Participants

Benjamin E. Curran

Chief, Voluntary Agency and Donations Coordination Unit, Disaster Assistance Directorate, FEMA

Mr. Curran is the liaison to non-governmental organizations for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. He also serves as the program manager for the Donated Goods and Volunteer Services Program. Mr. Curran began work in the field of emergency relief and development as a high school volunteer for the Missionaries of Charity in Rome, Italy, in 1975 and 1976. Before joining FEMA in 1989, he worked as a refugee camp administrator for the International Rescue Committee in the Sudan in 1985 and 1986. His emergency management field experience includes disaster response assignments in several states and territories, beginning with Hurricane Hugo in Puerto Rico. In addition, he has worked on special assignments in Kobe, Japan, after the 1995 earthquake; in Rwanda after the 1994 genocide; and in Hungary and Romania as a member of the NATO-sponsored “Stability Pact” initiative.