James Joseph

James Joseph is the Vice President of Response at Tidal Basin, overseeing all disaster response operations and growth strategies for the company. Mr. Joseph brings more than 15 years of senior leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to his work at Tidal Basin, James was a Regional Administrator at FEMA where he was responsible for the agency’s response, recovery, preparedness, mitigation, grants, and mission support programs across the six-state Region V. He oversaw nearly 270 employees and an annual budget of $1.4 billion. In addition, from June 2020 to January 2021, Joseph served as the Director of External Affairs in Washington, DC during the historic Whole-of-America response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 hurricane season. He also served as a member of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner’s cabinet where he served in two capacities: Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) and Deputy State Homeland Security Advisor. In these roles he oversaw Illinois’ disaster preparedness and response, nuclear safety, and homeland security programs. Mr. Joseph has served on numerous national organizations, including: Co-Chairman of the National Homeland Security Consortium, Executive Board of the National Emergency Management Association, and the US Department of Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Executive Council. He has served in municipal government as well, both as Chairman of the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners, and the Chairman Pro-Tem of the Planning and Zoning Commission in Carol Stream, Illinois.