Orange County resident Cameron Hamilton has been sworn in as the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Hamilton was nominated for the position by President Donald Trump in May. The former Navy SEAL served as “senior official performing the duties of FEMA Administrator” from late-January to early-May 2025. He was removed shortly after testifying in a House Appropriations Committee hearing that FEMA should not be dismantled, something Trump had proposed along with then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.
On Friday, the Senate confirmed Hamilton’s appointment. His was among 74 nominations approved by the Senate including the head of the Transportation Security Administration. According to coverage by the Associated Press, during a Senate hearing in June, Hamilton pledged to advocate for FEMA and its workforce while also ensuring the government agency is “objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law and is consistent in the approach to how we adjudicate and process claims and requests for disasters.” He said the agency needs to strike a new balance to encourage cost reasonableness and savings.
“I deeply believe in the FEMA mission, which is rooted in servant leadership — a principle I’ve remained committed to throughout my own career,” Hamilton said via a FEMA press release. “The American people deserve a FEMA that is not bogged down with bureaucracy, but one that is focused on preparing and supporting state, local, tribal and territorial governments to get the help that is needed to their communities.”
Hamilton will be the first permanent administrator of FEMA during Trump’s second term. He is a longtime public servant having enlisted in the Armed Forces in 2005, a fourth-generation service member, and served on SEAL Team Eight for four overseas deployments. He continued his service at the U.S. Department of State and served in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as the director of the emergency medical services division. Locally, Hamilton sought to represent the 7th Congressional District. He lost in the Republican Primary to Derrick Anderson in June 2024. His wife, Karen Hamilton, represents the 62nd District in the Virginia House of Delegates.
