[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO MICHAEL SPRAYBERRY

  Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the distinguished 
service of Michael ``Mike'' Sprayberry who will be retiring as director 
of North Carolina Emergency Management on August 1, 2021. Every citizen 
of North Carolina is indebted to Mike for his tireless efforts over the 
last 16 years to respond and rebuild following the countless disasters 
big and small that the State has faced.
  Since his appointment as deputy director for North Carolina Emergency 
Management in 2005 and subsequent elevation to director in 2013, his 
department has been called upon to respond to 32 Federal emergency and 
disaster declarations, ranging from hurricanes and tornadoes to fuel 
shortages and a global pandemic. Throughout his time, he has served 
under four Governors and provided steady leadership to ensure that the 
State of North Carolina is prepared to respond to any crisis at all 
times.
  While being charged with running emergency management operations for 
a large State is never easy, the last 5 years would have been an 
insurmountable challenge to almost anyone except to Mike Sprayberry. In 
2016, Hurricane Matthew slowly crawled up the southeastern coast 
bringing record setting rain across nearly half of the State. While 
many had termed Hurricane Matthew a once in a generation event, less 
than 2 years later Hurricane Florence stalled along the coast once 
again bringing historical rains. In some areas of southeastern North 
Carolina over 30 inches of rain fell, cutting off Wilmington, NC, and 
other communities from the outside world for days. Through it all, Mike 
oversaw the rescue and sheltering of thousands of displaced North 
Carolinians while also ensuring that information continued to flow to 
Senator Tillis, myself, and other Federal agencies to allow for better 
federal coordination.
  While communities across the State are thankful for North Carolina 
Emergency Management's quick response at the height of the storms to 
rescue hundreds trapped in their homes due to flood waters, Mike 
Sprayberry's lasting legacy will be his dogged effort to rebuild North 
Carolina better and more resilient than before. Understanding that 
billions of Federal aid would be coming to support recovery, Mike 
advocated for the creation of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and 
Resiliency, including the establishment of the State's chief resilience 
officer, one of the first such positions in the country. He is a fierce 
proponent of the development of affordable housing and challenges his 
team daily to think about the long-term impacts they can make in storm 
preparation, storm recovery, and everything in between.
  Mike Sprayberry has lived a life of service first as a U.S. marine, 
then 25 years in the North Carolina National Guard as a field artillery 
and infantry officer, and finally serving as director of North Carolina 
Emergency Management. While he will be missed, his reputation and the 
culture of preparedness he has built in the organization and across the 
State will live on.

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