Jim Chesnutt is the president of Nusura. For more than seventeen years, Nusura President Jim Chesnutt has worked in emergency management at the local, state and federal level. From 1999 to late 2005 he served as the FEMA Region VIII deputy public affairs officer. He was responsible for coordinating public information, media, community and Congressional relations; and intergovernmental affairs for more than 30 major disasters.
 
Chesnutt was one of FEMA's initial team of four people that led public affairs and media relations following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. He also served as a public affairs officer for the federal rescue effort following Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. He later transitioned to the position of special assistant to the US Coast Guard's Admiral Thad Allen during the recovery phase. 
 
Chesnutt made the decision to leave FEMA in 2005 to work on humanitarian emergencies in Africa and Southeast Asia and to focus domestically on issues related to emergency planning for people with access and functional needs. This, in turn, led to the creation of Nusura, Inc.