Meet Us

Kathleen McDonald

Assistant Vice President, University Resilience 

Kathleen McDonald is The George Washington University’s Assistant Vice President for University Resilience. She joined GW after nine years at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she served as the Assistant Administrator for National Preparedness.

Before FEMA, Ms. McDonald served as the Deputy Director of D.C.’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency. She also brings a decade of public sector consulting experience as well as expertise gained from positions in the Chicago Police Department and on Capitol Hill. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and earned her Master’s degree in International Affairs from American University.