Dawn Brantley Named Director of Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency
BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll administration announced the appointment of Dawn Brantley as director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), effective immediately.
Brantley brings more than15 years of emergency-management and disaster-recovery experience at the state and local levels. Serving as MEMA’s acting director since October 2021, Brantley launched the Northeast Emergency Management Training & Education Center and guided preparedness planning for major storms and large-scale events, including two Boston Marathons. During her tenure as acting director, she also led mass-care response efforts for several temporary sheltering operations and secured New England’s first-ever National Mass Care training exercise, scheduled to take place in Massachusetts in October 2023.
“Dawn Brantley is a proven and respected leader who has dedicated her career to protecting communities, ensuring equitable and inclusive emergency planning and building strong local, state, and federal partnerships,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “I look forward to continuing our work together to strengthen Massachusetts’ readiness and resiliency and lessening climate-related impacts through comprehensive emergency-management planning.”
MEMA is the state agency responsible for ensuring the Commonwealth’s preparedness to withstand, respond to, and recover from all types of emergencies and disasters. From large-scale events to severe weather response, MEMA’s mission strengthens Massachusetts’ emergency readiness by assessing threats and mitigating hazards, enhancing preparedness, ensuring effective response, and fortifying the state’s capacity to rebuild and recover.
“I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll administration and [Public Safety and Security] Secretary [Terrence] Reidy for their confidence in me, and honored to serve Massachusetts in this role,” Brantley said. “Working alongside the dedicated and talented MEMA team, I look forward to serving the people of Massachusetts by advancing emergency planning centered on policies that prioritize equity, accessibility, and inclusion.”