Full Name
Ira Tannenbaum
Job Title
Assistant Commissioner for External Affairs & Strategic Partnerships
Company
New York City Emergency Management Department
Speaking At
Speaker Bio
Ira Tannenbaum is a nationally recognized leader in emergency management, public private integration and crisis response coordination, with more than two decades of experience shaping how New York City and its partners prepare for, respond to, and recover from major emergencies. As Assistant Commissioner for External Affairs & Strategic Partnerships at the New York City Emergency Management Department (NYCEM), he plays a central role in strengthening cross‑sector collaboration, advancing regional engagement, and integrating private sector and critical infrastructure partners into the city’s operational readiness.
Throughout his career, Ira has built and led high impact programs that have become national models for resilience. He created the award-winning Partners in Preparedness Program, which transformed how thousands of organizations engage with NYCEM, and co-founded the John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service, the city’s first graduate level emergency management fellowship. His work has consistently expanded the city’s ability to coordinate with corporations, associations, universities, and NGOs across every major sector.
Ira has served in senior leadership roles during some of the most complex crises of the past two decades. In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Ira helped lead operations in the City’s Emergency Operations Center coordinating multi‑agency operations and supporting high‑level decision making across government and critical infrastructure partners. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, he acted as a key liaison to the NYC Test & Trace Corps and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Community Advisory Board, helping shape citywide engagement and crisis communication strategies. He also directed private sector engagement in the Emergency Operations Center, supporting supply‑chain stabilization and critical infrastructure continuity.
In 2019, Ira led a 35‑person multi‑agency team deployed to Puerto Rico following the earthquakes, coordinating with local officials, public affairs teams, and media as the team conducted more than 1,000 structural assessments and mental health visits. Earlier in his career, he authored the Healthcare Facility Evacuation component of the NYC Coastal Storm Plan, supporting continuity of care for 20,000 patients across more than 250 facilities.
Ira’s contributions have earned him some of the field’s highest honors, including being named White House Champion of Change, Program Leader of the Year by Disaster Recovery Institute International, and Continuity & Resilience Professional of the Year by the Business Continuity Institute (North America). He holds an MBA in Health Care Administration and a BA in Biology and continues to serve as an Emergency Medical Technician and Crew Chief with the Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Corps, where he has volunteered since 1996.
Throughout his career, Ira has built and led high impact programs that have become national models for resilience. He created the award-winning Partners in Preparedness Program, which transformed how thousands of organizations engage with NYCEM, and co-founded the John D. Solomon Fellowship for Public Service, the city’s first graduate level emergency management fellowship. His work has consistently expanded the city’s ability to coordinate with corporations, associations, universities, and NGOs across every major sector.
Ira has served in senior leadership roles during some of the most complex crises of the past two decades. In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, Ira helped lead operations in the City’s Emergency Operations Center coordinating multi‑agency operations and supporting high‑level decision making across government and critical infrastructure partners. During the COVID‑19 pandemic, he acted as a key liaison to the NYC Test & Trace Corps and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s Community Advisory Board, helping shape citywide engagement and crisis communication strategies. He also directed private sector engagement in the Emergency Operations Center, supporting supply‑chain stabilization and critical infrastructure continuity.
In 2019, Ira led a 35‑person multi‑agency team deployed to Puerto Rico following the earthquakes, coordinating with local officials, public affairs teams, and media as the team conducted more than 1,000 structural assessments and mental health visits. Earlier in his career, he authored the Healthcare Facility Evacuation component of the NYC Coastal Storm Plan, supporting continuity of care for 20,000 patients across more than 250 facilities.
Ira’s contributions have earned him some of the field’s highest honors, including being named White House Champion of Change, Program Leader of the Year by Disaster Recovery Institute International, and Continuity & Resilience Professional of the Year by the Business Continuity Institute (North America). He holds an MBA in Health Care Administration and a BA in Biology and continues to serve as an Emergency Medical Technician and Crew Chief with the Hatzalah Volunteer Ambulance Corps, where he has volunteered since 1996.
