Michael D. Brown

Michael D. Brown
Brown on February 4, 2003
Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
In office April 15, 2003 – September 12, 2005
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Joe Allbaugh
Succeeded by	R. David Paulison
Personal details
Born	Michael DeWayne Brown (1954-11-08) November 8, 1954 (age 62) Guymon, Oklahoma
Profession	Lawyer, radio personality

Michael DeWayne Brown (born November 8, 1954) served as the first Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response (EP&R), a division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This position is generally referred to as the director or administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He was appointed in January 2003 by President George W. Bush and resigned following his controversial handling of Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. Brown first had been appointed as General Counsel at FEMA. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks President Bush nominated Brown to become Deputy Director of FEMA. Brown currently hosts a radio talk show on 630 KHOW in Denver, Colorado.

Brown was born on November 8, 1954 in Guymon, Oklahoma, the son of Eloise (Ferguson) and Wayne Ellsworth Brown. He received a B.A. in public administration/political science from the Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma). He received his J.D. from Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1981.

While he was in college, from 1975 to 1978, he handled "labor and budget matters" as an assistant to the city manager of Edmond, Oklahoma (1980 population of 34,637). His White House biography stated that he had emergency services oversight in this position. However, the head of public relations for the city was quoted as denying that Brown had oversight over anybody and that "the assistant is more like an intern." She said, "Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I'd ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt." However, Claudia Deakins, the spokesperson for the City of Edmond, submitted information to the House Committee investigating Hurricane Katrina that Time Magazine, which described his resume as "padded," had taken her quotes out of context, and erroneously reported Brown's position at the City of Edmond. The former Mayor of Edmond, Carl Reherman, and the former City Attorney, Mary Ann Karns, each submitted affidavits to the House investigating committee showing that Brown did have emergency management experience.