Kayed Lakhia is the Director of Hazard Mitigation at the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Lakhia served as the Deputy Division Director for Risk Reduction from 2012 until his appointment as Division Director. He has also held the position of Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for FEMA’s Recovery Division. Mr. Lakhia has over ten years’ experience in emergency management at the federal level and in the private sector.

As Director of the Hazard Mitigation Division, Mr. Lakhia oversees the administration of over $1B annually in hazard mitigation grants, including FEMA’s Pre-Disaster Grant Program (PDM); the Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program; the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
(HMGP); and, Post-Fire HMGP, which provides funds to enact mitigation measures that reduce loss of life and property prior to and after disasters. He is currently leading the development of the new BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) program enacted by law under the Disaster Recovery Reform Act of 2018.

Mr. Lakhia has significant experience in disaster operations including Grants Management, Floodplain Management, and Building Sciences. During Hurricane Sandy, Mr. Lakhia represented FEMA at the Rebuild by Design Competition led by HUD and advocated for resilient building and sustainable land-use practices. In the aftermath of Hurricanes Sandy and Maria, Mr. Lakhia has led the implementation of FEMA’s largest mitigation portfolio.

Prior to his Federal Service, Mr. Lakhia was a Principal at a global A/E/C firm. Mr. Lakhia studied at a joint program at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He holds a Master of Science degree from MIT. Mr. Lakhia is a Registered Architect in New York and Florida, is a Certified Floodplain Manager, and is a LEED Accredited Professional. He has completed post-graduate studies at Harvard’s National Preparedness Leadership Institute and University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. He is an OPM Certified member of the Senior Executive Service (SES).