Philadelphia, October 4, 2010- Mayor Nutter announced today the appointments of Liam O'Keefe to the position of Deputy Managing Director and Samantha Phillips to the position of Assistant Managing Director of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM). Mr. O'Keefe will assume the post that was vacated by MaryAnn Tierney, who currently serves as FEMA's Regional Administrator for Region III. Ms. Phillips will fill the position that Mr. O'Keefe originally held since February, 2007. Mr. O'Keefe and Ms. Phillips will collaborate with City departments and external organizations to develop comprehensive emergency management plans to mitigate the impact of emergencies and guide the city through recovery efforts.
"Liam and Samantha's collaborative efforts with City partners have proven to be pivotal in preparing OEM to handle a variety of emergency situations," said Mayor Nutter. "Their hard work has made the City more secure and thoroughly prepared OEM employees to maintain public safety while keeping citizens well-informed."
"Liam and Samantha have proven their ability to prepare the City and our residents for emergencies," said Deputy Mayor for Administration and Coordination/Managing Director Rich Negrin. "Their dedication, diligence and experience will allow us to respond quickly and appropriately."
"I'm honored to have been selected to head the Office of Emergency Management," said Liam O'Keefe. "I look forward to tackling the challenges associated with this role and am excited to continue working with our public and private sector partners to enhance emergency management capacity within the city and region."
Prior to his work with the City, Mr. O'Keefe was a management consultant to FEMA. From 2001 to 2003, he served as an Emergency Preparedness Specialist with the New York City Office of Emergency Management where he helped coordinate the World Trade Center disaster response and recovery efforts. He also coordinated emergency response efforts during Hurricane Katrina. Prior to Ms. Phillips' work with the City, she worked at George Washington University's Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management and served as a member of the National Preparedness and Response Corps for the American Red Cross' Southeast Louisiana Chapter. Mr. O'Keefe will receive a salary of $114,400 and Samantha Phillips' salary will be $100,000.
