Episode 104: A Chat with Kelbie Kennedy, FEMA’s New National Tribal Affairs Advocate

A big part of FEMA administrator Deanna Criswell's strategic plan centers around instilling equity in emergency management. With this renewed focus, we are delighted to introduce FEMA's first National Tribal Affairs Advocate, Kelbie Kennedy, to the podcast. Since joining FEMA in October 2022, Kelbie has brought a wealth of knowledge about Indian Country to the agency with the goal of helping FEMA live up to our trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations while focusing on equity. Troy Christensen from the FEMA podcast team caught up with Kelbie at the National Advisory Council meeting that was recently held at the Choctaw Nation to discuss her background and her vision for the future of FEMA's tribal engagement and collaboration.