Joseph “Joey” Gallo, Jr., CEM

Founder & Principal

Waypoint Advisory was founded to fill a gap in bringing senior, practitioner-level leadership to disaster recovery and grants management programs that demand more than policy interpretation: they demand execution. Joey Gallo, CEM brings over fifteen years of direct program experience, from the ground floor of Louisiana's post-Katrina recovery at GOHSEP to senior advisory roles at national public sector practices, building the systems and training that let complex programs actually deliver.

Leadership Background

Prior to founding Waypoint Advisory, Mr. Gallo served as Senior Manager in the Government and Public Sector Advisory practice at CohnReznick LLP, following earlier roles at Grant Thornton and the State of Louisiana Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP). Across those positions he led disaster recovery and grants management engagements for state agencies in Texas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, and other jurisdictions.

What distinguishes his approach is a deep conviction that programs fail not from lack of policy guidance, but from lack of shared understanding. His training philosophy starts with the who, what, when, where, and why long before addressing the how — grounding staff in the reasoning behind requirements before asking them to execute against them. This produces teams that can apply judgment in the field, not just follow checklists.

That philosophy is reinforced through a full training architecture: plain-language SOPs paired with interactive instructional elements, high-production video content designed for distributed teams, and ongoing continuing education that addresses emerging compliance issues and real program challenges as they surface — not just at onboarding. Whether delivering live instruction or building scalable video-based systems, the goal is the same: programs that execute consistently and hold up when auditors arrive.

Areas of Program Experience

Mr. Gallo’s primary program experience includes:

• FEMA Public Assistance (PA)

• Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG)

• FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP)

• CARES Act funded programs

• American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funded programs

• Solar for All and related climate focused grant initiatives

• Major Ports and related energy grant initiatives

• Aviation grant-funded programs

Across these programs, his work has emphasized disciplined application of 2 CFR 200, defensible documentation practices, and coordination across agencies, contractors, and delivery teams.

Credentials

Mr. Gallo holds the Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) credential, awarded by the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) — the highest professional certification in the emergency management field, requiring demonstrated experience, peer review, and examination. He received his CEM in June 2022. He has also completed FEMA's Independent Study professional development curriculum, earning a Certificate of Achievement through the FEMA Emergency Management Institute.