Dayton, OH – The Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission (MVRPC), Montgomery County, The Dayton Foundation and leaders from the Disaster Recovery Network announce the formation of the Disaster Recovery Leadership Board. The board will provide strategic leadership, oversight and transparency regarding the work of both the Long Term Recovery Operations Group assisting individuals/households and the Long Term Community Recovery Network assisting local governments and public agencies. The board also will assist with fundraising, communications, and potential policy and protocol creation to aid in rebuilding and recovering our Region post-disaster.
Chairing the board is Woodrow Stroud, a representative from the MVRPC Board of Directors and the Greene County Transit Board.
"The 2019 Memorial Day tornadoes that struck the Miami Valley were unlike anything we’ve experienced before,” Stroud said. “Disaster recovery is extremely complicated and will take years to complete, but through the work of both the individual and community Long-Term Disaster Recovery Networks, with oversight by this experienced and diverse Leadership Board, we will offer further transparency for the community as we all work to meet both individual and community needs of our Region."
The board consists of 17 voting members, 12 of whom are from local, core institutions and 5 are community members representing various part of the region.
Members of the board include:
- Bob Glaser, Greene County Commissioner
- Tom Gunlock, Community Member at Large
- Sarah Hackenbracht, Greater Dayton Area Hospital Association
- Rap Hankins, Community Member at Large
- Brian Heitkamp, CityWide Development Corporation
- Ellen Ireland, The Dayton Foundation
- Helen Jones-Kelley, Sinclair Community College
- Todd Kinskey, City of Dayton
- Julie Liss-Katz, Dayton Business Committee
- Debbie Lieberman, Montgomery County Commissioner
- Tony Ortiz, Community Member at Large
- Phil Parker, Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce
- Joel Smith, Miami County Emergency Management
- Father Ben Speare-Hardy, Community Member at Large
- Julie Sullivan, Dayton Development Coalition
- Roland Winburn, Community Member at Large
Individuals whose homes were damaged by the Memorial Day tornadoes are encouraged to contact United Way’s Helplink at 211 to get set up with a disaster recovery case manager. If 211 currently is not available in your area, please call (937) 225-3000 or toll free (855) 405-7629.
Established in 1964, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission promotes collaboration among communities, stakeholders, and residents to advance regional priorities. MVRPC is a forum and resource where the Board of Directors identifies priorities and develops public policy and collaborative strategies to improve quality of life throughout the Miami Valley Region. MVRPC performs various regional planning activities, including air quality, water quality, transportation, land use, research and GIS. As the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), MVRPC is responsible for transportation planning in Greene, Miami and Montgomery Counties and parts of northern Warren County. MVRPC's areawide water quality planning designation encompasses five (5) counties: Darke, Preble plus the three MPO counties.
For additional information, contact Stacy Schweikhart, Director of Strategy and Engagement, at (937) 223-6323 or via the e-mail address listed above.
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