Clara Decerbo

Clara Decerbo serves as the Director of Providence Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (PEMA), responsible for leading the all-hazards emergency management and homeland security program in Rhode Island’s capital city. Prior to joining the PEMA team in 2018, Clara was a Rhode Island Sea Grant Fellow focusing her research on challenges related to climate change, hazard mitigation, and coastal resilience. Clara is also an Information Management Section Chief with the HHS ASPR Incident Management Team with past deployments including the Biden Inauguration, Operation Allies Welcome, and Hurricane Ian. Clara is an adjunct professor at Salve Regina University (Newport, RI) in the Homeland Security graduate program and serves as the President of the Rhode Island Association of Emergency Managers.

Clara received a M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island in Marine Affairs. She also holds a B.A. from Middlebury College in International Studies with a focus in Middle Eastern History and Arabic. Clara received her Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) certification through the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) in 2020. She is a graduate of FEMA’s Vanguard Executive Crisis Leadership Fellowship Program, the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security Executive Leaders Program and was a 2024 International Association of Emergency Managers 40 Under 40 awardee. In her free time Clara volunteers as a firefighter and paramedic.