Natalie Enclade

Current Title: Executive Director of BuildStrong America 

“I’m honored to join the board of the Global Shield Institute because its mission closely aligns with how I’ve spent my career, focused on reducing risk before it becomes irreversible harm. GSI’s commitment to translating complex, high-impact threats into actionable and durable policy is exactly what’s needed to address global catastrophic risks in a credible and lasting way.”

Natalie F. Enclade, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of BuildStrong America, the preeminent organization uniting a diverse coalition of dedicated stakeholders with a shared commitment to reducing disaster costs and fostering a more resilient America. Prior to joining BuildStrong, she ran the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) cornerstone Financial Well-Being Program and was the Director of Individual and Community Preparedness for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As Director, she oversaw programs that partner at all levels of government, the private sector, and community organizations to increase individual and community preparedness while encouraging the development of disaster resilience across the nation. 

Natalie has an established career in the field of emergency management and national security as a Chief Policy Advisor and Senior Program Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Legislature. Additionally, she has served as the subject matter expert in homeland security, cybersecurity, and emergency management for the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). In this role, she was responsible for advising Committee and Senate leadership on general emergency management issues, FEMA, Stafford Act, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure policy. This included major pieces of legislation, such as the game changing Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), fire grants reauthorization, and various programmatic mandates. 

Natalie serves on the Steering Committee for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council (MMC) Committee on Finance, Insurance and Real Estate (CFIRE) and served on the Disaster Recovery and Continuity Executive Committee for the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board (TRB) as a disaster recovery subject matter expert on a team of researchers interested in the needs and problems related to disaster transportation. 

She has a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, specializing in emergency management policy, complemented by a Master's in Public Policy and Administration, both earned at Mississippi State University. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Millsaps College (Jackson, Mississippi). In addition to BuildStrong, Natalie is a a graduate adjunct instructor, imparting knowledge in the realms of homeland security, emergency management, and public policy.
During her free time, she (sometimes) gracefully defies gravity in aerial yoga, balances highbrow literature with lowbrow television, and occasionally emerges victorious in spirited debates with her 9-year-old son.