National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program

Edward M. Laatsch ("Ed")
Director, Safety, Planning and Building Science Division
Risk Management Directorate
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Department of Homeland Security
400 C Street, SW
Washington, DC 20472
edward.laatsch@fema.dhs.gov

Edward Laatsch is Director, Safety, Planning and Building Science Division of the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Administration (FIMA) Risk Management Directorate within FEMA. This division is responsible for several programs and initiatives including: NEHRP; National Wind Hazard Impact Reduction Program (NWHIRP); Dam Safety and Security Program, National Levee Safety Program; disaster-resistant building codes and standards activities; technical and engineering support for earthquake, hurricane, flood, and other natural hazards; post-disaster forensic engineering studies through the Mitigation Assessment Team program; and mitigation planning. Other activities within this section include the development of technical guidance documents related to hazard mitigation and special projects related to all-hazards risks.

Previously, Laatsch was Chief of the Building Science Branch at FEMA. Prior to that, he was a Research Administrator and Loss Control Superintendent for State Farm Insurance. Before that he spent seven years with the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the NAHB Research Center. Previous to that, Laatsch worked as a consulting engineer including five years with a specialty munitions facilities design firm as a Vice President and blast-effects designer. In all, Ed Laatsch has over 30 years of experience in the areas of engineering design, housing research, project management, and construction supervision. In addition, Laatsch has written numerous papers and publications on residential housing technology and loss control issues over the last 15 years.

Laatsch holds an M.S. in Architecture from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Michigan, as well as being a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Virginia.

Education:
M.S. Architecture, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Michigan