Dante Gliniecki is the Emergency Preparedness Manager for the Independence, MO Fire Department. Prior to accepting that position, he was Statewide Volunteer Coordinator for the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for 19 years. The Statewide Volunteer Coordinator position is responsible for supporting the activities of the Governor’s Faith-based and Community Services Partnership for Disaster Recovery (The Partnership), Missouri Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MOVOAD), Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COADs), Citizen Corps Programs, Long-Term Recovery Groups and various emergency human services related programs and partners. Mr. Gliniecki was responsible for coordinating and strengthening voluntary and emergency human services agencies’ response to disasters in Missouri while strengthening the partnership between the public and private sectors. An important part of Mr. Gliniecki’s responsibilities included supporting eighteen committees of The Partnership and MOVOAD including the Donations and Volunteer Coordination Team (DVCT) which has successfully coordinated donations and volunteers in a series of disasters that have struck Missouri in recent years including the Joplin tornado. He has responded to nine mutual aid requests from other states and led a DVCT that responded recently to mutual aid requests from the State of New York and the State of Oklahoma during Super-storm Sandy and the Oklahoma tornadoes. Mr. Gliniecki helped start and is the first elected chair of the National Association of State Emergency Donation and Volunteer Coordinators (NASEDoVoC). Before joining SEMA, Mr. Gliniecki worked for the American Red Cross.
Vice-Chairman Vacant
Secretary Allen Roark - Mississippi
Allen has served as the State Volunteer and Donations Coordinator and as State VAL at numerous disasters, both State and Federally declared. Allen has attended and was an instructor for the FEMA Volunteer & Donations Management for State Managers Course (E-289/L-289) and the G-288 Course for Local Jurisdictions. He led a task force to develop a National Donations Management SOP template which has been adopted by FEMA and the National Donations Management Network. Allen deployed via EMAC to Missouri during the 2008 Spring Floods and to Maryland during Hurricane Sandy, working in the MD State EOC. He led breakout sessions at National VOAD Conferences in 2008 and 2009 and served on the Board of MS VOAD. He was a breakout presenter and served on the State IA Communications Subcommittee at the 2009 Individual Assistance Emergency Support Function 6 Conference. Allen was also a member of the NIMS Mass Care Resource Typing work group for FEMA and has served in Joint Field Offices, Disaster Recovery Centers, SBA Disaster Loan Outreach Centers and other recovery centers in smaller events.
Training, Exercise and Events Officer Cari Leidholt - South Dakota
Cari Leidholt is the Preparedness Team Leader for the South Dakota Office of Emergency Management. In this position, Cari serves as the liaison between the SD State Office of Emergency Management and the SD VOAD organizations. She has been instrumental in developing Regional Disaster Recovery Teams for each county in the state. These teams have identified physical locations for VOAD organizations to begin working their capabilities on the first day of a disaster. Cari reviews and approves EOC Plans and Procedures and is responsible for fostering relationships between the public and private sectors. She coordinates the annual SDVOAD conference with the SD Emergency Managers Association, finding the appropriate trainings, speakers, and exercises to relate the VOAD organizations with the State Emergency Managers. Cari works closely with the SDVOAD to identify and coordinate the appropriate VOAD organizations with the needs of disaster victims.
Plans and Best Practices Officer Vacant
Operations Officer Ken Skalitzky - Florida
Ken Skalitzky became the Emergency Management Director at Volunteer Florida in December, 2014. Prior to this appointment, Ken was the Voluntary Agency Liaison for FEMA Region IV (Atlanta). He has worked over 100 large and small operations over the years to include tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks in Region IV and in support of states in other regions. Ken was selected as the Region IV Employee of the Quarter and Employee of the Year in 2005. Prior to coming to FEMA, Ken was the Services Coordinator for the American Red Cross in Baumholder, Germany, assisting military members and their families.