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 has participated in educating families and staff at the US embassies in Beijing, China, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on preparedness. She has consulted with multinational corporations on Crisis Management, Continuity of Operations, and Business Continuity.
She contributed as a Subject Matter Expert and managed the technical research and writing teams for FEMA's COVID-19 Initial Assessment Report. She also contributed to other internal FEMA reports regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. She led improvement analysis teams deployed to the 39 pilot community vaccination centers and then transitioned to lead the site assistance teams for technical support to the same centers.
She has held the position of communications and training manager for FEMA's Flood RiskMAP program contract partner and assisted with education on developing and using 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 managed a team of planners for 8 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.
Tracy works together with community organizations and agencies, bringing them to common ground and goals. She initiated Community Resiliency Groups with the public, private, faith-based, and government entities in three districts of Fairfax County, Virginia. As the Northern Virginia UASI Regional Vulnerable Populations Coordinator, she facilitated coordination and collaboration between 50+ long-term care facilities in 7 counties and the state and local emergency management and health departments.
Tracy volunteers with the American Red Cross and has authored and taught hazard preparedness to secondary schools with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society. Her most recent volunteer endeavor involves organizing volunteers in mass builds of bunkbeds for children lacking their own beds. She continues with volunteer work for the rewarding opportunities it provides to work with and serve the community.
Mrs. Friend is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®). She is an experienced Project Management Professional (PMP®) and is a certified Scrum Master.
Mrs. Friend is pursuing her Ph.D. in Education, focusing on Curriculum and Instruction. Mrs. Friend earned an Executive Master of Professional Studies (EMPS) from Georgetown University in Emergency and Disaster Management and a Bachelor of Science, a double major in Emergency Management and Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College. She is a graduate of the Emergency Management Executive Academy and Emergency Management Advanced Academy, which FEMA sponsors at the Emergency Management Institute.