About Us
BuildStrong America unites a diverse coalition of stakeholders dedicated to minimizing disaster costs and fostering resilience across America. Our vision extends to proactively mitigating risks associated with all hazards in the built environment, paving the way for a nation that thrives in the face of any disaster.
The strength and success of BuildStrong is based entirely on its members, who are a coalition of firefighters, emergency responders, insurers, engineers, architects, contractors and manufacturers, as well as consumer organizations, code specialists, and many others committed to building a more resilient America. Led by our members, BuildStrong is committed to advancing the priorities of our stakeholders and partners on behalf of a stronger America.
It is our mission to draw down disaster costs and losses by reducing risks to individuals, communities, and lifeline infrastructure systems and maximizing government investment in mitigation.
BuildStrong America Leadership
Phil Anderson
President
Helping to lead BuildStrong since its original inception in 2011, Phil Anderson serves as the organization’s President.
Anderson has over 20 years of experience advising corporations, industries and elected officials on public policy issues and has implemented successful public policy campaigns for numerous clients and coalitions. Anderson previously formed the Financial Services Coordinating Council (FSCC), served as its executive director, and led it to important financial services legislative victories. During his time with BuildStrong, he has positioned the group as the “go-to” organization for mitigation and building code policy at the federal level.
An experience Capitol Hill veteran, Anderson held a series of policy and political positions in Washington with the National Republican Party and with the George H.W. Bush Administration, including serving as Special Assistant to Vice President Dan Quayle and Deputy Assistant to Republican National Committee Chairman Lee Atwater.
Natalie Enclade, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Natalie F. Enclade, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of BuildStrong America, the preeminent organization uniting a diverse coalition of dedicated stakeholders with a shared commitment to reducing disaster costs and fostering a more resilient America. Prior to joining BuildStrong, ran the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) Cornerstone Financial Well-Being Program and was the Director of Individual and Community Preparedness for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). As Director, she oversaw programs that partner at all levels of government, the private sector, and community organizations to increase individual and community preparedness and encourage the development of disaster resilience across the nation.
Natalie has an established career in the field of emergency management and national security as a Chief Policy Advisor and Senior Program Analyst for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Legislature. Additionally, she has served as the subject matter expert in homeland security, cybersecurity, and emergency management for the United States Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC). In this role, she was responsible for advising Committee and Senate leadership on general emergency management issues, FEMA, Stafford Act, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure policy. This included major pieces of legislation, such as the game changing Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), fire grants reauthorization, and various programmatic mandates.
Natalie holds positions of responsibility across various organizations. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) Multi-Hazard Mitigation Council (MMC) and serves on the Executive Committee for the NIBS Lifeline Advisory Panel, as well as the Committee on Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate (CFIRE). Additionally, she chairs the Resilience Policy Council for the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH). Natalie’s expertise extends to disaster recovery, as evidenced by her past role on the Disaster Recovery and Continuity Executive Committee for the National Academies’ Transportation Research Board (TRB), where she contributed as a subject matter expert in disaster recovery alongside a team of researchers focused on addressing transportation-related needs and challenges during disasters.
She has a PhD in Public Policy and Administration, specializing in emergency management policy, complemented by a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration, both earned at Mississippi State University. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Millsaps College (Jackson, Mississippi). Currently, she serves as a graduate adjunct instructor, imparting knowledge in the realms of homeland security, emergency management, and public policy.
