Meet the New York VOAD Board
Board of Directors
- Kelly Dodd – Co-Chair
- Zack Hodgson – Co-Chair
- Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div. – Vice Chair (National VOAD Representative)
- Stephen M. Papas – Treasurer
- Kristina Clark – Secretary
- Rev. Dr. Mario Augustave – State Member Representative
- Racine “Rae” Droz – State Member Representative
- Rev. John Perez – State Member Representative
- Vanessa Baird-Streeter – Chair, Long Island VOAD
- Belinda Hoad – Chair, Southern Tier-Finger Lakes COAD
Government Partners
- Bruce Pollock – NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
- Melissa Axley – NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
- Lori Ross – FEMA Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL), Region 2
Co-Chairs
Kelly Dodd
Ms. Dodd is the Chief Operating Officer of 211 New York Inc. and Vice President of United Way of New York State. She previously served as the Director of 2-1-1 WNY in Buffalo, NY where her work in disaster response began as 211 WNY supported the community response to the crash of Flight 3407 in 2009. Since then, through her work with 211 WNY and now the statewide 211 and United Way networks, Ms. Dodd has responded to the variety of disasters and incidents that affect upstate and WNY, including floods, blizzards, community health issues. Most recently she supported response long term recovery efforts related to COVID-19, the racially motivated mass shooting at the Tops Supermarket, and the deadly Buffalo Blizzard in 2022. She is the past co-chair of the WNY COAD and serves as the 211 NY representative to the New York State Disaster Preparedness Commission. She advocates for ensuring people are connected to services in their community, especially those that address economic disparities, in blue skies as an important aspect of community preparedness and resiliency. Originally from Madison County, the geographic center of NYS, she now lives in Buffalo.
Zack Hodgson
Zachary.Hodgson@USE.SalvationArmy.org
Zack has been a member of The Salvation Army Greater New York Division Emergency Services staff since 2005. In his current role as Emergency Services Director, he oversees all emergency preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation efforts for The Salvation Army in Long Island, New York City, and the Lower Hudson Valley. In this coverage area, Zack played a key role in Hurricane Sandy response and recovery efforts for the organization, coordinated its COVID-19 relief work, and its assistance to asylum seekers arriving in NYC. Zack has also been deployed by The Salvation Army for emergency response outside of the greater New York area including international deployment to Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, the Bahamas following Hurricane Dorian, and Bucharest, Romania for Ukranian refugee assistance. Domestic deployments include Oklahoma City following the 2013 tornadoes, Houston for Hurricane Harvey, and the US Virgin Islands for Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Since 2017, The Salvation Army International Emergency Services has designated Zack a team leader for deployment to humanitarian relief efforts globally. Zack served as co-chair of the NYC Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NYCVOAD) Board of Directors from 2014-2017 and again from 2020-2024, co-chaired the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Faith Sector Community Preparedness Program (FSCPP) Advisory Board from 2018-2024, serves as Advisory Council Co-Chair for the NYC Preparedness Response Institute, and represents The Salvation Army on the board of the Rescue Alliance, a network of faith-based organizations addressing homelessness in NYC. Mr. Hodgson resides in West Orange, NJ.
Vice Chair (National VOAD Representative)
Peter B. Gudaitis, M.Div.
Mr. Gudaitis serves as Executive Director and CEO of New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS) and President of the National Disaster Interfaith Network (NDIN). He has over 30 years of expertise in disaster chaplaincy/spiritual care, emergency medical services, interfaith coalition building, long-term recovery, and religious literacy and competency in crisis settings. Mr. Gudaitis is a member of the Faith-based Caucus of the International Association of Emergency Managers; Guest Lecturer and Advisory Board member for the Metropolitan College of New York, Emergency and Disaster Management Program; Contributing Fellow at the Center for Religion and Civic Culture at the University of Southern California; and Adjunct Professor at Hartford Seminary. Mr. Gudaitis resides in New York City. In 2012, he was appointed to the New York State Respond Commission by Governor Andrew Cuomo. And, in 2015 he was appointed to the New York City Charitable Organization & House of Worship Recovery Task Force by New York City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito. He is the Co-Chair of the NYC Faith Sector Community Preparedness Program Advisory Board of the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and on the Board of Directors of New York City VOAD.
