Each year the Governor’s Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security host the annual Alabama Citizen Corps Conference. This conference brings together leaders from both professional and volunteer organizations from around Alabama and around the South.


This year Buck Wade & Debbie Blevins attended the Conference. Not only is Buck the CERT Coordinator, but he is also involved with Americorps, which is one of the groups he was representing in Mobile.

Jim Walker, Director Alabama Department of Homeland Security and Sidney Hoffman, Director Governor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives welcomed everyone to the Conference at the Opening reception.

Elizabeth Seale, Chief Operating Officer with Corporation for National and Community Service spoke at Breakfast about Strengthening Communities through Citizen Involvement.





More about Ms Seale at http://www.cns.gov/about/media_kit/photos_bios_coo.asp


Americorps members were sworn in by Elizabeth Seale.

Buck Wade, Debbie Blevins, Dana & Maryann Wilson from Talladega County EMA.



Paige Soehren - Emergency Management Officer with Madison County EMA In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina changed Paige’s career path when she volunteered with the American Red Cross. Acting as the Spontaneous Volunteer Training Center Coordinator, she processed, trained, and prepared 326 spontaneous community volunteers to assist nearly 2000 Hurricane Katrina displaced families in Calhoun County AL. For the next year, she continued serving Katrina families and training the community in Disaster Preparedness, CPR and First Aid as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. She gained further experience as an American Red Cross employee and an AmeriCorps VISTA Leader for Habitat for Humanity.

Great Job Paige!

The legenday Picklefish in Mobile, AL