President George W. Bush has named George Foresman, an emergency management professional with more than 20 years of experience at various levels of government, as the first preparedness undersecretary at the Department of Homeland Security.

Foresman will oversee the Preparedness Directorate, which will consolidate Homeland Security's existing preparedness efforts, including planning, training, exercising and funding, to ensure a focused direction. In addition, the directorate will include a U.S. Fire Administrator, Chief Medical Officer and an Assistant Secretary for Cyber and Telecommunications Security. The position was created as part of an organizational review DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff began in July. The position previously was under the Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection Division.

Foresman currently serves as the Virginia governor's assistant for preparedness, where he was responsible for the commonwealth's emergency and disaster preparedness activities, including coordination with the private sector.