RETIRED! Her role as the Healthcare Coalition Facilitator for the Region D Healthcare Coalition (of the Metro Atlanta Area) is to work through the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments, to reach our local healthcare partners and assist with their Emergency Preparedness & Emergency Management needs and help them be prepared for all natural and manmade disasters. This includes bringing them to local, regional coalition, and statewide meetings, providing training & educational programs, offering guidance on exercises and drills, addressing communication needs and resources. In addition, she introduces them to key emergency management players and provide opportunities to create partnerships with other healthcare facilities, agencies and organizations. Michele serves on the Metropolitan Atlanta Region D Healthcare Coalition Executive Committee, the Mass Fatality Planning Sub-Committee, & chairs the Region D Healthcare Coalition Long Term Care Advisory Council. She is a member of The Georgia State Crisis Consortium, and the Georgia Emergency Preparedness Coalition for Individuals with Disabilities and Older Adults through the State ADA Coordinators Office. She chairs the Gwinnett County Functional Need Support Services Resource Committee for the integration of FNSS into emergency planning. Michele holds a BS in Nursing from the University of Connecticut, is a certified Emergency Management Healthcare Professional through the GA Department of Public Health, and holds a current certificate as a Certified Emergency Manager through the Georgia Emergency Management Agency /Homeland Security. She is a certified Fire Instructor I from the Georgia Public Safety Training Center and is certified to teach NIMS. As a RN with 30+ years of experience in a variety of settings, Michele understands the issues of At-Risk and Vulnerable Populations and strives to bring the community together to include all people during a disaster.