Harvey E. Johnson, Jr.

Harvey E. Johnson Jr., retired Vice Admiral, United States Coast Guard, is the Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

Career

Coast Guard career

Johnson began his career as a deck watch officer aboard the cutter "Steadfast" (WMEC-623). He then earned his Naval Aviator wings in 1977. He flew the HH-52A helicopter at Coast Guard Air Station Houston, the HH-3F at Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, the HH-65A in Brooklyn and Corpus Christi, and the HH-60J in San Diego. Staff assignments included: Aviation Assignment Officer in the Office of Personnel and Training; Program Reviewer and Analyst within the Office of the Chief of Staff; Deputy Chief, Programs Division within the Office of the Chief of Staff; and, member of the Streamlining Team.cite web
url = http://www.fema.gov/about/bios/hjohnson.shtm
title = "Harvey E. Johnson, Jr."
work = Bios
publisher = Federal Emergency Management Agency
accessdate = 2007-10-28]

Johnson assumed the duties of Commander, Pacific Area in June 2004. The Area of Operations for the Pacific Area encompasses over 73 million miles west of the Rocky Mountains and throughout the Pacific Basin to the Far East. Prior to this assignment, he was the Commander, Seventh Coast Guard District and served as the Director, Homeland Security Task Force-Southeast, where he directed Operation Able Sentry, the DHS response to the crisis in Haiti. In addition to these duties, Johnson served as the Executive Director of the Coast Guard's transition into the Department of Homeland Security, Director of Operations Capability, and Director of Operations Policy.

Prior to promotion to flag rank in 2001, Johnson served as the Executive Assistant to the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Other assignments included: Commanding Officer of Air Station Brooklyn, and concurrently as Commanding Officer of Air Station San Diego and Commander, Activities San Diego. Johnson also served as a fellow at the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group in Newport, Rhode Island.

FEMA career

On April 6, 2006 Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff announced the appointment of Vice Admiral Johnson as FEMA deputy director.cite news
first = Eric
last = Lipton
url = http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/07/washington/07fema.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Organizations/H/Homeland%20Security%20Department
title = Nominations Made for Top Post at FEMA and Three Other Slots
work = New York Times
date = April 7, 2006
accessdate = 2007-10-28]

On September 7, 2007 President George W. Bush announced his intention to nominate Johnson to serve in his administration as Deputy Administrator and Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Emergency Management Agency at the Department of Homeland Security.cite web
date = September 7, 2007
url = http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/09/20070907-10.html
title = "Personnel Announcement"
work = News & Policies: Nominations by Name
publisher = The White House
accessdate = 2007-10-28]

Criticism

On October 24, 2007, FEMA announced a news conference about the recent . But with no reporters on hand and an agency video camera providing a feed, carried live by some television networks, FEMA press employees posed as reporters and asked the questions for Deputy Administrator Johnson. Two days later, Johnson admitted that the press conference had been staged, saying, "We can and must do better, and apologize for this error in judgment."cite news
first = Randall
last = Mikkelsen
url = http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN26366100
title = US agency apologizes for news conference on fires
publisher = Reuters
date = October 26, 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-28] cite news
first = Al
last = Kamen
url = http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/25/AR2007102502488.html
title = FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be ... FEMA
work = Washington Post
page = A19
date = October 26, 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-28]

*A spokeswoman for Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who has authority over FEMA, called the incident "inexcusable and offensive to the secretary".

*The White House was not happy with FEMA's response. "It is not a practice that we would employ here at the White House", said Press Secretary Dana Perino, mentioning three times that it was an "error in judgment". "It's not something I would have condoned, and they, I'm sure, will not do it again."cite news
first = Jordy
last = Yager
url = http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-fema27oct27,0,913215.story?coll=la-home-center
title = FEMA blasted for 'news' conference
work = Los Angeles Times
date = October 27, 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-28] cite web
date = October 26, 2007
url = http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/10/20071026-6.html
title = "Press Briefing by Dana Perino"
format =
work =
publisher =
accessdate = 2007-10-28]

*On Monday, October 29, 2007, John P. "Pat" Philbin, the former director of external affairs for FEMA, took responsibility for the fake press conference. "I should have cancelled it quickly. I did not have good situational awareness of what was happening", he told CBS News. Philbin had previously planned to retire on Friday (October 26, 2007) before this situation came about. cite news
first = Michael
last Rey
url = http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/10/29/primarysource/entry3428071.shtml
title = I Should Have Cancelled" Fake FEMA Press Briefing
publisher = CBS
date = October 29, 2007
accessdate = 2007-10-29]

Education

His education includes a Bachelor of Science degree at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1975, and an M.S. at the Naval Postgraduate School in 1983, and a Master of Science in Management from the MIT Sloan School of Management as a Sloan Fellow in 1993.

Awards

His major decorations include the Legion of Merit (3), the Meritorious Service Medal (3), the Coast Guard Commendation Medal (2), and the Coast Guard Achievement Medal.

Personal life

Johnson is a native of Tampa, Florida. He is married to the former Janet L. Cronin of Boston, Massachusetts, and they have two children, Jennifer and Scott.

References