First Mississippi VOAD Conference 

Release Date: February 20, 2008
Release Number: 1604-624

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BILOXI, Miss. -- The Mississippi Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) annual conference kicked off Feb. 14. The two-day event marked the first time many Mississippi voluntary agencies gathered in one place to share ideas, exchange war stories, and prepare for the next disaster.

More than 100 attendees listened to various speakers and participated in special seminars. 

Donald Powell, federal coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding, delivered the keynote address in which he saluted the attendees and their organizations.

"Any success achieved in the recovery effort is due to the spirit of volunteers and love for their fellow Americans," said Powell. "The rest of the world speaks not of the failure of government but the spirit of the volunteers who gave time and effort to help their fellow man."

Powell conducted a brief question and answer session where he addressed various issues, including the need for additional funding and new case managers, availability of mental health services, and resource availability for case managers.

Jay Huffstatler, project manager of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation's Mississippi Hurricane Recovery Fund, spent six months coordinating the conference. 

"We're tremendously excited and overwhelmed by the response," said Huffstatler. "We received a lot of support from various agencies, including FEMA, to make this event a reality."

Other guest speakers included William Feist, emergency services director for the Salvation Army Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana region, Alec Watson, chief of staff for the FEMA Mississippi Transitional Recovery Office, Mike Womack, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, and Ken Skalitzky, FEMA Region IV Lead Voluntary Agency Liaison. 

"The conference was a great opportunity to share experiences and spark conversation. We were able to interact and find ways to partner together for the future," said Sandra Braasch, director of disaster response for Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi. "The speakers provided updates on current national events and insights into issues pertaining to volunteer agencies."

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

FEMA Photo Library Links:

www.photolibrary.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=34226
www.photolibrary.fema.gov/photolibrary/photo_details.do?id=34228 

Last Modified: Wednesday, 20-Feb-2008 16:46:50