Bill Riley

briley@wittassociates.com

Senior Disaster Recovery Manager

Bill Riley is a uniquely qualified Executive with private sector, government and non-profit experience.  He has expertly managed a diverse multi-national organization; compassionately delivered emergency relief to those affected by natural disasters; and capably directed facility construction, renovation and relocation efforts.  Mr. Riley is a skilled administrator and leader with demonstrated accomplishments in organizational change, program and project management, emergency and disaster response, crisis management and public affairs.  He displays expert proficiency in developing policies, and designing and implementing new programs and processes, and formulating objectives and priorities consistent with the long-term interests of an organization in a global environment.  Mr. Riley displays consistently strong leadership abilities and communication skills. 

Before his work at James Lee Witt Associates, where he led the communications effort in the State of Iowa after the 2008 summer flooding and severe storms disaster, Mr. Riley was the Chief Operating Officer for Holy Cross Family Ministries in North Easton, MA, where he was responsible for all operational concerns including finance and the management of a $160 million endowment.  He was also responsible for Information Technology, Human Resources, Support Services, and Facilities Management.  Mr. Riley advanced the reorganization of the corporate management structure and the development of long-range strategic and tactical plans of its holding company, two operating companies and five business units.  He successfully managed the construction of its world headquarters and the relocation of its operations. 

Mr. Riley was previously a Manager of Media Relations and Incident Operations Center at the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board in Washington, D.C. where he was a capable member of the five-person start-up team of this U.S. government Executive Branch agency.  While there, he was the recipient of the agency's first Exemplary Performance Award.  He skillfully managed the agency's media relations and incident operations center and was responsible for the build-out of the agency's permanent headquarters and its relocation from temporary offices. 

Mr. Riley was a Public Affairs Officer in FEMA, Washington, D.C., where he was Senior Advisor to the Federal Coordinating Officer at the sites of presidentially declared disasters in the U.S. and its territories and was an authoritative spokesperson on all operational, program and policy issues at the scene of major disasters.  While in the federal service, Mr. Riley was deployed to more than 40 major disasters, chemical plant explosions and refinery fires.

Prior to his government work, Mr. Riley spent twenty years in the commercial property-casualty insurance business and held the professional designation of Certified Insurance Counselor. He served on an advisory committee for the restructuring of the Massachusetts auto insurance industry, was a member of the board of directors of the Professional Insurance Agents of New England, and testified before the Connecticut and Massachusetts legislatures on insurance matters.

Mr. Riley's other remarkable achievements include being Executive in Charge of Production of the award-winning documentary, "God, Country, Notre Dame: The Story of Father Ted Hesburgh, CSC;" National Editor, FEMA Recovery Times; Author, Surviving the Storm; A guide to Hurricane Preparedness; and he collaborated in the review and revisions of the FEMA Emergency Management Institute's "Disaster Response and Recovery Operations" course.