UCC Conference Disaster Coordinators
Conference Coordinators List
Download the CDC Network’s 20-Year History 2000-2021.
Read a profile of:
CDC Karl Jones, PA Southeast Conference
CDC Priscilla Self, Illinois South Conference
CDC Brice Hughes, Iowa Conference
CDC Danny Tengan, Hawaii Conference
CDC Davena Jones, Northern California Nevada Conference
CDC Roger Dart, Illinois Conference
CDCs Bill and Ellen Matten, Pennsylvania Central Conference
CDC Kevin Gehres, Heartland Conference
CDC Alan Coe, Florida Conference
Read Conference Disaster Coordinators’ Annual Reports
Central Pacific Conference
Indiana Kentucky Conference
Penn Northeast Conference
Pennsylvania Southeast Conference
Q: What’s a Conference Disaster Coordinator?
A Conference Disaster Coordinator is an individual appointed by the conference to serve as a primary point of contact and team leader for a Conference Disaster Team (CDT). CDCs act as a liaison among the CDT, the conference and UCC Disaster Ministries. They are the backbone of UCC Disaster Ministries’ domestic preparedness and long-term recovery efforts. “Conference Disaster Coordinator” is a volunteer position. Some CDCs are retired active volunteers and some have full-time jobs.
Q: What is the CDC’s job description?
Their primary responsibility is to develop and lead a Conference Disaster Team to assist the conference and congregations to prepare for disasters and – when disasters occur – to educate local UCC leadership, donors and supporters of needs, disseminate information and recruit and deploy volunteers for long-term recovery work. By maintaining relationships with UCC Disaster Ministries and with state and local disaster response entities, both governmental and private sector, including state and local VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), They are able to appropriately focus the resources of the ministry (financial, volunteer, time and energy) on preparedness, response and long-term recovery efforts.
Q: Does every UCC conference have a Conference Disaster Coordinator?
Most but not all conferences have a Conference Disaster Coordinator, we encourage all Conferences to identify a CDC and will provide support in the process.
Q: What do the Conference Disaster Teams do?
Conference Disaster Team (CDT) members develop relationships with the state and local VOADs (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), and assist the conference, associations and its congregations in preparedness planning. In the early days of a disaster the CDT members serve as the first point of contact with congregations that have been impacted, and share information about disaster response and recovery needs and identify appropriate ways to help. As long-term needs are identified the CDT will engage communities where long-term recovery support will be needed, and educate and encourage local UCC leaders about how to participate in the local long-term recovery efforts. The CDT will also recruit and support the deployment of both short-term work teams and long-term volunteers for long-term community recovery work.
UCC Disaster Ministries’ focus is on preparedness, response and long-term recovery. It is extremely important that all CDCs have a common understanding of their role and the focus of the ministry, and that they are able to direct limited resources (time, energy, financial and volunteer) to support the overall mission and ministry.