Monette was a graduate of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He joined the Federal Emergency Management Agency after serving 30 years in the U.S. Army. He was the senior federal official in charge of response and recovery operations after the 2001 September 11 attack on New York City. He also guided the response and relief effort after Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. Monette was a veteran of the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf wars.