EVANSTON, Ill. &#8212; Hagerty Consulting, a nationally recognized leader in emergency management and homeland security consulting, announced the addition of <a href="https://hagertyconsulting.com/employee/jessi-nalepa/">Jessica (Jessi) Nalepa</a> as the company&#8217;s first Communications Director. In this capacity, she will serve as a member of Hagerty&#8217;s leadership team providing strategic direction and oversight of the company&#8217;s external communications and engagement. Prior to joining Hagerty, Nalepa spent nearly a decade in federal service. Most recently, she served as FEMA&#8217;s Director of External Affairs.
&#8220;Jessi is a pivotal communicator and government relations professional in Washington, D.C. The breadth and depth of her experience and knowledge will help make our firm even stronger,&#8221; said Founder and CEO, Steve Hagerty. &#8220;We are excited to have her join our team as we continue to grow and find innovative ways to serve our clients as they prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.&#8221;
As Hagerty Consulting&#8217;s Communications Director, Nalepa will be the company&#8217;s chief spokesperson and responsible for driving the company&#8217;s external communications strategy through effective media engagement, digital communication, as well as public relations and advocacy campaigns designed to both advance Hagerty&#8217;s mission and brand while drawing attention to the importance of community preparedness and resiliency.
&#8220;I am honored to join Hagerty Consulting as the company&#8217;s first Communications Director at such a dynamic time,&#8221; said Nalepa. &#8220;I am passionate about professional emergency management and look forward to continuing to highlight the importance of disaster preparedness, response and recovery, and community resiliency through Hagerty&#8217;s client-centric, integrous brand.&#8221;
As FEMA&#8217;s Director of External Affairs, Nalepa managed the daily operations of the agency&#8217;s public affairs, strategic communications, congressional and intergovernmental affairs, as well as the Ready.gov campaign. During her tenure, she coordinated and led the Agency&#8217;s external communications and engagements for over 234 Presidentially declared disasters, including the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic as well as some of the Nation&#8217;s most devastating hurricanes and wildfires.
Before joining FEMA, Nalepa spent nearly seven years on Capitol Hill. She culminated her congressional career by serving as the Chief of Staff to U.S. Congressman Michael T. McCaul (TX-10), then Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. A loyal George Mason University Patriot, Nalepa is a two-time graduate; holding a bachelor&#8217;s degree in government and international politics with a minor in political communication; and, master&#8217;s degree in public policy with a focus in national security.