ODPEM to honor Audrey Yvonne Mullings for over 20 years of service to disaster management in the Caribbean
By ODPEM, Jamaica
Tue, 17 Jul 2007, 15:48
The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) will hold a ceremony on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. in its Conference Room to honour Ms. Audrey Yvonne Mullings for her over 20 years of service to Caribbean disaster management.
The name Audrey Yvonne Mullings easily comes to mind when the field of Disaster Management is mentioned. This, however, is understandable as Ms. Mullings has been actively involved in all aspects of disaster management in the countries of the Caribbean and its environs for well over 20 years.
Audrey’s passion for imparting knowledge led her to pursue teaching Geography to young minds in the first few years of her professional life after graduating from Church Teachers College in Jamaica. Two years before her graduation from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, the 1979 June floods impacted Jamaica and the Jamaica Red Cross appointed her their representative in the western region of the Island. Her efforts in the recovery process did not go unnoticed and the Government of Jamaica presented her with a Meritorious Award for Service. This was her first real experience in disaster management and her interest in this field peaked.
In 1984, Ms. Mullings became the first Jamaican and Caribbean national to be the Caribbean Region Representative for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (formerly League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). In her 9 years in this position she provided leadership and management for the Red Cross component of the unique Pan-Caribbean Disaster Preparedness and Prevention Project, where she traveled the length and breadth of the Caribbean and surrounding countries with her message. During her tenure, one of her major accomplishments was laying the foundation for what is now a flagship programme of the Red Cross in the Caribbean – Community Disaster Management.
Ms. Mullings’ experience in Disaster Management made her right at home in her role of Deputy Coordinator Caribbean Disaster Response Agency (CDERA), which is the regional organization established by the CARICOM Heads of Government to lead and coordinate disaster management programmes in the Caribbean region. During her 11 years with this organization her mission to spread the importance of disaster management was fulfilled whether it was representing CDERA at regional and international meetings and conferences; spearheading development programme activities for community disaster planning and shelter management; or preparing manuals to assist with these initiatives.
Ms. Mullings has also been able to use her knowledge and experience to assist governments and non-government organizations in emergency management relief as a result of disasters that have affected several countries since the 1980’s, including Hurricane Gilbert in Jamaica, the eruption of the Soufriere Hill volcano in Montserrat, the impact of mud volcano in Trinidad and Tobago and Hurricane Ivan in Grenada.
She was also instrumental in pioneering the work of women in disaster management and the important role they play, and to this end have made conference presentations and co-authored publications on this topic.
Ms. Mullings’ involvement in her area of expertise has not waned as she continues to hone her skills through her consultancy with the USAID and the U.S. Government Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance as a Risk Management Specialist since 2005.
You are all invited to join us as we honour one of the Caribbean region’s leaders in disaster management.
For further information or to confirm your attendance please contact
Kerry-Ann Morris,
ODPEM
Telephone: (876) 928-5111-4
Fax: (876) 928-5503/8763
kmorris@odpem.org.jm.