MAR 6 & 7 2024

Miami Beach Convention Center

Michelle M. Luckett: Speaking at the Disasters Expo Miami

Michelle M. Luckett

CEO  -  Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE), Inc.

Disparity in the Rural-Urban Divide in Disaster Readiness and Recovery

In disaster recovery, there is an unspoken disparity in the rural-urban divide. Especially when one considers that one-third of rural counties in the United States are also places of concentrated, persistent poverty with rates of 20 percent or higher, roughly double the proportion of high-poverty urban counties. In addition, low-attention disasters are often localized events that do not garner regional or national attention, affecting mostly rural, isolated communities. According to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, low-attention disasters are most often identified by all or some of the following indicators: (1) disproportionately affected marginalized or chronically under-resourced populations; (2) high percentage of damage to housing; (3) insufficient community infrastructure or ability to develop or sustain recovery operations; and (4) no FEMA Individual Assistance declaration.

Time and again in rural disaster areas, it is the human infrastructure of connectors and troubleshooters that requires a boost for a robust and inclusive recovery.

This session will discuss the factors associated with “the missing middle” needed for a successful entry into these community and discuss BRACE’s development of capacity-building readiness and recovery facilitators to assist low attention and rural disaster-prone areas.

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About Michelle M. Luckett

Michelle Luckett serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE), a nonprofit organization based in Pensacola Florida whose mission is to make communities disaster-resilient through public-private partnership. Nationally known for its commitment to partnerships by fostering communication, cooperation, collaboration and coordination among community, faith-based, non-profit, private, and public organizations, and individuals active in one or more functions of emergency management, BRACE believes that emergency management is most effective when the whole community is engaged and involved. Faith-based organizations, service agencies, businesses and associations, tribal organizations,
youth and older Americans, and people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs, can make a real difference in their communities before, during, and after disasters.

As an educational organization, BRACE fully believes that the impacts of disasters are basically reduced when people are aware through proactive, engaging educational programs that create a culture of prevention and resilience to natural and man-made disasters. Ms. Luckett’s experience as the current vice chair for the Florida VOAD and the Region 1 Board Representative for the Florida CERT Association allows BRACE to continue being at the tip of the spear for identifying rural and low-attention communities’ needs before and after disasters. As a deployed asset with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, she orchestrated the local development and initial execution of the Surfside Disaster Case Management Program in July 2021; and most recently during Hurricane Ian served as the Incident Commander for the state’s first regional CERT Response Deployment and then transitioned to serve as the Emergency Support Function 15 state liaison in DeSoto County.

Ms. Luckett holds a Master’s degree from the University of South Florida, is a James Madison Memorial Foundation Senior Fellow and a frequent speaker at state and national conferences on disaster preparedness and whole community engagement. Civically, Ms. Luckett is the Board President for Family Promise of Escambia County, the Vice President of the Woman’s Club of Pensacola, a member of the Suburban West Rotary of Pensacola, and an active parishioner at the Basilica of St. Michael The Archangel.