Pearl, Miss. (MEMA) – MEMA Executive Director Stephen McCraney appoints Clayton French as the new Deputy Director for the agency. Mr. French began his tenure at MEMA in 2010 as a Public Assistance Project Officer. He worked exclusively with Hancock County, managing their Hurricane Katrina Public Assistance Grant worth $96 million. Once promoted to Public Assistance Bureau Director in 2017, Mr. French oversaw 22 open Federal Public Assistance Disaster Grants worth over $3.3 billion.
“Clayton is a tremendous asset to the MEMA team and the state as a whole. He’s the first one in and the last one out of the office, dedicating his time to ensure our state can recover from every disaster. As my Deputy Director I know he’ll bring that same dedication to this position as he has to this agency for these past eleven years,” says Director McCraney.
“I’m grateful to be entrusted to lead alongside Director McCraney and to continue serving the people of Mississippi,” says Deputy Director, Clayton French.
Before coming to MEMA, Clayton was an active-duty member of the United States Air Force. He served for 28 years at 6 bases including a three-year tour in Panama, one year in Ecuador, and one year in Qatar. As an aircraft mechanic, he deployed to multiple theaters throughout the world supporting peacekeeping, counter-narcotic, and warfighting missions.
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