FEMA

“Enthusiastic, disciplined and insightful are qualities that came to mind when I describe Josh Abrams.  Josh worked with our FEMA “ESF14” Long Term Community Recovery team for five months in St. Bernard Parish, which experienced devastating and overwhelming damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.  As leader of a multi-disciplinary team for FEMA that engaged in a public based planning process in St. Bernard after the storm, I know firsthand the professional challenges of moving into a very difficult situation trying to bring structure and success to the process of community planning.  Josh was a member of my team and stepped up to the challenge in a number of ways. 

Josh’s command of the principles of public participation and land use planning were key contributions to the success of our endeavor.  He demonstrated at all times the importance of teamwork yet was creative and varied in seizing issues and projects on his own initiative.  He was well respected and liked by all other members of the team.  In the end, he contributed in a meaningful way to a process that was difficult and required tremendous patience and adaptability. I would recommend Josh for his technical skills and background, and I am glad to also support him for the dedication and conscientiousness he brings to the job.”

Bill Kappel, FEMA