New Madrid Seismic Zone
Catastrophic Planning Initiative

James M. Wilkinson, Jr.
Executive Director
Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)

Derek Estes
Acting Chief, Catastrophic Disaster Planning Branch
Federal Emergency Management Agency

March 25, 2009

REVIEWS

JIM WILKINSON

James M. Wilkinson, Jr. is the fifth Executive Director of CUSEC. Mr. Wilkinson has worked in the field of emergency management since 1991, beginning with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, where he served as a Population Protection Planner, and, later, as the state's Earthquake Program Manager. In 1994, he accepted a position with the Central United States Earthquake Consortium as Mitigation Specialist. In this position, he worked closely with CUSEC Member and Associate States, to help develop a strong program that addresses the regional impact of earthquakes in the central US, while emphasizing an all hazard approach.

In December 1999, Mr. Wilkinson was appointed to his current position as Executive Director. In this position he is responsible for accomplishing the CUSEC programs and activities that are defined by the four primary CUSEC goals: raising the level of public awareness of the earthquake hazard in the central U.S.; promoting the adoption of mitigation programs, tools, and techniques to reduce the vulnerability of the Central U.S. to earthquakes and other hazards; fostering multi-state planning for response and recovery to a damaging earthquake; and promoting the application of research and lessons learned to improve the level of preparedness.

Mr. Wilkinson serves on the Missouri Insurance Earthquake Task Force, the Arkansas Governors Seismic Advisory Council and on the Board of Directors for the Center for Community Earthquake Preparedness at the University Mississippi. Mr. Wilkinson is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning.

About CUSEC

Established in 1983 with funding support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, CUSEC's primary mission is, "... the reduction of deaths, injuries, property damage and economic losses resulting from earthquakes in the Central United States." CUSEC is a partnership of the federal government and the eight states most affected by earthquakes in the central United States. Those states are: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.

CUSEC serves as a "coordinating hub" for the region, performing the critical role of coordinating the multi-state efforts of the central region. Its coordinating role is largely facilitative and not as the primary implementer of emergency management functions which is the responsibility of each individual state.

DEREK ESTES

Derek Estes is currently the Acting Chief of FEMA's Catastrophic Disaster Planning Branch, which is responsible for the New Madrid, South Florida, California and Hawaii Catastrophic Disaster Planning Initiatives, as well as the National Response Framework's Catastrophic Incident Annex and its Supplement.

At FEMA, he has also served as a policy analyst to the Assistant Administrator for Disaster Operations. Mr. Estes has also worked at the Federal level as a policy analyst and program manager for the Department of Homeland Security's Office for Domestic Preparedness (now part of FEMA).

Prior to Federal service, he worked as an emergency manager for New York City, Washington, DC and the State of North Carolina. Mr. Estes earned his Master of Public Administration degree at North Carolina State University.