Chad Stover is the Deputy Branch Chief for Homeland Security and the State Citizen Corps Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management. He manages the agency’s community preparedness efforts through the Ready Arkansas program (www.Ready.Arkansas.gov). The Arkansas State Citizen Corps Program consists of 22 local Citizen Corps Councils (CCC) and 11 local Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT). These local groups help to promote preparedness activities throughout the state. Volunteers from local CCC’s and CERT’s respond to disasters in their communities and support first responders in managing the disaster. Volunteers are trained from a variety of sectors including high school and college students, factory workers, teachers and senior citizens. Mr. Stover’s volunteer activities include the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), where he held senior volunteer positions 1998-2008. He’s also worked with groups throughout Arkansas to increase community emergency preparedness. He speaks frequently at community meetings, churches and civic groups. Since 2008, he’s responded to 12 Presidentially Declared Federal Disasters working in emergency operations center, public affair, community relations, public assistance and disaster recovery centers.