Dec 1, 2025
In episode 242 of America Adapts, host Doug Parsons checks in on FEMA at a moment of rapid change. With funding delays, political uncertainty, and major reforms underway, FEMA’s role in national resilience is shifting in real time. Doug speaks with four guests — Joel Scata (NRDC), Michael Coen (former FEMA Chief of Staff), Samantha Medlock (former FEMA Assistant Administrator), and Derrick Hiebert (AECOM) — to unpack what’s happening inside the agency, where communities are feeling the impacts, and what potential improvements could emerge from this period of transition. It’s a candid, timely look at the future of FEMA and the evolving landscape of climate adaptation in the United States.
Experts in this Episode:
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Joel Scata – Senior Attorney, Environmental Health – Natural Resources Defense Council - transcript
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Michael Coen – Former Chief Of Staff at FEMA - transcript
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Samantha Medlock – Founder and Principal – Climate Risk Advisors - transcript
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Derrick Hiebert – Infrastructure Resilience Practice Leader - AECOM - transcript
This episode was generously sponsored by
the Natural
Resources Defense Council.
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