Federal Emergency Management Agency

1979 500 C St. SW, Washington, DC 20472 202-646-4600 $2.2 billion 8,194 FEMA provides a central point of contact within the federal government for emergency planning, mitigation, and response to or recovery from natural or man-made disasters. Director 202-646-3923 In succeeding the popular James Lee Witt as FEMA's director, Allbaugh has a tough act to follow. But Allbaugh is a tough act himself, having served as manager of the Bush campaign and as one-third of the famous "iron triangle" of advisers who helped propel the Texas governor to the White House. Despite a somewhat retiring public personality, Allbaugh stood out in the campaign for his behind-the-scenes toughness, his tightfisted management style, and his striking appearance: at 6 feet 4 inches and 280 pounds, and sporting a flat-top haircut, he's hard to miss. Allbaugh, 48, grew up on a farm in Oklahoma and went to college at Oklahoma State. Before the Bush campaign and a stint as Gov. Bush's chief of staff, he had numerous jobs in Republican politics and government. FEMA has never been the most glamorous of federal agencies. But as the one handling disasters, it can be suddenly thrust into the headlines. While Witt was a master of the spotlight, it seems that Allbaugh is still uncomfortable in its glare. In April, when the Mississippi River once again flooded Davenport, Iowa, Allbaugh criticized the city for not building levies and dikes that might have staved off floods and saved millions of dollars in federal disaster relief. Many experts found his analysis reasonable, but the timing and tone rankled people in Davenport and beyond. He has said that as FEMA director he wants to formulate consistent, objective criteria for disaster relief. In a small coup for Allbaugh, the White House recently announced the creation of a new interagency organization for dealing with terrorist attacks of mass destruction, the Office of National Preparedness, and placed it within FEMA.decision makers