Pete Gaynor is the Vice President of Resiliency and Disaster Recovery at Hill International, where he leads global programs that help clients prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters. He previously served as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Administrator of FEMA, overseeing federal responses to more than 300 major disasters, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the most active Atlantic hurricane season on record, and historic wildfires across the West Coast.

Before his federal service, Mr. Gaynor led emergency management efforts for both the State of Rhode Island and the City of Providence. A 26-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, he held key leadership roles in crisis operations, including security at Camp David and planning Marine Corps response efforts during the global war on terror. He remains a strong advocate for disaster preparedness and recovery, serving as Chair of the Disaster Recovery Coalition of America, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Disaster Response Reform Task Force, Board Member of Team Rubicon and on multiple boards supporting disaster resilience.