The appointment of a Federal Help Coordinator for the Recovery and Reconstruction of Puerto Rico, or 'recovery czar' as the role has come to be known, has been a delayed designation that is needed and may likely last longer than what it did in Louisiana and Mississippi after hurricane Katrina barreled through the Gulf Coast region of the mainland in 2005.

At least that's how it's viewed by Doug O'Dell, a retired general and one of the three Federal Coordinators assigned to assist in the recovery of the Gulf Coast region after the passage of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.As the White House discusses the possible designation of a similar role for Puerto Rico through executive order, NotiCel reached out to O'Dell to obtain an idea of how a Federal Coordinator could operate in Puerto Rico, based on his past experience on that role. He was designated by former president George W. Bush, who established the Office of the Federal Coordinator for the Gulf Coast Region in 2005 through executive powers.In O'Dell's case, he worked as the penultimate Federal Coordinator between 2008 and 2009, after Bush extended the executive order that empowered said office. The Office of the Federal Coordinator was discontinued in 2010 under the presidency of Barack Obama. During that time, the Federal Coordinator received a compensation of $152,000 a year, paid for by the Department of National Security.'Whoever becomes federal coordinator for Puerto Rico, and If I were asked by the (Trump) Administration, I would strongly advocate that they do appoint a Federal Coordinator because it is, I think, a test too large for any single entity including the entire Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to be dealing with all the agencies of federal government without an advocate or an ombudsman to help them through that process', O'Dell told NotiCel.Although the White House has not yet made an announcement regarding the Federal Coordinator for Puerto Rico, O'Dell said he was 'perplexed' by the fact that after more than a year of hurricane Maria's passing, the president has yet to designate this role for the Island. Even though president Donald J. Trump has not minced words in his disapproval of the Commonwealth government's efforts in the reconstruction and the use of federal funds, news articles have pointed out that the President has ordered the retention of recovery funds assigned to Puerto Rico.'I think that would've been helpful, but it's not too late', O'Dell said regarding the designation of a Coordinator for Puerto Rico. 'And whoever enters that role needs to be prepared to be in that role for a considerable period of time. Years, because I think that is the scope of the long-term recovery', he added.In the case of the Office of the Federal Coordinator for the Gulf Coast, that office operated for five years, a timeframe O'Dell considered sufficient to lift up that region after the disaster. However, he considered that time frame will not be enough for Puerto Rico, due to the extent of the work needed.'First of all, its not contiguous to the mainland. It's got a much larger affected population. There're large parts of the island that are rural and so getting services and other things to those rural areas is a challenge. That was not the case, in the most part in Louisiana or Mississippi', O'Dell said.For the retired general, the job of a Federal Coordinator is a 24/7 assignment, where the designee must be familiarized and in touch with all federal agencies as well as organize the collaborative effort between state and local authorities, the private sector and the third sector to speed up the execution of long-term projects. He noted it should also be someone who knows the geography of the area as well as the government structure. As for military experience, O'Dell pointed out it would be a plus and could facilitate access to federal agencies and coordinate interagency efforts.Above all, O'Dell stressed that the Coordinators main job is to do away with all the red tape that slows down the flow of federal funds. 'It's not just working interagency, its working with cross boundaries to involve the private sector in the recovery. And again, I'm certain it was intended to speed up the process, but I think the real issue is to facilitate the process. It brings people together, agencies and private sector players who would not otherwise see a role for themselves working together', O'Dell explained.But beyond serving as a facilitator and a link between public and private resources, O'Dell said the Coordinator must have intimate knowledge of the available sources of federal disaster funds. In that sense, he pointed out that FEMA funds have a scope of use that is limited to the immediate emergency and some planning towards the recovery phase, whereas HUD becomes the key agency for financing the reconstruction phase.'And the biggest pot of money by far… came from HUD and getting those funds appropriated, allocated, spent, on an accelerated basis and removing any roadblocks from that allocation of moneys is a key part of the Federal Coordinator's role', O'Dell said.As a matter of fact, the procedure to obtain those funds from HUD has been a challenge for the Commonwealth, with that agency being much stricter in the disbursement of those funds.O'Dell served in the Marines since the early 70's, reaching the rank of Commanding General of the Fourth Marine Division in 2004. During his service, he commanded 2,700 marines stationed in New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, leading rescue missions, delivering supplies and restoring basic functions in various buildings.His work experience amid the emergency after Katrina and Rita motivated a recommendation for the then Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Security, Paul McHale, who recommended him for the post. O'Dell recalled that his designation did not have to go through Senate confirmation. He entered into his duties as Federal Coordinator a few weeks after he received the call from the White House.

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