“I believe in a holistic, equitable approach to recovery,” says new Hill International Vice President, Resiliency and Disaster Recovery (RDR) Jane Brogan. “After a disaster, it’s not just homes, it’s the entire community that needs to be rebuilt. The right programs can help make that happen and, if designed correctly, will create resilient communities, prepare for future risks and provide opportunities for vulnerable populations.” At Hill, Jane will lead CDBG-DR assignments, leveraging her leadership and expertise to help grantees be proactive with their long-term recovery and resiliency programs without any compromise in compliance.

In her more than two decades of experience, Jane spent 15 years of that as a CDBG-DR grantee, giving her a practical understanding of how to manage long-term disaster recovery programs and navigate the complex requirements of the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) program. While in her key leadership positions as a grantee, she developed comprehensive knowledge of the CDBG-DR program, applied solutions, and lessons learned she is ready to share with grantees today.

A key post in Jane’s background is serving as Chief Policy and Research Officer for the New York Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery (GOSR), where she managed more than $4.5 billion in CDBG-DR funding following Superstorm Sandy. This expansive program included critical repairs to housing and infrastructure, buyouts, economic revitalization, and community resiliency projects.

“I learned first-hand at GOSR the pressures communities face when they’re trying to rebuild,” she explains. “But I also learned there are many opportunities to use the flexibility of the funding to meet the needs of the community and rebuild with vision. I want to share that with Hill’s clients and help communities maximize the impact of federal funding in their recovery programs.”

In addition to her work with GOSR, Jane was the Policy and Program lead for New York City’s $4.2 billion CDBG-DR grant used to implement disaster recovery and climate adaptation projects encompassing housing, economic development, infrastructure, and coastal resiliency. Prior to her work with the City, Jane worked at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) as Planning Project Manager, helping to plan and coordinate the reconstruction of the World Trade Center Site and implement community development projects utilizing LMDC’s CDBG-DR funding. She also holds a Master of Science in Environmental Science from the University of Sydney and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Colgate University.

At Hill, Jane plans to leverage her leadership and expertise to help grantees be proactive with their long-term recovery programs without any compromise in compliance. “One immediate way I can help grantees is in demonstrating what the DR dollars can do for their communities and the impactful programs that can be implemented,” she says. “Grantees really do have the opportunity to build back better—to prepare for the next disaster, to support vulnerable populations, and to grow their economic capabilities. Grantees should know they have options as well as requirements when they utilize CDBG-DR funds.”

Andy Robinson, leader of Hill’s RDR practice, says of the team’s new Vice President: “Jane is about transforming communities post-event through resiliency, economic, and social equity strategies. In our PM/CM world, she brings a unique approach that, first, helps ensure all compliance requirements are met, but also results in programs that reach the next level, where communities are better built, better prepared, and better off for the long-term.”

Andy concludes, “It’s a truly cohesive, comprehensive take on recovery, and one I think our clients are going to appreciate.”

To learn more about Jane and how the Hill RDR team can help your community, contact Andy Robinson at [email protected] or 703-967-7613.