WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Society of St. Vincent de Paul, a founding member of the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, announced today that it has officially launched the Disaster Services Corporation, SVDP-USA.

This new nonprofit corporation will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Council of the United States and will focus on long-term disaster recovery services in the United States. The International Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris, France deals with international disasters. The Society of St. Vincent de Paul began in the United States in 1845 in St. Louis, Missouri and has Councils in 150 countries on five continents.

“I am honored to be the inaugural chairman of the board of this new endeavor for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul,” said Ralph E. Hassel. Hassel is a long time Vincentian and a retired Lockheed Martin executive. He has been a Council president, regional vice president and a national board member for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

The CEO for the new corporation will be Elizabeth Disco-Shearer. Disco-Shearer is a noted national speaker on disaster recovery issues and has over 30 years of senior management experience in the higher education, business, non-governmental organization and government sectors. She has served the Society of St. Vincent de Paul as an executive director of the Dallas Council, as a regional director for the states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas and as the COO of the Disaster Services Division of the National Council of the United States.

“This is an exciting opportunity to model the charism of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul by providing quality programs and services to families and communities impacted by natural disasters across this great nation,” stated Disco-Shearer.

The Disaster Services Corporation will have offices in the Washington, D.C. and Dallas-Fort Worth metro areas.

Contact Information:
Brooke Newton
Deputy Director, Disaster Services Corporation, SVDP-USA
bnewton@svdpdisaster.org
tel:(502)528-1728