Mayor Castor to serve on Trump's FEMA Review Council

Tampa mayor named to FEMA Review Council

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor will serve on President Donald Trump’s FEMA Review Council, which is tasked with reforming disaster response. FOX 13’s Regina Gonzalez reports.

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump has tapped Tampa Mayor Jane Castor to serve on the new FEMA Review Council, federal officials announced Monday.

What is the FEMA Review Council?

The backstory:

According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FEMA Review Council is "a bipartisan group tasked with reforming and streamlining the nation’s emergency management and disaster response system."

Trump has been an outspoken critic of FEMA, saying in January that the agency "let this country down" when it came to its response to recent disasters.

In March, Trump signed an executive order empowering state and local officials to respond to disasters and threats.

PREVIOUS: Trump’s executive order gives states more control during disaster response

What they're saying:

In a post on social media Monday, Trump said the FEMA Review Council is "comprised of top experts in their fields, who are highly respected by their peers" while again mentioning his desire to "return power to state emergency managers."

Mayor Castor released a statement following Trump's announcement, saying:

"Parts of Tampa and much of Tampa Bay were devastated by Hurricane Helene and, 13 days later, by Milton. Thousands of Tampa Bay residents lost everything. Given the critical importance of emergency services and response to vulnerable communities like Tampa, I am pleased to have been selected to serve on this council."

Pictured: Tampa Mayor Jane Castor delivers the 2025 State of the City address.

During Monday's State of the City address, Castor talked about the city's effort to make communities more resilient to weather events, while reassuring residents that the city will continue working to help them recover from the 2024 hurricanes.

"I worked alongside our city team members and volunteers to help many residents remove their storm-damaged possessions, their lives from homes ravaged by Helene and Milton. I've seen the anguish and fear in the eyes of so many Tampanians, and I promise you will not be forgotten. We're working with state, federal, and local partners to help you recover," Castor said.

Tampa’s State of the City focused on reflection, hope and unity: ‘We are Tampa strong’

Who else will serve on the council?

Dig deeper:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will serve as co-chairs of the FEMA Review Council.

Along with Castor, two other officials from Florida have also been named to the council: Florida Division of Emergency Management Executive Director Kevin Guthrie and Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz.

Others who have also been tapped to serve include:

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant
Mark Cooper, former Chief of Staff for Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards
Evan Greenberg, CEO, Chubb Limited
Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief W. Nim Kidd
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin
Robert J. Fenton, Jr., Region 9 Administrator and two-time Acting Administrator of FEMA

Follow FOX 13 on YouTube

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Regina Gonzalez, with additional details from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: