The Experience Behind the Work

Julie Kay Roberts is a strategic communications and emergency management veteran with two decades of experience across federal, state, and private-sector organizations.

As President of JK Roberts, LLC, she provides senior advisory services in crisis communications, business continuity, disaster management, and active threat planning, helping leaders move from plans on paper to actions that work under pressure.

Most recently, Roberts served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Communications for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she developed and implemented the agency's strategic communication plans and coordinated emergency management communications during natural disasters nationwide.

 In early 2012, she was named External Affairs Director for the Florida Division of Emergency Management, where she served simultaneously as Private Sector Coordinator, Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs Director, Statewide Disability Coordinator, and Communications Director, building the public-private frameworks and legislative structures that define how government and business work together before, during, and after a disaster.

During her tenure, she developed the nationally recognized Kids Get a Plan public outreach and educational campaign, established partnerships with college and professional sports teams, organized public-private sector summits, secured emergency management legislation including statewide re-entry programs for the private sector, and served as lead during multiple activations of the State Emergency Response Team, including the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub mass shooting response.

As a political appointee in President George W. Bush's Administration, Roberts served FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, U.S. Department of Commerce Under Secretary for International Trade Grant Aldonas, and U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands Clifford M. Sobel, gaining experience across emergency management, international trade, diplomatic protocol, and high-level scheduling and advance operations that continues to inform her practice today.

In 2021, Roberts founded the Private Sector Emergency Management Association (PSEMA), the only national association for business and industry focused on building resilience against natural and man-made disasters. PSEMA supports members through business-to-business collaboration before, during, and after incidents.

A native of Marshall, Texas, she holds a Certificate in Emergency Management from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) and completed the  Executive Leadership Program at the Naval Postgraduate School Center for Homeland and Domestic Security (CHDS), the FEMA Executive Leadership Program, and the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative (NPLI) at Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Service. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Political Science from East Texas Baptist University.