Thomas Hughes

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency

Tom Hughes is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) since 2009 and has been with the PA Emergency Management Agency since late 1993. Prior to becoming the SHMO, he worked as a State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) Watch Officer, State Radiological Officer, PA State/FEMA certified Urban Search and Rescue Team Program Manager/Team Member and State Training/Exercise Officer. Currently, as the SHMO, he is responsible for the revision of all 67 FEMA required county Hazard Mitigation Plans and 14 State System of Higher Education (state colleges) Disaster Resistant University Plans. Since becoming the PA SHMO, he has been responsible for over the application development and approval, project/plan implementation and closeouts for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) in excess of $100 million dollars. Currently is working with PEMA's sister agency, PA Department of Community and Economic Development, to expend $8.5 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster (CDBG-DR) funding for acquisition projects and the revision of the Commonwealth's State Recovery Plan. Tom is a Vice-President with the Natural Hazard Mitigation Association's Executive Board and was selected to assist on mitigation policies and issues with FEMA's Mitigation External Stakeholders Work Group (ESWG). Tom is also the PA Silver Jackets co-chair since 2010 and the team was selected the USACE "Team of the Year" In 2013 by their peers. He is a retired Chief Master Sergeant with the United States Air Force Reserves, and spent many years in the evolution of the Disaster Preparedness/Emergency Management career field.