Treasurer
Stephen M. Papas
Mr. Papas is the Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Rockland County and is the Chair of the Rockland COAD. He grew up in Rockland County, and his passion for community service began early in life when he would help feed the homeless with his church youth group and participate in other volunteer efforts. After graduating from the University at Buffalo in 2007, Mr. Papas began a fulfilling career in government working for a number of legislators, including Congresswoman Nita Lowey, Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, and State Senator David Carlucci. After graduating with a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Pace University, he moved over to non-profits and began by working at the Legal Aid Society of Rockland County then six years at Meals on Wheels of Rockland. Now at Catholic Charities of Rockland County, Mr. Papas leads their efforts to work collaboratively with non-profits, business, and government to address the pressing needs of the Rockland community.
Secretary
Kristina Clark
Director, Upper NY Mission Central Hub (United Methodist Church)
State Member Representatives
Rev. Dr. Mario Augustave
Mr. Mario Augustave, a leader in every sense, is the current Director of Adventist Community Service and Disaster Response for the Northeastern Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, a position he has held since September 2019. His leadership journey began as the lead pastor of the Eden Seventh-day Adventist Church, a small Haitian congregation in New Rochelle, NY. There, Mario developed his love for service and passion for changing lives through community engagement. He is a graduate of Oakwood University and the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. In April 2021, Pastor Augustave received his PhD in Business Administration from Montemorelos Adventist University in Montemorelos, Mexico. Dr. Augustave is the founder of Voices for Haiti, a 501(c)3 organization that has been providing relief efforts in Haiti and quality education for thousands of children since 2002. Thousands of lives have been saved and improved in Haiti because of the work and ministry of Dr. Augustave and VFH. In 2010, He led several mission trips to Haiti immediately following the earthquake. His organization was among the first to arrive in Jamel, Haiti, a mid-sized city on the southern coast of Haiti that was almost totally demolished in the 2010 earthquake. In 2005, Habitat for Humanity and the Jimmy Carter Center for Freedom honored Dr. for his contribution to building over forty houses in Cabaret, Haiti. Since being appointed to the leadership of NEC-ACS, the Food Program has been reorganized and restructured. The number of Food pantries has more than doubled. A new senior program was organized, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, several agencies developed special projects pairing young people with seniors in various communities in NY and Massachusetts. His favorite text is Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hands find to do, do it with all your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going”.
Racine “Rae” Droz
Racine Lee Droz is the Director of Disaster Services at Feeding America. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration with a focus on Nonprofit Management from Marist College, an Advanced Certification in Emergency Management from John Jay College, and a BA in Crime, Law, and Justice from Penn State University. With 15 years at City Harvest, NYC’s largest food rescue organization, Racine served as Sr. Director of Operations and Disaster Response, where she managed a wide range of supply chain functions and disaster relief efforts. She played a key role in distributing over 1 billion pounds of food and led emergency responses for events like Hurricane Sandy, Hurricane Irma, and the 2018 government shutdown. Racine co-chairs NYCVOAD and is past secretary of the board of New York State VOAD. She has pioneered food distribution tracking systems and collaborates with city and government partners to enhance disaster response efficiency. At Feeding America, Racine will spearhead national disaster response strategies, manage resources, and advocate for food security, continuing her impactful work in disaster relief and food policy. Her contributions have been recognized with Crain’s New York Business Notable in Nonprofit and Philanthropy and Hunter College’s 40 Under 40: The Rising Stars in NYC Food Policy.
Rev. John Perez
Disaster Coordinator, Church of God in Christ – 1st Jurisdiction
COAD (Community/County Organization Active in Disaster) Chair Representatives
Vanessa Baird-Streeter
Chair, Long Island VOAD
Vanessa Baird-Streeter is the President and CEO of the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, a network of nonprofit agencies, individuals, and corporations working to find solutions to the issues and challenges affecting Long Island’s at-risk and vulnerable populations. Prior to her role with the Health & Welfare Council of Long Island, she spent more than a decade in Suffolk County government, most recently as deputy county executive, with oversight for a wide variety of county agencies, projects, and initiatives. She served as the Co-chair of the Suffolk County Police Reform and Reinvention Task Force, led the county’s MWBE (Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises)/SDVOB (Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses) Disparity Study aimed at providing the legal framework to establish MWBE/SDVOB requirements as part of the County’s procurement process. She also played a significant role in the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating hot spot testing sites in underserved and under resourced communities and ensuring equitable distribution of the vaccine. Ms. Baird-Streeter’s background includes her early career as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. She also served as director of the Ministry to Catholics of African Ancestry, director of communications for the Town of Babylon, and executive director and vice president of communications for the Long Island Power Authority. Ms. Baird-Streeter has a long history of community involvement and has received numerous awards for her philanthropic, business, and community-based work. She serves as the director of the Venettes Cultural Workshop Inc., a performing arts company that provides technical training and academic motivation through the arts. The organization awards each graduating senior post-secondary scholarships as well as provides scholarships for performing arts classes on the local, regional and nation level. Ms. Baird-Streeter graduated from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Education.
