Online Master's in Emergency & Disaster Management
Tracy Friend

Tracy Friend is a seasoned expert in Emergency Management with extensive experience across the United States and internationally. Her career focuses on education and project organization, as well as leading preparedness initiatives for families and staff at the U.S. embassies in Beijing, China, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tracy has since provided consulting services to multinational corporations, specializing in Crisis Management, Continuity of Operations, and Business Continuity.

Currently, Tracy serves as a Senior Project Manager, supporting FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance Division. In this capacity, she leads teams to assist FEMA headquarters staff in managing the mitigation grant programs for Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, she played a pivotal role in leading improvement analysis teams for 39 community mass vaccination centers, which later transitioned to technical site assistance teams. As a Subject Matter Expert, Tracy also contributed to managing technical research and writing teams for FEMA's COVID-19 Initial Assessment Report and supporting an internal after-action report on FEMA's mass vaccination efforts.

Tracy's dedication to community resilience is evident through her work in Fairfax County, Virginia, where she initiated Community Resiliency Groups, fostering collaboration between public, private, faith-based, and government entities. As the Northern Virginia Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) Regional Vulnerable Populations Coordinator, she coordinated efforts between more than 50 long-term care facilities across seven counties and their respective emergency management and health departments. Her experience includes managing communications and training for FEMA's Flood Risk MAP program, contributing to the development and education of the National Risk Index tool, and leading eight Mitigation Plan updates for the state of North Carolina. Tracy has also overseen the development and operations of multiple call centers supporting the U.S. Virgin Islands during Hurricanes Irma and Maria and in Florida for unemployment claims during COVID-19.

A firm believer in the importance of service, Tracy actively volunteers with the American Red Cross. While overseas, she authored preparedness courses for secondary schools in collaboration with the Malaysian Red Crescent Society and later adapted and taught these courses to middle school students in Colorado. Tracy also led youth groups on quarterly service projects and annual camps with jungle treks in Malaysia. She founded a cooking school in China, where she taught Chinese maids to prepare American meals, enhancing their employment opportunities. One of her recent favorite volunteer experiences was organizing volunteers for mass bunkbed builds for children in need.

Tracy is certified as both a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM®) and a Project Management Professional (PMP®). She holds a certificate in Curriculum and Instruction from Liberty University, a testament to her commitment to education, and is a graduate of FEMA's Emergency Management Executive and Advanced Academies. Tracy earned an Executive Master of Professional Studies (EMPS) in Emergency and Disaster Management from Georgetown University, where she honed her expertise in the field, and a Bachelor of Science with a double major in Emergency Management and Management Studies from the University of Maryland University College.

In her spare time, Tracy enjoys traveling, cooking international cuisine, gardening, and staying active outdoors.