{{Short description|North Carolina emergency management director since 2013}} {{Use American English|date=January 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder |name = Mike Sprayberry |office = North Carolina Director of Emergency Management |governor = Pat McCrory<br />Roy Cooper |term_start = February 20, 2013 |term_end = August 1, 2021 |predecessor = Doug Hoell |successor = William Ray |birth_name = |birth_date = |birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |party = |spouse = Laura Sprayberry |children = 2 |education = University of North Carolina at Charlotte (BS, MA) |branch = {{flag|United States Marine Corps}}<br>North Carolina Army National Guard }}
'''Michael A. Sprayberry''' is an American emergency manager who served as the Director of Emergency Management in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety from 2013 to 2021. He oversaw the state's emergency response to several major disasters including Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Florence, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=MorrillObserver/><ref name=Decock/>
== Early life and education == Sprayberry was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He moved to Charlotte, North Carolina as a high school sophomore and attended West Charlotte High School.<ref name=MorrillObserver/> After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps in 1973.<ref name=Decock>{{cite news |last=Decock |first=Luke |title=North Carolina's new uncle Mike Sprayberry is a calming presence in troubling times |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/article242845401.html |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=The News & Observer |date=May 28, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Memo>{{cite magazine |volume=5 |issue=9 |edition=September–October 2011 |title=Sprayberry Inducted into NCNG Hall of Fame |url=https://files.nc.gov/ncdps/documents/files/September2011.pdf |magazine=The mEMo |publisher=N.C. Division of Emergency Management and N.C. Emergency Management Association |access-date=December 29, 2020}}</ref> During this time, he took college courses at night and earned two years of college credit. He enrolled at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a junior and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in 1979.<ref name=UNCCMagazine>{{cite magazine |last=Howe |first=Jennifer |edition=Summer 2020 |title=Leading the State's Emergency Management Operations through COVID-19 |url=https://issuu.com/unc_charlotte/docs/uncc-summer2020__1_/s/10668882 |magazine=UNC Charlotte Magazine |access-date=December 29, 2020}}</ref> He later earned a Master of Arts degree in history from UNC Charlotte in 1987.<ref name=MorrillObserver/>
== Career == He served in the North Carolina Army National Guard from 1977 to 1998, and received the Meritorious Service Medal with three bronze oak leaf clusters and the North Carolina National Guard Distinguished Service Medal.<ref name=MorrillObserver/><ref name=Memo/><ref name=WitnessBio/> In August 2011, he was inducted into the North Carolina National Guard’s Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame.<ref name=Memo/> Sprayberry has said that his experience in the military led to his interest in emergency management.<ref name=UNCCMagazine/>
Sprayberry received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, North Carolina's highest honor for state service, from Governor Jim Hunt in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Roster |url=http://longleafpinesociety.org/new/roster/index.php/roster/view?Roster_page=349 |website=The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Society |access-date=December 29, 2020}}</ref><ref name=WitnessBio>{{cite report |date=October 22, 2019 |title=Witness Biography |url=https://docs.house.gov/meetings/PW/PW13/20191022/110064/HHRG-116-PW13-Bio-SprayberryM-20191022.pdf |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives Committee Repository |access-date=December 29, 2020 }}</ref>
=== North Carolina Director of Emergency Management === Sprayberry joined the Division of Emergency Management in the North Carolina Department of Public Safety as deputy director and logistics section chief in 2005.<ref name=Decock/><ref name=Memo/> In 2006, he assumed the duties of deputy director and operations section chief.<ref name=WitnessBio/>
He was appointed as Director of Emergency Management in February 2013 by Department of Public Safety Secretary Kieran Shanahan to succeed the retiring Doug Hoell.<ref>{{cite news |title=New NC Emergency Management director is agency vet |url=https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/new-nc-emergency-management-director-is-agency-vet/275-325432616 |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=WCNC |date=February 20, 2013}}</ref> In this role, he oversees the state's response to, and recovery from, natural and man-made disasters.<ref name=MorrillObserver/> He also serves as North Carolina deputy homeland security advisor and as vice-chair of the State Emergency Response Commission. During his tenure, Sprayberry has led the state's emergency responses to various disasters and crises including Hurricane Matthew, Hurricane Florence, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name=MorrillObserver/><ref name=Decock/> He has served under two governors of North Carolina: Pat McCrory and Roy Cooper.
