Keith Cranford
Director of Mitigation Programs
Keith Cranford has more than a decade of experience in emergency management, homeland security, and law enforcement. His first-hand operational experience includes 14 years as a commissioned law enforcement officer, 12 years as a volunteer firefighter/emergency medical technician, and 14 years of military service, including two active tours supporting the global war on terrorism. He is currently Executive Officer of the Louisiana National Guard’s 773rd Military Police Battalion.
After Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Cranford was Commander of the National Guard’s Civil Military Operations Center in New Orleans. His unit was the liaison between National Guard forces throughout the area and local emergency management officials, a critical link that provided continuity of operations between the two groups. He is currently supporting development and execution of Louisiana’s Hazard Mitigation Grants, the largest hazard mitigation program in the nation’s history, which involves more than $1B in funding to support elevation and reconstruction of homes in Louisiana.
As the former Assistant Director of the East Baton Rouge Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Mr. Cranford managed multiple Federal, state, and local grant programs, including grant programs for regional and local Urban Area Security Initiatives, State Homeland Security, and Hazard Mitigation and Flood Mitigation. For six years, he managed all FEMA hazard mitigation grants for East Baton Rouge Parish, which represented one of the largest mitigation programs in Louisiana prior to Hurricane Katrina.
Mr. Cranford is a member of the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the National Guard Association of Louisiana. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, is a certified Louisiana Emergency Manager, and has attended multiple emergency management and security training courses provided by FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, Texas A&M’s National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
