FEMA Selects Ogilvy Joint Venture to Lead Community Engagement and Risk Communication Program

NEW YORK, Oct. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ogilvy is proud to announce that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded Resilience Action Partners, a joint venture between Ogilvy and Michael Baker International, a new $250 million maximum value indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide behavioral-science based risk communication, capacity building, and mitigation planning services over the next five years. Resilience Action Partners retained the contract after a competitive review process.  

FEMA's Community Engagement and Risk Communication (CERC) program supports national, regional and local efforts that change the way communities understand and think about disaster risks, with the specific goal of helping communities take actions to increase their resilience to natural disasters. For years, Ogilvy's FEMA team has dedicated their time and expertise to aiding FEMA's efforts. Now, with this renewed and strengthened partnership, they will be taking it to the next level—with a focus on sparking and elevating a national movement towards proactive resilience and engaging with communities to address new and changing risks and build equitable community resilience.  

Ogilvy's FEMA CERC team draws on talent in over 20 cities across the country, including experts that span Public Relations, Growth & Innovation, Advertising, Health, and Experience as well as Behavorial Science.  The team is led out of Ogilvy's DC office by Lisa Miller, Senior Vice President and Program Director of the CERC program and Meg Bartow, Executive Vice President of Resilience & Social Impact and CERC Executive Sponsor.  

Meg Bartow said: "When we first started this journey with FEMA, we all understood the importance of speaking and engaging with communities differently about the changing risks that exist today. Over the past several years we have been able to take that to the next level, moving from a focus on increasing awareness of risks to driving action that reduces those risks. Our team is incredibly passionate and fiercely proud of this work and the positive impact we've been able to have over the past several years. We look forward to working with FEMA and our partners at Michael Baker International to continue working to ensure communities can grow, get stronger, and thrive." 

Resilience Action Partners, which was formed in 2015 to support FEMA's previous CERC contract, combines the expertise of two industry leaders: Ogilvy's communications and engagement expertise with Michael Baker's technical and mitigation planning expertise. Together, the integrated team will work to help empower Americans take action to invest in being more resilient, driving a movement that safeguards our communities and country for years to come. 

Dale Gray, VP and Office Executive for Emergency Management and Response at Michael Baker International and CERC Executive Sponsor, said: "Michael Baker has worked with FEMA in a variety of capacities for nearly five decades. As we look ahead, our team is dedicated to driving a resilience movement from coast-to-coast. By identifying and mitigating the risks associated with natural disasters like flooding, we are building stronger communities and ultimately, a stronger nation. Along with our partners at Ogilvy, we are proud to support FEMA in realizing a more resilient future through a collective effort centered on uniting FEMA employees, partners, community leaders and individuals around this shared goal." 

About Ogilvy
Ogilvy inspires brands and people to impact the world. We have been creating iconic, culture-changing, value-driving ideas for clients since David Ogilvy founded the company in 1948. We continue building on that rich legacy through our borderless creativity—operating, innovating, and creating at the intersection of talent and capabilities: our experts in Public Relations, Growth & Innovation, Advertising, Health, and Experience work fluidly across 132 offices in 82 countries to bring forth world-class creative solutions for our clients. Ogilvy is a WPP company (NASDAQ: WPPGY). For more information, visit Ogilvy.com, and follow us on LinkedIn,  Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.  

For more information contact: David Ford / Ogilvy / [email protected]  

SOURCE Ogilvy