Charleston County Emergency Management Director Justin Pierce has been appointed to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) National Advisory Council, which advises FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell on all aspects of emergency management, including preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation for disasters and national emergencies.
Created in 2006, the Council is composed of a cross-section of geographically diverse officials, emergency managers, and emergency response providers from state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as the private sector and nongovernmental organizations.
Justin has more than 20 years of experience in the homeland security and emergency management field and has deployed to numerous Presidentially declared disasters under the Robert T. Stafford Act.
Most recently, he served as Director of Emergency Management for Los Angeles World Airports, including Van Nuys General Aviation Airport and LAX. In that role, Justin helped guide the airports’ response to and recovery from COVID-19, led the planning effort for the Super Bowl LVI team arrivals, revamped LAX terminal evacuation and repopulation procedures, modernized its alert and warning capabilities, and initiated a $70 million renovation of its Emergency Operations Center.
"I am deeply honored to be selected to join FEMA’s National Advisory Council," said Pierce. "This opportunity will allow me to collaborate with leaders across the nation to strengthen our collective preparedness and response efforts. I look forward to bringing insights from my career to the table while applying what I learn to enhance the resilience of our community here in Charleston County."
"Justin’s appointment to FEMA’s National Advisory Council is a well-deserved honor and a testament to his expertise and dedication," said Eric Watson, Charleston County Deputy County Administrator for Public Safety. "We’re fortunate to have him leading our Emergency Management Department and are confident that his experience and leadership will benefit countless communities not just in Charleston County, but across the nation."
