(MENAFN) David Richardson stepped down Monday as the acting head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, ending a brief tenure atop a department the Trump administration has signaled it aims to scale back.

Richardson, who spent about six months directing the country’s emergency-response agency, kept a limited public presence and was reportedly hard to contact, including during the crucial early phase of the Texas flooding over the Fourth of July weekend.

Five current FEMA employees said Richardson had lately withdrawn from routine duties, regularly missing standard meetings and avoiding tasks that typically require the administrator to remain easily reachable.

The staff members, like others interviewed previously, spoke on condition of anonymity due to fears of workplace repercussions.

After reports confirmed Richardson’s exit, Tricia McLaughlin, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) assistant secretary for public affairs, said FEMA Chief of Staff Karen Evans will take over the position in December.

DHS oversees FEMA.

A person familiar with the situation said Richardson submitted his resignation Monday morning and plans to enter the private sector.

In McLaughlin’s statement, DHS thanked him for his “dedicated service," adding wishes for his "continued success in his return to the private sector.”

His resignation deepens the uncertainty within FEMA, which is already facing a volatile future and the likelihood of significant changes.

The administration is waiting for recommendations from a review council established by President Donald Trump and chaired by DHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem, which is finalizing proposals meant to strengthen national disaster-response capabilities.

The panel could recommend adjustments — or possibly more cuts — to the agency.
“We anticipate the forthcoming release of the FEMA Review Council’s final report, which will inform this administration’s ongoing efforts to fundamentally restructure FEMA, transforming it from its current form into a streamlined, mission-focused disaster-response force,” McLaughlin said.

Richardson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Since Trump took office, as many as a quarter of FEMA’s staff has left, according to several agency officials. In the midst of the agency’s ongoing upheaval, dozens of employees signed a public letter in August criticizing senior leadership and warning that FEMA had been overseen by officials without the experience or authority required to manage its operations.

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