Chafee names new RIEMA head

THERESA C. Murray replaces J. David Smith as executive director of the R.I. Emergency Management Agency. / COURTESY OFFICE OF GOV. LINCOLN D. CHAFEE
THERESA C. Murray replaces J. David Smith as executive director of the R.I. Emergency Management Agency. / COURTESY OFFICE OF GOV. LINCOLN D. CHAFEE

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Lincoln D. Chafee announced the new head of the R.I. Emergency Management Agency Friday morning.

Theresa C. Murray replaces J. David Smith as executive director; Smith retired in June to pursue a career in academia.

“As we saw with the floods of 2010, disasters or crises can strike Rhode Island at any time with little or no notice,” Chafee said in a news release. “With that in mind, it is essential that RIEMA’s executive director be a proven leader who can perform under the most trying circumstances. Theresa Murray certainly fits that description.

“Throughout her extensive law enforcement and emergency management career, she has demonstrated the ability to accomplish her objectives with excellence and to motivate those around her. I am confident that Theresa Murray will ensure that RIEMA is not only prepared to protect Rhode Islanders in any possible scenario, but that it is proactive in its emergency management initiatives, as well,” he said.

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Murray’s career has included serving as Regional Catastrophic Planner for the Boston Office of Emergency Management, and, previously, as RIEMA’s Regional Planning Coordinator. From 1984 to 2009, Murray served as a Special Agent in the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, rising to the position of Assistant Special Agent in Charge in the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education.

Additionally, she is the Boston Chapter president and former national first vice president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association. She maintains the Certified Fraud Examiner designation and holds numerous certifications from the Department of Homeland Security and a Top Secret security clearance.

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