Elton Lewis, director of the V.I. Territorial Management Agency, was named vice chair of the National Emergency Management Agency’s Pacific and Territorial Caucus, the Virgin Islands agency announced.

The appointment was made during the the NEMA 2014 Mid-Year Policy and Leadership Forum, which took place from March 9-14 in Alexandria, Va.

Lewis joins newly-appointed caucus chairperson Doug Mayne of Hawaii in representing NEMA members outside of the contiguous United States. In addition to Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Pacific and Territorial Caucus represents Puerto Rico, Alaska, and the Pacific territories of American Samoa, Guam, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands and Micronesia.

“I’m honored to have been named vice chair of the Pacific and Territorial Caucus,” Lewis said. “As U.S. territories we all face similar challenges in managing disasters because of geographic location. My goal is to continue developing policies that promote the most effective and comprehensive approach to managing a disaster when assistance may not be immediately available.”

NEMA is a nonprofit association dedicated to enhancing public safety by improving the nation’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies, disasters, and threats to the nation’s security. NEMA is the professional association of and for emergency management directors from all 50 states, eight U.S. territories and the District of Columbia.