Belinda Hoad
Chair, Southern Tier-Finger Lakes COAD
Belinda Hoad is the Executive Director of the Institute for Human Services, Inc. (IHS) in Bath, NY, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening communities through communication, collaboration, and capacity building. With 29 years of nonprofit experience, she brings expertise in organizational leadership, human resources, finance, program development, grant management, emergency preparedness, and community partnerships. Belinda leads diverse programs and initiatives at IHS and serves as Chair of the Southern Tier-Finger Lakes COAD, fostering collaboration across nonprofit, government, healthcare, and community sectors across the Southern Tier of New York.
Government Partners
Bruce Pollock
NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
Mr. Pollock is a Program Administrator with New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services in the Recovery, Individual Assistance section and serves as the State Voluntary Agency Liaison (VAL). As the State VAL, Mr. Pollock works diligently to bolster collaboration between government agencies, community organizations, and non-profits by working alongside NYVOAD to build, sustain, and revitalize Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD) throughout the state. Mr. Pollock works in collaboration with local County Emergency Managers, local governmental agencies, and community partners to support COADs across New York State. Mr. Pollock’s background includes a brief period of service with the National Weather Service Guam in the summers of 2021 and 2022 as a member of the pathways program where he provided support during tropical storm Champi in 2021, as well as severe flooding events in 2022. Additionally, he spent time in academia assisting in research on tabletop exercises, wireless emergency alerts (WEAs), and communication barriers associated with extreme heat as well as communication struggles after the Buffalo Blizzard in 2022. Mr. Pollock holds a bachelor’s degree in meteorology and a master’s in emergency management with focuses on risk and crisis communication and is a thriving community member residing in Albany, NY.
Melissa Axley
NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES)
Ms. Axley is a Program Administrator 2 with the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (NYS DHSES) and previously worked for the State Office of Emergency Management for 7 years as a planning specialist. Prior to working with New York State, Ms. Axley worked in the private sector with James Lee Witt Associates as a planning specialist/client executive, responding to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010 as part of the long-term recovery team and with Hagerty Consulting as an emergency management consultant. Ms. Axley served as the case manager for the Imperial Sugar Relief Fund resulting from the 2008 explosion at the Imperial Sugar Refinery in Port Wentworth, GA. She spent 16 years with the American Red Cross in a variety of paid and volunteer roles in Tennessee, Indiana, and Georgia, deploying to multiple large-scale events beginning with Hurricane Frances in 2004, and including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Kentucky/Indiana Tornado outbreak in 2012 among other large-scale responses. Ms. Axley holds a B.A. in University Studies from Middle Tennessee State University and a M.S. in Emergency Management from Jacksonville State University and currently resides in Feura Bush, NY.
Lori Ross
FEMA VAL (Voluntary Agency Liaison), Region 2
Ms. Lori Ross serves as the Voluntary Agency Liaison for New York and New Jersey and has worked with FEMA Region 2 since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. In this role, she has led voluntary agency engagement across the region, helping secure millions of dollars in assistance for disaster survivors. Ms. Ross played an integral role in building robust Long-Term Recovery Groups in the U.S. Virgin Islands following Hurricanes Irma and Maria. She also helped lead the successful COVID-19 mobile vaccination effort there. Since joining FEMA, she has deployed to more than 75 response and recovery activations, serving as a VAL Group Supervisor and leading teams of Voluntary Agency Liaisons in support of disaster operations. Prior to joining FEMA, Ms. Ross worked in the private sector as an analyst for a global insurer and served in municipal government on the New Jersey shore. In those roles, she helped secure significant federal, state, private-sector, and philanthropic funding; supported the redevelopment of a distressed business district; and contributed to the revitalization of a residential area through infrastructure and housing improvements, including affordable housing development. Throughout her adult life, Ms. Ross has volunteered with nonprofit and community-based organizations. She remains deeply committed to whole community recovery and to supporting disaster survivors through strong partnerships and coordinated recovery efforts.