MaryAnn E. Tierney

MaryAnn E. Tierney is currently serving in the role of Region 3 Administrator.

Mrs. Tierney was appointed Regional Administrator for FEMA Region 3 in August 2010 and also served concurrently as Acting Regional Administrator in FEMA Region 2 for ten months following the devastating effects of Hurricane Sandy on New York and New Jersey. From April to June 2017 she served as the Acting Associate Administrator for Mission Support at FEMA Headquarters. From January to June 2021 she served as Acting FEMA Deputy Administrator at FEMA Headquarters.

As Regional Administrator, Mrs. Tierney is responsible for leading FEMA’s efforts in the mid-Atlantic to help people before, during and after disasters.

From November 2006 to August 2010, Mrs. Tierney served as Director of Emergency Management in Philadelphia where she oversaw a transformation of the emergency management program by developing operational emergency plans, conducting multiagency training and exercises, building partnerships with the private sector and community organizations, and providing the public many avenues to stay informed during emergencies.

Mrs. Tierney also spent over seven years with the New York City Office of Emergency Management, ending her tenure as Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Preparedness. While working for the City of New York, Mrs. Tierney was responsible for developing and revising emergency plans as well as overseeing the City’s recovery and mitigation activities. During the City’s response to the attacks of September 11th, she held a key position coordinating debris management activities at the World Trade Center site and the Fresh Kills Landfill as well as the City’s application for Federal funding to reimburse costs associated response and recovery operations, which totaled over $4.75 billion.

Mrs. Tierney has extensive experience coordinating large complex emergency response operations. She has managed over 60 EOC activations in New York City and Philadelphia and regularly deployed to large emergencies to coordinate on-scene response activities. At FEMA, Mrs. Tierney is responsible for leading the Federal government’s response to all presidentially declared emergencies and disasters in the mid-Atlantic. In October and November 2012, she served as a Deputy Federal Coordinating Officer for FEMA in New York City in response to Hurricane Sandy. In November 2017 she deployed to Puerto Rico and served as the Individual Assistance Branch Director. She is a qualified Federal Coordinating Officer and leads one of FEMA’s four National Incident Management Assistance Teams focusing on crisis and complex incident operations.

Mrs. Tierney previously served on the Department of Defense Reserve Forces Policy Board as well as a principal member of the NFPA Technical Committee on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (NFPA 1600) and has taught graduate-level courses on emergency management.

Mrs. Tierney holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from American University and a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in public and nonprofit management from New York University. She has also completed the Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security, the Capstone Course for one star General and Flag Officers, the Joint Flag Officer Warfighting Course, and the Pinnacle Course for two and three star General and Flag Officers.