)Links to an external site.
· National Risk Index for Natural Hazards (NRI)Links to an external site.
· Project Management Institute (Links to an external site)Links to an external site.
· DRI International (Links to an external site)Links to an external site.