Kevin Bush

Kevin Bush is a Senior Director and serves as the Practice Lead for the Grants & Program Management practice at Tidal Basin. As a prominent public sector consultant and executive, Kevin is renowned for his ability to drive national and local policy innovation at the intersection of climate resilience, infrastructure, and equity.

Before joining Tidal Basin, he served as Principal and Resilient Infrastructure Practice Area Lead at The Cadmus Group, where he led a multidisciplinary team delivering groundbreaking solutions for federal, state, and local governments. Under his leadership, the practice experienced exponential growth, generating over $15 million in annual revenue in its first year, and expanded its impactful public-sector programs that address climate resilience and infrastructure development.

Kevin’s career includes the administration of very large public programs. This includes serving as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Grant Programs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he guided billion-dollar funding initiatives that transformed disaster recovery strategies and prioritized underserved communities. Serving in this role defined his expertise in embedding climate resilience and social equity into national housing and community development portfolios.

A trailblazer in disaster recovery and climate adaptation, Kevin spearheaded notable initiatives, including the $1 billion National Disaster Resilience Competition and Rebuild by Design, during his tenure on President Obama’s task force for Hurricane Sandy recovery. His leadership extended to Washington, DC, where he served as the city’s first Chief Resilience Officer in the Office of the Mayor, embedding climate and economic resilience into long-term policies and infrastructure. He also served as the Recovery Section Chief during DC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kevin’s exceptional ability to mobilize cross-disciplinary teams, navigate complex bureaucratic landscapes, and secure stakeholder buy-in positions him as a trusted advisor to agencies such as FEMA, HUD, EPA, and the U.S. Department of Transportation. Recognized across government and private sectors, his expertise has been sought for national strategies, technical assistance programs, and infrastructure solutions that reshape communities and enhance their ability to confront future challenges.

Kevin earned a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelorʻs degree in marketing from Michigan State University. Kevin also holds certifications as a Project Management Professional (PMP), American Institute of Certified Planner (AICP), and Leadership in Energy & Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). His ongoing contributions to policy discussions and frequent appearances in notable media outlets highlight his status as a leading voice in resilience and public sector innovation.

Select Career Highlights:

Administered Large-Scale Public Funding Programs During Times of Crisis

• Led and managed multi-billion-dollar grant programs supporting 2K+ state and local governments across U.S., ensuring effective deployment of funds for disaster recovery and infrastructure resilience.
• Reformed grant program regulations to incorporate climate resilience, equity, and justice considerations, shaping more inclusive and forward-looking funding policies.
• Advised federal and state clients (e.g., FEMA, HUD, NY, DC, EPA, and DOT) on crisis response and managing large public sector programs.
• Oversaw disaster recovery strategy and crisis response, coordinating cross-agency efforts to restore critical infrastructure, stabilize communities, and integrate long-term climate resilience into rebuilding efforts.
• Launched $26M technical assistance program to strengthen capacity of infrastructure grant recipients, ensuring communities effectively manage and implement large-scale funding.

Led Nationwide Shift in Disaster and Climate Resilience

• Spearheaded the launch of Rebuild by Design, a multi-stage planning and design competition advancing resilience in Hurricane Sandy-affected regions. Recognized by CNN as one of the top ideas of 2013, this initiative led to innovative infrastructure projects, insightful resilience strategies, and $1B in grant funding.
• Designed and helped launch $1B National Disaster Resilience Competition, enabling communities to rebuild stronger and better withstand future natural disasters.
• Coordinated across multiple federal agencies to establish a uniform Federal Flood Risk Reduction Standard, influencing $50B in federal Hurricane Sandy recovery funding. The initiative was later expanded nationwide by President Obama.
• Served as the first Chief Resilience Officer of Washington, D.C., embedding climate resilience into the City’s long-term planning and infrastructure.
• Transformed one of the world’s largest disaster recovery programs ($70B+) by integrating resilience, equity, and sustainable building practices, ensuring underserved communities were prioritized in climate adaptation efforts.

Selected Media:

• Kevin Bush, M.U.P. ’10, Leads D.C.’s Resilience Planning. Profile in Portico, 2020
• “Resilient Washington.” Op-ed in U.S. News & World Report, 2019
• “Marginalized Communities in D.C. Are Already Struggling. Climate Change Will Make That Worse.” Panelist on The Kojo
  Nnamdi Show, WAMU 88.5 FM, 2019
• “How D.C.’s First Chief Resilience Officer is Planning for Disaster.” Profile in Washingtonian Magazine, 2018
• “Thriving Amid Change.” Guest interview for The Atlantic Council’s Resilient World podcast, 2018
• “Urban Resilience Summit.” Interview on Monocle’s The Urbanist podcast, 2017

Kevin is a frequent public speaker on policy topics spanning sustainability, equity, and resilience. Presented at hundreds of events, from local meetings to global conferences.