Building a CDBG-DR Team

Building your CDBG-DR team is about more than hiring for skill—it’s about cultivating a group that can navigate high-stakes, high-stress environments with empathy, integrity, and resilience. Disaster recovery work is inherently demanding, so start by building natural connections across other departments in your state. You’ll form connections with stars already working in the recovery/response space within government—smart, mission-driven individuals who understand how the system works and are ready for a bigger challenge. Seek them out and bring them in.

Don’t underestimate the power of early-career professionals either. Those junior team members—whether already in your agency or outside of it—bring energy, fresh ideas, and a willingness to dive in. Empower them with real responsibility and autonomy, back them up, and watch them rise to the occasion. Some of your most impactful leaders may come from these ranks.

Equally important: build around character. Prioritize team members who stay calm under pressure, who treat others with respect, and who are natural de-escalators. The emotional toll of disaster recovery can be intense; your team must support one another and face challenges cohesively.

As a leader, your role is to create the conditions for your team to thrive. That means more than just assigning tasks—it means designing an organizational structure that mirrors the core functions of CDBG-DR: compliance, housing, infrastructure, finance, outreach, and more. It means ensuring staff have the tools, training, and clarity they need to do their jobs well.

Ultimately, your job is to remove barriers, nurture trust, and give your people space to lead. If your team feels supported and aligned, they’ll move mountains for the communities you serve. Disaster recovery is hard, but with the right team—and the right leadership—it’s also some of the most meaningful work you’ll ever do.