Gracia B. Szczech is the Region 4 Administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Appointed in February 2015, she leads and coordinates all activities in support of FEMA’s mission with state and tribal partners in AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC and TN.
Since her appointment, Szczech has overseen FEMA operations for more than 70 presidentially declared major disasters in Region 4. She has also initiated a variety of programs and events to improve cooperation and coordination between FEMA and its stakeholders in order to streamline disaster response and recovery operations. These include the Partners in Emergency Management Workshops, Southeast Private-Public Partners Summits, and Southeast Radiological Emergency Preparedness Workshops, as well as numerous Individual and Community Preparedness campaigns and community outreach seminars.
Szczech joined FEMA in 2000 as one of the first members of the new Federal Coordinating Officer (FCO) cadre. She earned the designation of Type I FCO, held by only four people and signifying FEMA’s highest level of emergency management expertise. She has served as an FCO on numerous presidentially declared disasters.
Before joining FEMA, Szczech spent four years with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) as Assistant Director of Operations, managing contingency planning, as well as radiological emergency and hurricane preparedness. She began her career in disaster response with the American Red Cross in Savannah, Ga.
Szczech completed the Capstone General and Flag Officer course in 2017, an advanced military leadership training program offered to Capstone Fellows at the National Defense University. She has also completed the Homeland Security Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School- Center for Homeland Defense and Security, and the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative’s Executive Education Program at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Szczech is a Certified Emergency Manager®, designated by the International Association of Emergency Managers.
Hybrid Meetings Have Begun! We currently have spaces for up to 40 members - email the office for more information or register in the events section on our website at www.kiwanisatlanta.org! You can still attend via Zoom!
Are you attending the KCA weekly meetings in person all the time and want to skip the registration process? Just email Karen at KiwanisClubAtlanta@gmail.com and have your name added to the automatic attendance list. Easy Peasy. All we ask is that you let us know when you ARE NOT going to be there so we don't have extra food ordered. Add your name to the list today and we will see you on Tuesday, Jan 4th!
We have had great speakers during our Kiwanis Club of Atlanta Zoom meetings! If you couldn't participate, we have saved all of them to Dropbox, but the most recent ones are available through the live link of the speaker name listed below! Click more to see the list of the most recent speakers and send an email to KiwanisClubAtlanta@gmail.com to let us know which meetings you would like to have. Remember, you can always check out past speakers by viewing the past bulletins archived on our web site.
Would you like to get to know our club members better and help greet them as well as our guests at our weekly in person meetings? If so, then join the Hospitality Committee ... all it takes is a smile!
Remember, you can always check out past speakers by viewing the past bulletins archived on our web site.