Vermont Business Magazine Chris Graff has been elected chair of the Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, returning to a position he held following Tropical Storm Irene in 2011.
Patti Komline was elected vice chair of the non-profit, which oversees the Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund and helps to coordinate disaster relief in the state.
Graff replaces Samara Coble who led the group since 2017. Coble will remain on the board.
Chris Graff, VermontBiz file photo.
The group has added several new board members as it beefs up the organization in response to the July and December flooding in the state.
In addition to Graff and Komline new board members include:
- Neale Lunderville, the CEO of Vermont Gas Systems and the former Irene Recovery Officer for the state of Vermont. Lunderville also served as secretary of Transportation and secretary of Administration in the Douglas administration.
- Janet Ancel, a former state representative and chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. Ancel also served as state tax commissioner and legal counsel to the governor in the Dean administration.
- Maxine Grad, a lawyer and former state representative who served 22 years in the House and chaired the House Judiciary Committee.
- Kitty Toll, a former teacher, who served 12 years in the House and chaired the House Appropriations Committee.
Graff, a former journalist with The Associated Press and executive at National Life Group, was a founding director of the Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group in 2011 and served as its chair for two years following Irene.
Komline, the manager of government relations at Downs, Rachlin, Martin and a former state representative, served as the disaster recovery director of the Stratton Foundation in the Irene recovery, providing assistance to individuals in 16 towns.
The Vermont Long-Term Disaster Recovery Group is a non-profit corporation that was created following Tropical Storm Irene to coordinate local, regional, and state recovery efforts for Irene survivors and to raise money for – and allocate money from – the Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund.
The Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund is set up to help individuals affected by disasters after they have exhausted all other sources of assistance, such as from FEMA, homeowner and flood insurance, and grants from local and regional disaster funds. The fund is referred to as a “fund of last resort” and can provide grants of up to $25,000.
Disaster survivors apply for the funding either through local and regional long-term recovery groups or through case managers.
For individual assistance grants stemming from the 2023 flooding the VDRF is coordinating with the Vermont Community Foundation, which has spearheaded the Vermont Flood Response and Recovery Fund 2023.
Source: 1.15.2024. MONTPELIER – Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund. Home | Vermont Disaster Recovery Fund (vdrf.org)
