Michael Riedy

About Michael Riedy

Mike has garnered a great understanding of natural and man-made disasters that comes from working in an operations type of environment over the last 26 years. Mike’s first work was with the US Air Force in several capacities for 12 years, first with security forces working internationally in Asia and Europe, protecting critical assets and nuclear resources, followed by weather forecasting experience across the globe, and a background in meteorology that was fine-tuned with a degree from University of Washington.Mike held various important positions in response and recovery operations through his career including participating in a National Incident Management Assistance Team out of Washington D.C. He has been in leadership positions directing others in the management of infrastructure and individuals and family-type assistance programs in over 25 disasters including Hurricane Harvey, Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Florence, Joplin EF5 Tornado, Hurricane Irene, Virginia Earthquake, and other disasters including flooding-type events. He was also activated and worked out of the National Response Coordination Center to support the Japan Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Power Plant incident which included moving radiological air monitoring units throughout the pacific for situational awareness.Mike also has supported the Pacific NW and Alaska as the ESF11 [Emergency Support Function #11 - Agriculture and Natural Resources] Regional Emergency Coordinator for FEMA Region X. He organized and coordinated Federal support to local, state, tribal, territorial, and insular area governments and other federal agencies during national emergencies such as COVID19 response, Oregon wildfires, and Alaska earthquake to name just a few of the response operations that he has supported. Last, Mike earned both a bachelor’s in Meteorology and in Sociology from the University of Washington and earned his master’s degree in Emergency and Disaster Management from American Military University. He was an Emergency Management Professor with Edmonds Community College, Edmonds, WA where he taught emergency management courses for over 10 years in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery topics. He is certified to teach Incident Command System courses and other emergency management courses through FEMA. Mike is passionate about helping those in need and especially survivors that have suffered from disaster or crisis. He also enjoys teaching and mentoring others in finding their way to start or continue a career in emergency management.

Experience

1. Director of Emergency Management

   Sound Transit

   Mar 2025 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

Education

• University of Washington

  Bachelor of Science - BS, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

• American Military University

  Master's degree, Emergency and Disaster Management

  2008 — 2010

• University of Washington

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Sociology

  2002 — 2005

• University of Washington

  Bachelor of Arts - BA, Sociology

• University of Washington

  Bachelor of Science (BS), Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

  2002 — 2005