Ethel Darnell

Ethel Darnell serves as a CPD specialist in Community Planning at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, supporting disaster recovery programs across all U.S. territories as part of a federal initiative. She brings more than 25 years of government experience to the role, having begun her career as a Revenue Officer with the Internal Revenue Service for nearly 19 years before transitioning to focus on ensuring policies and procedures support underserved and low-income communities affected by disasters. Since 2021, Darnell has also operated her own consulting practice, where she assists with policy and procedure implementation as well as grant closeout. She holds a master's degree in public administration, public policy, and public analysis from Cal State East Bay, which she completed after transferring from the University of San Francisco, and she is a member of the public administration association. Darnell attributes her professional success to the foundation of her childhood and advises young women entering the field to respect themselves and respect authority.