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Daniel Kaniewski, FEMA's Second-Ranking Official, Is Resigning from His Position

I think it is the "churn point" at FEMA in senior staffing.

News of the day, FEMA's second-ranking official leaving agency, which would be Daniel Kaniewski.

So why the churn? One person asked if FEMA Administrator Pete Gaynor is "cleaning house?" Now I'm not Pete's best friend, but I do know him and don't think "it is his style" nor would he have that much "power and connections" at this point to move politically connected people along.

Most likely we are at the typical 18-month-and-plus mark when the average senior appointed federal official "moves on" to greener pastures. It is generally rare to see someone like Craig Fugate stay for most of an entire administration. 

I personally know nothing of Daniel Kaniewski — but did pick up a few tidbits along the way.

Remarks about him included "Nice guy." A Ph.D., but not a brainiac. Well connected in Republican circles and he ran, way back when, with the likes of Kirstjen Nielsen (former DHS secretary).  

For positions like the one he had, it is not "generally" what you know, but who you know. That is how our federal system works. 

One person posed that he is headed for the Insurance Information Institute, another organization that I don't think I've heard of, but likely a place for FEMA retreads and others. Shows what I know about D.C. and the levers of power!

All the above reminds me of a person I personally knew who was elected to Congress. He was talking about taking this person with him to be his chief of staff and this other person be his communications staffer. He quickly found out that the then-Republican Leadership in the House told him they would select the people for those positions for him — people already in the party circle. Welcome to Washington!

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.