Areas of Expertise

• Organizational Management
• Strategic Planning / Staff Planning
• Interagency Coordination (state programs)
• NFIP State Coordinator Role (and expected activities)
• CAP-SSSE Administration
• Floodplain Management Standards, Building Codes and Land-use Regulations

Participating Activities

• One-on-One Mentoring
• Group Mentoring
• Situational Mentoring
• Ask a Mentor

FEMA Region

Time Worked in State Floodplain Management

Total Time in Floodplain Management

Professional Biography

Karen McHugh, a Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM) and the Missouri State National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Coordinator, has over 30 years of experience in public service. She served as Chief County Assessment Officer in Illinois, where she was also the County Floodplain Administrator. She interacted with the public as well as state and local government officials. She was responsible for issuing floodplain development permits, calculating substantial damage/substantial improvement estimates, and maintaining pertinent detailed documentation. She planned, organized, and carried out all floodplain management activities during the historic 1993 flooding event. Karen moved to Missouri and in the fall of 2007, she was asked by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to apply her floodplain management skills on Missouri’s behalf as the agency's Floodplain Management Officer, a position she held for 9-years. In the fall of 2016 she was promoted to SEMA’s Floodplain Management Section Manager and State NFIP Coordinator.

Missouri State NFIP Coordinator and Floodplain Management Section Manager

Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Jefferson City, Missouri, December 2016 - Present

• Supervise staff of three employees

• Manage the Community Assistance Program- State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) grant

• Prepare Community Assistance Program – State Support Services Element (CAP-SSSE) grant quarterly report to maintain agency compliance with Federal regulations

• Responsible for Tired State Framework assessment in Missouri (Advanced Tier - 10th in nation)

• Update Five-Year Floodplain Management Plan

• Develop state’s first Floodplain Management Strategic Plan

• Wrote state’s first Substantial Damage Plan

• Wrote state’s first Flood Damage Assessment Packet, updated each year

• Instruct CFM pre-examination workshop: Proctor CFM examination

• Evaluate and updated state’s model ordinances every 3 years

• Write quarterly floodplain management E-bulletin

• Develop and present NFIP PowerPoint presentations and convert to virtual presentations

• Serve as NFIP expert to the public and to SEMA staff

Floodplain Management Officer October 2007 – November 2016

• Provide expert ongoing technical support and consultation with both local jurisdictions and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to be certain NFIP regulations are met

• Monitor Floodplain Management Ordinances for NFIP compliance

• Proficient at reviewing and evaluating Floodplain Management Ordinances

• Develop and present National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) PowerPoint presentations

• Instruct and co-instruct NFIP Insurance workshops

• Develop and present NFIP Preparedness Webinar presentation to a global audience

• Co-present in NFIP live video streaming

• Instruct Floodplain Administrators after disasters to insure uniformity of Substantial Damage Evaluations

• Provide detailed assistance to local Floodplain Administrators after disasters

• Maintain status as Certified Floodplain Manager (CFM)

• Conduct Community Assistance Contact (CAC) visits

• Conduct Community Assistance Visits (CAVs)

• Meet with communities about joining the NFIP