Celebrating National Volunteer Month through Strategic Service and Leadership
When disaster strikes, the strength of a community often depends on the people who show up before, during, and long after the headlines fade. National Volunteer Month is an opportunity to recognize individuals who dedicate their time and expertise to strengthening their communities.
IEM Program Manager, Kirsten Raschko, is one of those people. Kirsten is a leader whose commitment to service extends beyond her professional role. She currently serves on the Colorado Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (COVOAD) Advisory Board, where she helps strengthen coordination and preparedness efforts across the Centennial State.
Established in early 2024, the COVOAD Advisory Board plays a critical role in guiding the organization’s growth and effectiveness, ensuring collaboration throughout the full emergency management cycle, from preparedness and response to long‑term recovery.
Serving on the Colorado VOAD Advisory Board is where Kirsten’s emergency management career meets her passion for community service. She draws on a rich background with the State of California and IEM to offer the Board extensive experience in sheltering, mass care, and humanitarian response. By contributing practical, field-tested perspectives, Kirsten helps ensure that the Board’s work on sustainability, surge capacity, and coordination strengthens Colorado’s disaster response framework.
Kristin’s Board work directly aligns with IEM’s mission to strengthen whole‑community preparedness and resilience, ensuring systems are ready when they matter most. Leveraging her experience working alongside state agencies and nonprofits, she translates complex government requirements into actionable solutions. These community‑centered strategies remain grounded in the daily realities faced by responders, volunteers, and survivors.
True resilience is built on a foundation of trust, experience, and collaboration. Because volunteer organizations are vital to disaster response and recovery, maintaining effective coordination between government, nonprofits, and the private sector is the only way to truly meet community needs. This unified approach ensures that support is available through every stage of a crisis.
During National Volunteer Month, we celebrate Kirsten’s leadership and commitment, alongside the countless hours of service volunteers across the emergency management field contribute. This collective dedication reinforces why volunteerism is a cornerstone of effective disaster management and embodies the very spirit of preparedness.
At IEM, we are proud to support employees who bring our mission to life through service. Their work reminds us that building resilient communities starts with showing up strategically, collaboratively, and with purpose.