After the impacts of Hurricane Matthew, several state lawmakers criticized Sprayberry and the Department of Public Safety for giving $5.3 million in recovery aid to the North Carolina Community Development Initiative, a nonprofit organization that used the money to repair storm-damaged affordable housing units and develop new affordable housing in affected areas counties. Sprayberry defended the grant, saying it was "based on the pressing need to get disaster survivors into sustainable living accommodations," and said he was unaware of a state requirement that the money be used for immediate housing relief.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Leslie |first1=Laura |title=Report: State mishandled $5.3M Hurricane Matthew recovery grant |url=https://www.wral.com/report-state-mishandled-5-3m-hurricane-matthew-recovery-grant/18443532/ |access-date=December 30, 2020 |work=WRAL-TV |date=June 10, 2019}}</ref>
Sprayberry is the director of the North Carolina Office of Resilience and Recovery, which was created by Cooper in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence to protect the state against future storms.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gov. Cooper gives State of the State address |url=https://www.wect.com/2019/02/25/gov-cooper-ready-give-state-state-address/ |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=WECT |date=February 25, 2019}}</ref> Since then, the Office of Resilience and Recovery has expanded its scope to include rent assistance to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Mullen |first1=Rodger |title=State program means HOPE for people suffering financially because of COVID |url=https://www.fayobserver.com/story/news/2020/10/28/state-program-designed-provide-covid-financial-relief/3730749001/ |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=The Fayetteville Observer |date=October 28, 2020}}</ref>
In 2015, Sprayberry was appointed to the National Advisory Council of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for a three-year term by then-FEMA administrator Craig Fugate. In August 2017, then-FEMA administrator Brock Long named Sprayberry as Vice Chair of the council.<ref>{{cite press release |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=FEMA Administrator Names 13 National Advisory Council Members |url=https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20250602/fema-administrator-names-13-national-advisory-council-members |location=Washington, D.C. |agency=FEMA |date=August 29, 2017 |access-date=December 30, 2020}}</ref> He was elected to a one-year term as president of the National Emergency Management Association in 2017, after serving as the organization's vice president.<ref>{{cite press release |last=Acree |first=Keith |date=October 6, 2017 |title=Sprayberry begins term as president of National Emergency Management Association |url=https://www.ncdps.gov/news/news-release/2017/10/06%20/sprayberry-begins-term-president-national-emergency-management |agency=NC Department of Public Safety |access-date=December 30, 2020}}</ref>
In December 2020, it was reported that Sprayberry was under consideration by President-elect Joe Biden to become the next FEMA administrator;<ref>{{cite news |last=Frank |first=Thomas |title=One of these 5 officials could be Biden's FEMA chief |url=https://www.eenews.net/stories/1063720813 |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=E&E News |date=December 16, 2020}}</ref> however, Biden ultimately announced Deanne Criswell as his nominee for the position.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Frank |first1=Thomas |title=Biden's Pick to Lead FEMA Signals Urgency on Pandemic and Climate Change |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/bidens-pick-to-lead-fema-signals-urgency-on-pandemic-and-climate-change/ |access-date=January 20, 2021 |work=E&E News |publisher=Scientific American |date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>
In November 2021, Sprayberry joined Hagerty Consulting, an emergency management consulting firm.<ref>{{cite news |last=Opyrsko |first=Caitlin |title=Restaurants press for smaller fixes with no short-term relief in sight |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2021/11/01/restaurants-press-for-smaller-fixes-with-no-short-term-relief-in-sight-798599 |access-date=February 26, 2022 |work=Politico |date=November 1, 2021}}</ref>
== Personal life == Sprayberry lives in Raleigh with his wife Laura. They have two daughters.<ref name=MorrillObserver>{{cite news |last=Morrill |first=Jim |title=In the eye of the storms: NC emergency leader, Charlotte grad faces his latest challenge |url=https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/article242317736.html |access-date=December 29, 2020 |work=The Charlotte Observer |date=May 3, 2020}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
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Category:Living people Category:North Carolina National Guard personnel Category:People from Atlanta Category:University of North Carolina at Charlotte alumni Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Emergency medical responders Category:United States Marine Corps officers Category:Federal Emergency Management Agency officials Category:21st-century North Carolina politicians