Application deadline is today at 5 p.m.
Once the deadline has expired, all resumes will be turned over to a group of human resources professionals who will filter the list of applicant hopefuls down to no more than five. These names will be presented to the full LTRO executive board. Once finalists have been interviewed, selections will be made by board members for the recovery leader and case manager positions.
Matt Carlson and Jake Stum co-chair the group.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s groundwork is almost complete and the FEMA Disaster Relief Center located at 10 Church St. will close Saturday at 6 p.m.
Bernadette Douglas, executive vice president of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce who holds a seat on the LTRO, said earlier this week she was “encouraged” by the response of entries for the job.
The positions will be funded through the assistance of grants and individual donors who designated funds for that purpose.
“We’ve had a very good response,” Douglas said. “It looks like we’re seeing some very qualified names.”
As of Thursday afternoon’s LTRO session at the Chamber offices, Douglas reported 34 resumes had been received. Of these, 19 had shown interest in the recovery director’s position; seven had been received for the case manager slot and the remaining eight resumes cited an interest in either position.
Applications can be sent to canbradclevtn@gmail.com prior to today’s 5 p.m. cutoff.
LTRO members late last week agreed full-time positions for recovery leader and case manager are needed to coordinate Bradley County’s long-term disaster recovery efforts.
“The goal is to find two qualified individuals to oversee day-to-day operations of recovery from the April 27 storms,” LTRO co-chairman Matt Ryerson said in a news release announcing the personnel hunt. “The two openings are full-time, paid positions which will play key roles in the recovery effort which could take between three to five years.”
The recovery leader salary will range from $40,000 to $50,000, depending on experience and qualifications. The case manager salary will range from $25,000 to $35,000, but is negotiable depending on experience and qualifications.
According to an LTRO Communications Committee news release, “Candidates for both positions must commit to serve for at least one year with the possibility of 24 months to ensure the mission is accomplished.”
The recovery leader position includes three primary qualifications:
n Excellent people skills with the ability to relate well to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds;
n Experience in successfully managing budgets and understanding the importance of financial responsibility and accountability; and
n Experience and established success in managing people.
The case manager role also includes three primary qualifications:
n Skills in coordinating multiple simultaneous activities;
n Ability to capture and follow up on details; and
n Manage volunteers while relating to individuals from all socioeconomic backgrounds.
An LTRO press release cites both positions will require the ability to work closely with others, but it specifies of the case manager role, “... will be someone who is empathetic toward people affected by the disaster while also being objective and open-minded.”
In the short term, FEMA will be closing the DRC, but those who need to apply or have questions are being directed to www.fema.gov for additional information.
Greg Hughes, FEMA spokesman said this week, “To date, $1,018,302 has been paid to 1,536 Bradley County homeowners and renters who have applied for FEMA disaster assistance. In the 17 Tennessee counties that were declared eligible for federal disaster assistance for the tornadoes, $5.2 million has been paid to 7,058 applicants.”
Hughes also noted that FEMA is not leaving Bradley County or East Tennessee and will still be aiding in recovery efforts.
A representative from FEMA and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency were present at Thursday’s LTRO meeting held at the Cleveland-Bradley Chamber of Commerce. A number of subcommittee leaders also gave reports.
Rob Alderman of the Communications Committee said the group is continuing to keep media outlets up-to-date as well as working toward gaining more “national attention” to the Bradley-Cleveland disaster.
Ryerson reported a local church has donated use of a sophisticated phone system, which should centralize all needs and information agencies. Cleveland-Bradley County EMA Director Troy Spence praised the faith-based response throughout the disaster and recovery efforts.
“Faith-based organizations stepped up to the plate and they continue to do so throughout this process,” Spence told the board.
Regarding unmet needs, Ryerson said the committee continues to work to set criteria.
Assessment, additional assessment and needs will filter down to stakeholders regarding how and where money needs to go.
“The board needs to adopt a system of meeting the needs of the community through existing programs and services. This will ultimately make the limited financial resources we have in the Disaster Relief Fund go further and serve more people,” Ryerson said.
“A committee of local leaders and stakeholders has been created to have oversight over the disaster fund in an effort to ensure we are good stewards of this valuable resource. FEMA is the first step in the process for every survivor of this storm who had personal property impacted; all should register with FEMA to ensure they are eligible for all future funding,” Ryerson added.
The LTRO is comprised of a cross-section of government, civic and community leaders and meets each Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce.
