Mikhail "Misha" A. Gebhardt
Mikhaill "Misha" A. Gebhardt
Program Coordinator | FEMA
Dedicated to helping people through emergency management, Mikhail “Misha” A. Gebhardt has excelled as a Field Operations Directorate within the Workforce Management Division of the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 2022. Deployed to the organization’s National Response Coordination Center, he works closely with a variety of emergency support functions that aim to provide staged support for disasters and with lawyers and supporting organizations on grant agreements. Additionally, he provides his expertise and knowledge about addiction and mental health to support research for student-athletes and speaks with various nonprofit organizations regarding homelessness, addiction issues, suicide prevention, and human trafficking. On top of his primary endeavors, he also serves on the board for Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center, where he’s been integral in research that’s had a significant impact on veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorders.
Mr. Gebhardt’s passion for these causes stems from his own harrowing upbringing and experiences. Born in Russia, he grew up in an orphanage, being put into a guardianship for 18 months—during which he was abused. However, he naturally empathized with people, which allowed him to connect with those who went through similar situations as him and help them find the assistance they needed. Upon being adopted by his parents, Randy Gebhardt and Tara Trott, he relocated to the United States, where he witnessed them build their own business, which provided him valuable insight into how to run a company effectively.
A bright, hardworking student, Mr. Gebhardt had the opportunity, in high school, to join an ambassador program for the State of Ohio called People of People, through which he visited many European countries over a summer, working with various people and conducting research about their demographics. His experiences in Russia helped him support more people and allowed him to reach out to others, drawing on his own painful experiences to communicate how to overcome tough situations and still find happiness. Throughout his teens, he also went on several youth group mission trips through the Liberty Presbyterian Church, traveling to rural areas in New York and South Carolina, as well as the Bronx, South Philadelphia, and St. Louis. Since 2003, he’s been a legacy member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Mr. Gebhardt launched his career with FEMA in 2015 as a Corps member and assistant team leader with AmeriCorps for a year before becoming a FEMA Interagency Recovery Coordination Cadre-Recovery Coordination Specialist and Senior Adviser from 2016 to 2021. He subsequently served as an IA Program Analyst and IA Emergency Notification System and Continuity of Operations Planning Lead prior to his current position. In addition, he’s utilized the business know-how he attained from his parents—in particular, ensuring the comfort of employees and creating a good workplace environment—as the managing director of the Life Leap Foundation since 2022, a nonprofit dedicated toward mental health, addiction recovery, and social support programs, and as the co-founder of Kai Financial LLC, a provider of various accounting services he started with his wife, Jacqueline.
Looking toward the future, Mr. Gebhardt strives to transition from federal government work to becoming full-time at his foundation. He wants to one day dedicate his entire career to doing what he loves, talking to people about his past experiences, and providing guidance and advice. Outside of work, he cherishes spending time and traveling with his family.
Press Release
Marquis Who’s Who Honors Mikhail “Misha” A. Gebhardt with Inclusion in Who’s Who in the World
Mikhail “Misha” A. Gebhardt channels his expertise in emergency management as a program coordinator
HAGERSTOWN, MD, June 9, 2025 — Marquis Who’s Who, the world’s premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Mikhail “Misha” A. Gebhardt with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. Gebhardt celebrates many years’ experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Mr. Gebhardt has carved a distinguished career in emergency management and mental health advocacy, marked by his current role as a program coordinator with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Since 2022, he has been instrumental in managing deployments nationwide and working closely with FEMA’s National Response Coordination Center. Mr. Gebhardt’s responsibilities include collaborating with various emergency support functions to provide pre-disaster staged support. Among other goals, he is involved in crafting grant and gift agreements, working alongside legal teams.
In addition to his work with FEMA, Mr. Gebhardt has served as a managing director at Life Leap Foundation since 2021 and as a partner at Kais Financial LLC since 2022. His leadership extends to serving on the advisory committee board for Ohio State Medical Wexner Center, where he provides insights into addiction and mental health research, particularly concerning student-athletes.
Before being named to his current position, Mr. Gebhardt served as an individual assistance program analyst and lead for the emergency notification system and continuity of operations planning at FEMA from 2021 to 2022. His tenure at FEMA began nearly a decade ago when he joined as a recovery coordination specialist and senior advisor within the interagency recovery coordination cadre in 2016. Mr. Gebhardt’s expertise in disaster recovery was also evident during his earlier experience as an AmeriCorps FEMA Corps member and assistant team leader from 2015 to 2016.
Mr. Gebhardt’s educational background includes coursework at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, where he supported a doctor researching suicide prevention among veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. He previously graduated from Olentangy High School in 2011. Mr. Gebhardt’s commitment to continuous learning is evident through numerous certifications obtained via LinkedIn, including executive leadership and strategic mentoring.
Active civically, Mr. Gebhardt has participated in mission trips with Liberty Presbyterian Church across various U.S. locations from 2007 to 2011. He has also been a legacy member of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and contributed to Lifeline Ohio. Notably, Mr. Gebhardt was honored as a State of Ohio student ambassador for People to People Student Ambassadors in 2008. Additionally, he is an advocate for mental health support and recovery, providing scholarships to high school students in challenging family dynamics.
Looking ahead, Mr. Gebhardt aspires to transition from federal government work to full-time involvement with a foundation where he can share his experiences and offer guidance. Through his diverse roles and unwavering dedication, he exemplifies resilience and compassion, making significant contributions to both emergency management and mental health advocacy.
