SANDRA KNIGHT

President of WaterWonks LLC, District of Columbia, & part-time Senior Research Engineer at the Center for Disaster Resilience, University of Maryland

As the former Deputy Associate Administrator for Mitigation at FEMA, Sandra was responsible for the nation’s floodplain mapping, management and mitigation grants supporting the National Flood Insurance Program, environmental compliance for the agency, oversight of mitigation disaster cadres and the National Dam Safety Program.  At NOAA, she was responsible for corporate policies and planning strategies for NOAA research.  At USACE, she conducted hydraulic research, directed navigation research programs, led the first USACE asset management program, and was the international chair of PIANC’s inland navigation committee. 

She is a science communicator and speaker appearing on NBC Nightly, CNBC, HBO Vice News and CBS This Morning, and contributing to various news media including the New York Times, ProPublica, Bloomberg and E&E News.  She speaks at conferences and forums around the world on disaster resilience.

Sandra has a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Memphis, TN, a registered professional engineer in Tennessee, a Diplomate Water Resource Engineer and a Diplomate Navigation Engineer. She is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the American Meteorological Society, the Women's Aquatic Network, Sigma Xi and a Fellow for PIANC.