Speakers Module

Francisco Sánchez Jr. is a nationally recognized leader in emergency management and economic development. As Hagerty’s Senior Advisor for Economic Development, he brings more than two decades of experience guiding disaster response, recovery, and resilience efforts across the public sector. Most recently, Francisco was appointed to serve as Associate Administrator of the United States (US) Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Disaster Recovery & Resilience (ODR&R) by President Biden in January 2022. He was the first presidential appointee and non-banker to hold this position.

At the SBA, Francisco led a comprehensive transformation of the agency’s disaster operations. He modernized its organizational structure, lending policies, technology platforms, and customer service. Under his leadership, the SBA responded to over 1,500 disaster declarations and delivered nearly $15 billion in long-term, low-interest loans. Previously, Francisco served as Deputy Homeland Security and Emergency Management Coordinator for Harris County, Texas, the nation’s third-largest county. There, he led programs in disaster planning, recovery, public affairs, and homeland security.