Natalie N. Grant, Director
Ms. Grant joined the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Children and Families (ACF) as director of the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response in November 2018. In this capacity, she oversees the disaster human service emergency management mission for the agency and the Department. OHSEPR's primary responsibilities include preparing human and social service programs and providers for disaster incidents, overseeing coordinated delivery of disaster human service case management, developing a disaster and applied science agenda for human services, supporting the coordination of support services for children, youth, and families in emergencies, and overseeing emergency repatriation mission for U.S. Citizens overseas during international crises.
Previously, she worked for HHS' Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) in the Division of Recovery where she served as the Health and Social Services Recovery field coordinator for federal interagency coordination following Hurricane Sandy in New York and the lead for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. She has also managed other disaster and emergency incidents within HHS Regions 1, 2, 5, and 10.
Prior to her federal role, Natalie served as director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness at Boston Emergency Medical Services (BEMS) within the Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC). In this capacity she was chief emergency planner for public health and medical matters, oversaw all programmatic activities associated with implementation of the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement (PHEP) and the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) while collaborating closely with the Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) through a partnership with the Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals (COBTH) and the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers. Natalie was the Emergency Support Function Eight (ESF-8) lead during planned city-wide events and public health emergency activations such as H1N1, Massachusetts Water Emergency and various weather emergencies. During her tenure, the Lawlor Regional Medical Intelligence Center was established for information coordination amongst healthcare partners across the Metro-Boston region during emergency incidents.
Natalie also worked at the Miami-Dade County Office of Emergency Management as a health and medical emergency management coordinator. In close partnership with colleagues at Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, she led the Miami-Dade County ESF-8 response to natural hazards, utility failures and civil disturbances. Natalie fostered strong relationships with partners across the healthcare delivery system including pre-hospital, hospital, community health centers, ancillary care services and private home care providers.
Ms. Grant has been working in emergency management and disaster coordination since 2004, beginning with health and medical coordination planning for Boston Emergency Medical Services and the Metropolitan Medical Response System, the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI) and the Hospital Preparedness Program as part of the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) Bioterrorism grant program.
Originally from Homestead, Florida, Natalie is an accomplished track and field athlete and competes internationally for the Jamaican National Team. She received her MPH in International Health from Boston University and AB in Biology from Harvard College.
Byron R. Mason, Deputy Director
As Deputy Director, Mr. Mason ensures that OHSEPR and ACF are operationally ready to respond to emergencies and disasters and connect survivors to services. Mr. Mason oversees OHSEPR’s Division of Intelligence, Division of Operations, and Division of Planning, Training, and Exercises.
Prior to joining ACF in 2019, Mr. Mason was a member of the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response’s Division of Recovery where he served as the Health and Social Services Recovery Field Coordinator for disaster recovery operations following Hurricane Sandy in New Jersey, Typhoon Dolphin in Guam and Saipan, Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina, Hurricane Irma in Florida, tornadoes in Kentucky, Mississippi, and Oklahoma, Hurricane Lane in Hawaii, and Hurricane Michael in Florida. Mr. Mason served as HHS' Recovery Coordinator in response to the Flint, Michigan, Water Crisis; and led the Human Services Branch to support disaster human services needs in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria.
Prior to joining HHS, Mr. Mason worked in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Public Assistance Directorate and staffed the National Response Coordination Center as the Infrastructure Support Branch Director during the 2007 California Wildfires, Hurricane Dolly (2008), and following the 2009 tsunami in American Samoa. Mr. Mason led debris and levee field operations following the flooding in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in 2008 and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in Louisiana and Texas.
Mr. Mason previously worked at the National Academy of Sciences where he staffed the Division on Earth and Life Studies’ Ocean Studies Board and Disasters Roundtable and supported research on natural hazards and disasters, and marine science.
Mr. Mason earned a BA in Anthropology at the University of Florida and an MPS in Legislative Affairs at George Washington University.