Erik A. Hooks was appointed as Deputy Administrator of FEMA by President Joseph R. Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021. Prior to joining FEMA,
Mr. Hooks devoted more than 30 years to public service in his home state of North Carolina with a focus on public safety, law enforcement and emergency management.
In 2017, Mr. Hooks was appointed by Gov. Roy Cooper to become the North Carolina Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Advisor, leading the state’s disaster mitigation, response and recovery efforts as the state navigated an increasing number of natural disasters. His responsibilities included cabinet-level leadership for the N.C. Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security Section, the N.C. National Guard, the N.C. Office of Recovery and Resilience, the N.C. State Highway Patrol, the N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, the N.C. State Capitol Police, the Division of Adult Correction and Juvenile Justice, the Governor’s Crime Commission, and support divisions within the Department of Public Safety. In this role, he led approximately 27,000 sworn and civilian public safety professionals, as well as approximately 12,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen.

Hooks briefed National Press Foundation fellows in October 2025: States Feel Pain of ‘Catastrophic’ Federal Staffing Purge.