[DEC. 29, 2005]
SPRINGFIELD -- Illinois Emergency Management
Agency Director William C. Burke was recently elected to a two-year
term as board chairman of the Central United States Earthquake
Consortium, an eight-state organization that focuses on earthquake
preparedness.
Burke will preside at all meetings of the organization's board of
directors and provide general supervision and direction to all
officers and directors. Burke, who will assume the chairman's
position on Jan. 1, served as board vice chairman from 2003 to 2005.
"The risk of a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault is very
real and would have a profound effect on the southern part of
Illinois and in several of our neighboring states," Burke said. "We
continually work on elevating our level of preparedness for an
earthquake, and CUSEC provides us and our fellow member states with
invaluable support. I'm excited to have the opportunity to serve
this region as CUSEC board chairman."
The Central United States Earthquake Consortium is a partnership
of the federal government and the eight states most affected by
earthquakes in the central United States. Those states are Alabama,
Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and
Tennessee.
Established in 1983 with funding support from the Federal
Emergency Management Agency, the organization's primary mission is
the reduction of deaths, injuries, property damage and economic
losses resulting from earthquakes in the central United States.
While the consortium facilitates coordination among the states,
each state is responsible for implementing emergency management
functions in the event of an earthquake.
"Director Burke has been a positive addition to the CUSEC board,"
said Jim Wilkinson, executive director of the consortium. "His
vision for where the earthquake program should be heading has been
clearly demonstrated at the state level. As the newly appointed
board chairman, his strong leadership and guidance will serve the
board well as they work through many difficult regional planning
challenges created by the earthquake hazard in the central U.S."
