Alex Amparo

Deputy Assistant Administrator, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Bio Current as of September 25, 2018

Mr. Alex Amparo is the Deputy Assistant Administrator of the National Preparedness Directorate at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he is responsible for delivering education, training and exercises to build a culture of preparedness in the United States.  His distinguished career in emergency management spans more than two decades at the State and Federal levels.  Mr. Amparo entered the Senior Executive Service (SES) in 2011.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Assistant Administrator, Mr. Amparo served as Acting Director of FEMA’s Office of External Affairs from February through June of 2018.  In his role as Acting Director, Mr. Amparo restructured the office’s $7.5 million budget, initiated a functional realignment of the office, reenergized a much-needed equipment modernization for the press center, and led the team’s engagement of more than 20,000 stakeholders to raise awareness of the 2018-2022 FEMA Strategic Plan.  In addition, Mr. Amparo focused on filling personnel vacancies, boosting internal collaboration and strengthening customer service to Agency components, and ensuring that Office of External Affairs was well-positioned for the 2018 Hurricane Season.         

From January 2015 through February of 2018, Mr. Amparo served as the Assistant Administrator of the Recovery Directorate at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he was responsible for the timely delivery of emergency provisions to individuals and communities following presidentially declared major disasters and emergencies.
As Assistant Administrator, Mr. Amparo led the development of the Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide and the Individuals and Households Program Unified Guidance. These documents combine policies for two of FEMA’s largest grant programs into comprehensive and authoritative resources. Further, he oversaw the creation of the Tribal Declarations Pilot Guidance, which reflects the sovereign status of federally recognized tribes and provides specially designed criteria for evaluating tribal requests for Stafford Act declarations that takes into account the unique conditions which affect tribal nations. Mr. Amparo oversaw the development of this policy in close coordination and consultation with tribal partners through the facilitation of 140 listening sessions nationwide.

Prior to his leadership of the Recovery Directorate, Mr. Amparo served four years as Deputy Assistant Administrator, directing federally mandated programs that disburse the largest share of federal disaster recovery funding to individuals and communities across the United States and its territories.

In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, Mr. Amparo was instrumental in utilizing geospatial technology to deliver expedited rental assistance to survivors who were unable to access their damaged homes in New York and New Jersey. This innovative program rapidly repaired dwellings to ensure displaced residents could return home as quickly as possible. Under his leadership during Sandy, FEMA established a visible presence in affected communities to meet one-on-one with survivors to help them register for disaster assistance. Mr. Amparo also spearheaded a pilot program that allows FEMA to provide fixed-capped grants based on estimates for large infrastructure repair projects damaged as a result of disasters.

Mr. Amparo joined FEMA in 2009 as a Senior Advisor to the Office of Response and Recovery where he championed FEMA’s pre-staged commodity policy that includes emergency provisions for vulnerable populations. He supported the realignment of responsibilities among the FEMA directorates, negotiated national partnerships, integrated response and recovery activities, and improved efficiency in the delivery of disaster services.

Prior to his federal service, Mr. Amparo was the Director of Emergency Management at the Florida Commission on Community Service. He led the integration of Whole Community Partnerships during 60 state emergencies, including 22 major disasters declared by the President. Florida’s State Emergency Response Team expanded during his tenure, the result of his leadership and strong commitment to formalized agreements and creative partnerships. Mr. Amparo personally deployed to activated disasters in six states and territories through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. In 2008, Mr. Amparo received the Governor’s Award for exceptional leadership in the emergency management field, the highest honor awarded by the Florida Governor’s Hurricane Conference.

Mr. Amparo also served as a senior staff member in the office of the late Florida Governor Lawton Chiles; and gained subject matter expertise in the Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation Grant programs while at the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
 
Mr. Amparo holds a Bachelor of Science in Multinational Business at Florida State University and a Master’s in Business Administration at California State University.

Mr. Amparo lives in Virginia with his wife, Carmen, and their three children, Amber, Lauren, and Alex Junior.