Meet the Director

The Director

Marc R. Pappas was appointed Director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) on December 27, 2018. A retired career law enforcement professional, he brings more than 22 years of service and leadership experience to the role.

During his tenure at RIEMA, Mr. Pappas advanced through the ranks, serving as Regional Response Coordinator, Chief of the Preparedness Division, Acting Administrator of Operations Management, and most recently, Executive Administrator. As second in command, he supervised the agency’s sections and branches and oversaw a staff of 38 employees.

As Director, Mr. Pappas serves as the Governor’s policy advisor on emergency management matters and acts as the primary liaison between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and local emergency management offices throughout Rhode Island. He also oversees the coordination of federal disaster and non-disaster grant programs for the state.

Throughout his career, Mr. Pappas has played a key role in statewide response and recovery operations for numerous major disasters, including the Historic Floods of 2010, Hurricane Sandy in 2012, Tropical Storm Irene in 2021, and two federal winter storm disaster declarations. As Director—and as an integral member of the Governor’s Emergency Policy Group—he was instrumental in leading the RIEMA’s response to the 2019 Aquidneck Island Gas Outage, Hurricane Henri in 2021, and the State’s first Fire Management Assistance Grant Disaster Declaration in April 2023.

In addition to his state responsibilities, Mr. Pappas chairs the State Interoperable Communications Committee and the State Emergency Response Commission and serves as Vice Chair of the Emergency Management Advisory Council. In October 2025, he was elected Vice President of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA).

A native of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Mr. Pappas attended LaSalle Academy and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Rhode Island College.