West Palm Beach, FL., May 6, 2009 – Nonprofit First and Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County hosted this year’s 5th Annual Nonprofit Hurricane Preparedness Day, putting the emphasis on the need for collaboration between organizations for disaster preparedness and recovery.
This year’s keynote speaker and Emergency Management Division Manager of PBS&J in Raleigh, NC, Steven Glenn, said: “The collaboration is the key, so form partnerships across nontraditional business sectors, including your competition, and create recovery committees now. Only by working together, can we achieve success.” Glenn served in 2005 as Recovery Director in support of disaster relief activities surrounding Hurricane Katrina.
John A. Foley, Esq., of Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County presented the human resources and risk management issues that the nonprofit organizations should consider as they identify opportunities to collaborate. In addition, Genevieve Cousminer, Executive Director of The Coalition for Independent Living Options (CILO), gave a presentation on non-discrimination provisions in the law, legal obligations for service providers and best practices in planning and recovery for meeting the needs of clients with special needs. At the end of the conference, Steve Weagle, Chief Meteorologist of WPTV NewsChannel 5, presented this hurricane season’s forecast.
More than 150 local nonprofit leaders attended the event, including the following speakers: Michael Self, 2009 Chair, Healthcare Emergency Response Coalition (HERC); Dr. Jay Lee, Director of Disaster Services, Palm Beach County Medical Society Services; Jennifer Beckman, Director, Palm Beach County Disaster Recovery Coalition, Inc.; Maite Roca, Disaster Recovery Coordinator, PBC Disaster Recovery Coalition, Inc., and the Palm Beach County Disaster Recovery Coalition of Funders.
The event was sponsored by Children’s Service Council of Palm Beach County, Quantum Foundation, The Palm Beach Post, Office Depot Foundation and CBIZ.