STEVEN CRAIG
I retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2005 with my last assignment as Postmaster in Oakville, WA. Concurrently, I served in the Coast Guard Reserve, retiring as Captain with over 38 years of active and reserve service in 2012. After 9/11, I was recalled 13 (14? I lost count) to work on various emergencies including Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, Deepwater Horizon, and the Haiti port recovery following their disastrous earthquake in 2010. In 2011, I was assigned for one-year as the primary maritime planner for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) featuring the heads of state including President Obama, along with the leaders of China and Russia. Additionally, I previously served 16 years enlisted as a Senior Chief before transitioning over to Lieutenant (Junior Grade).
Personal Life & Books
Following my five details working for the Coast Guard in Louisiana for the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, I wrote my first book “Chronicles of Katrina” with foreword by former FEMA Director Michael Brown.
As frequent travelers to Italy, I wrote my second book in 2017 on our travels, titled “Italy Travel and Adventures” with recommendations on traveling plus some light-hearted stories of our ‘misadventures’.
My wife and I live near Olympia, WA part of the year and when it starts raining, we head south, along with our dachshund, to our other home outside Yuma, AZ. It’s a rough life, but we will manage.
Emergency Response and Planning
Education wise, I completed my Masters in Emergency Management with American Military University. With an education in emergency management, I was recalled to active duty 13 times to assist with the various types of emergencies; this included responding to the 9/11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Ike, port recovery planning following the Haiti 2010 earthquake, and a one-year detail serving as the senior maritime planner for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting that was held 2011 in Honolulu, HI.
In 2020, I received my life-time certification as a Certified Emergency Manager from the International Association of Emergency Managers.
