Kara Koirtyohann

Ms. Kara Koirtyohann, Deputy Director of Recovery, is a management professional and licensed architect with nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience. Kara has successfully supported numerous clients providing subject matter expertise across a wide range of recovery projects in response to various federally declared major disasters, including hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, and the COVID-19 pandemic. A proven leader, Kara often manages large consultant and client teams to effectively meet target deadlines.

Over the last eight years, Kara has led various aspects of recovery at Hagerty and has extensive experience with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) program, PA Section 428 (Alternative Procedures) program, and 406 Hazard Mitigation. Following Hurricane Sandy, Kara led a team of architects and engineers, working with locally impacted agencies and their vendors, through the design and construction of nearly 600 projects and $5 billion of FEMA PA funding. The management of the long-term recovery process included the coordination of scope and cost development, as well as improved, alternate and 428 PAAP projects to maximize recovery funding. Additionally, Kara has led recovery operations following wildfire and flooding disasters in California, which resulted in the successful advocacy for and refinement of the wildfire mitigation language in the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (PAPPG) Version 4. Following the unprecedented nationwide major disaster declaration for COVID-19, Kara shifted her leadership to manage recovery operations for over 100 public and private hospitals and universities across the country, providing management of more than $3.5 billion in Federal funding streams, including FEMA PA, Provider Relief Fund (PRF), Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), and Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Most recently, Kara has assumed leadership of a large portfolio of Hagerty’s work within the State of Florida, helping manage concurrent COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian recoveries.

Prior to joining Hagerty, Kara led the design and construction of public and private institutional, commercial, and residential buildings in the New York City area from schematic design through construction closeout. In this role Kara led project approvals and presentations to various municipal and private stakeholders.

Kara graduated with a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the University of Virginia.