Elyssa Tappero serves as the Tsunami Program Manager for the Emergency Management Division (EMD) of the Washington State Military Department, where she manages the state’s annual National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program grant. She is a respected subject matter expert on tsunami mitigation, alerting, response, evacuation planning, and community education for local, tribal, state, federal, and international stakeholders. Elyssa has bachelors’ degrees in Geoscience and History from Pacific Lutheran University.