The State Hazard Mitigation Officer (SHMO) oversees and coordinates hazard mitigation activities within California and serves as the primary point of contact with FEMA. A SHMO’s primary role is to develop and implement strategies that minimize the risks and impacts of natural disasters and other hazards. In California, this starts with the California State Hazard Mitigation Plan, which was updated in 2023. The SHMP outlines the state’s hazard profiles and prioritizes strategies to make California safer and more resilient.

Robyn Fennig was appointed Assistant Director of the Hazard Mitigation Branch on February 27, 2024, and has served as Division Chief of the Hazard Mitigation Planning Division since 2023. Robyn brings a wealth of experience from Wisconsin’s Division of Emergency Management, where she worked from 2012 to 2023. From 2017 to 2018, Robyn served as a Research Scientist at the Association of State Floodplain Managers. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a Master of Science degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa, and has been a Certified Floodplain Manager since 2012. Robyn is enthusiastic about connecting communities to resources that build and enhance local resilience capabilities. She has a huge interest in the overlap between planning, zoning and capital improvement planning with hazard mitigation and disaster recovery.