Dan Bass works in the Building Science Branch at FEMA Headquarters. He is an Architect that practiced in the private sector for 25 years prior to joining FEMA. He studied Architecture and Structural engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Bass was recruited by FEMA following Hurricane Katrina and worked extensively in the recovery efforts along the Gulf Coast as well as numerous other hurricane, flood, fire and tornado disasters around the US and US territories. Bass is a recognized expert in disaster resistant design and construction, FEMA Safe Rooms, flood and wind mitigation measures for structures and floodplain management. He has delivered numerous presentations, trainings and workshops to design professionals, community officials, and emergency managers and at national and international professional conferences. Bass is the Building Science Disaster Support Program Manager and Mitigation Assessment Team (MAT) Lead.