The National Emergency Management Association
Celebrating 35 Years of Service

Nancy J. Dragani
NEMA President
Executive Director, Ohio Emergency Management Agency

January 28, 2009

REVIEWS

"As a student enrolled in Capella University's BS Public Safety/ Emergency Management program and a student member of IAEM, I appreciated the seminar and found it very insightful.

My primary job is in healthcare and I specialize in developing procedural methodologies to accomplish specific outcomes. With this being said, the development of a standardized scalable response methodology is intriguing. It gives me thought for my capstone project."
Christine Lilly-Holbrook
Volunteer, New Hanover Co. Emergency Mgmt (NC)

NANCY DRAGANI

As director of the Ohio EMA, Nancy J. Dragani leads the state's coordinated preparedness and response to both man-made and natural disasters, administers the State Homeland Security Funding Program, and oversees disaster recovery and mitigation efforts. Ms. Dragani was reappointed to her position by Governor Ted Strickland in 2007. She has been the director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency since January 2005.

In the fall of 2008, Ms. Dragani accepted her elected seat as president of the National Emergency Management Association. She is one of two state emergency management directors on the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Advisory Council.

Prior to becoming executive director, Ms. Dragani served as the Director of Operations at Ohio EMA where she was responsible for emergency preparedness training, exercises, planning, homeland security and preparedness grants and response operations in the State Emergency Operations Center during disasters.

During her career, Ms. Dragani has held a variety of positions with local, state and the federal government including the director of administration and public information chief for the Ohio EMA, editor of the Ohio National Guard's quarterly magazine, and radio and television broadcaster with the United States Army. Ms. Dragani retired from the Ohio National Guard with 22 years of combined U.S. Army, Army National Guard and Air National Guard service.

About NEMA

The National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) is a non-partisan, non-profit 501(c)(3) association dedicated to enhancing public safety by improving the nations ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from all emergencies, disasters, and threats to our nations security.

The National Emergency Management Association began in 1974 when state directors of emergency services first united in order to exchange information on common emergency management issues that threatened their constituencies. Since that time, NEMA has grown and captured the attention of the President, Congress, Governors, federal agencies, major corporations, the military and other government representative organizations.

The state directors of emergency management are the core membership of NEMA. Membership categories also exist for key state staff, homeland security advisors, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, private sector companies and concerned individuals.