FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 29, 2022
All Press Inquiries Directed to:
Lara Robertson, AICP 225-588-5857
TALLAHASSEE, FL, June 29, 2022 — Today, CDR Emergency Management was chosen to serve as a technical assistance consultant and sponsor for the Council of State Community Development Agencies’ (COSCDA) Annual Training Conference, to be held in New Orleans, LA on September 11-15, 2022. COSCDA (www.coscda.org), founded in 1974, is the premier national association advocating and enhancing the leadership role of states in community development through innovative policy development and implementation, customer-driven technical assistance, education, and collaborative efforts.
COSCDA has been proactive in recognizing the increasing scale of federal disaster recovery funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Over the last several years, COSCDA has actively provided its membership with awareness of and training in the regulatory aspects of Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) and Community Development Block Grant – Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) grants. Additionally, COSCDA has represented its membership in serving as a liaison with HUD and Congress, including providing expert technical assistance and testimony regarding implementation and programmatic issues within CDBG-DR and CDBG-MIT grantee operations.
Lara Robertson, CDR Emergency Management’s Director of Recovery Operations, stated, “We are very excited to serve as a technical assistance consultant for the upcoming COSCDA Annual Training Conference. COSCDA has been an instrumental agency in advancing grantee needs with both HUD and Congress. CDR brings a wealth of subject matter expertise and experience in CDBG-DR grant administration and operations, and we look forward to providing technical assistance at the conference, as well as exchanging leading practices with attendees to better serve disaster-impacted communities.” Joining Ms. Robertson will be Hugh Hyman, CDR’s Senior Project Manager of CDBG Operations. Mr. Hyman has presented on disaster recovery related topics at several previous COSCDA conferences as well as HUD CDBG-DR Grantee Workshops, including subject areas such as unmet needs analyses, data-driven management via program IT systems, and the importance of data transparency for effective stakeholder management.
With work experience across the U.S. and contracts in multiple states, CDR Emergency Management is a consulting firm known for its response time and quality of work, which has encompassed successfully managing $10 billion in disaster recovery funds since 2009. As a national firm, they have a network of resources of former FEMA personnel, disaster recovery specialists, health and medical experts, architectural/engineering professionals, construction services, financial/accounting and audit experts, GIS specialists, and various other experts and support personnel who can quickly mobilize and commit to serving their clients’ needs.
CDR is one of the leading COVID-19 supply and logistics providers in Florida and has helped communities recover from some of the most devastating hurricanes, including Matthew, Irma, and Michael—as well as wildfires, including the 2020 Oregon Wildfires and the Marshall Fire in Colorado.
