County names new EMA director

Jeremy Nash news-herald.net

Kelli Branam has a knack for helping the community in times of need.

Branam has worked in emergency response for 23 years dating back to her initial time as a volunteer for Loudon County Fire and Rescue.

“I just like to help people,” Branam said. “I like to try to make things better.”

That passion carried over to Loudon County Emergency Management Agency in 1997 where she served as administrative assistant until she officially became EMA director after Daryl Smith retired. Smith’s last day was May 31 after nearly 10 years.

“Kelli has been a real asset and very valuable to Loudon County for all the years that I’ve worked with her, about 10 years that we worked together,” Smith said. “I have found Kelli to be very astute to all of the processes. One of her strengths in particular is that she is extremely familiar with all the (Tennessee Emergency Management Agency) regulations, the TEMA forms and processes that are required of us and every agency in each county, for us to be able to keep our grants in order that are pass-through grants from TEMA from the state of Tennessee as well as grants that come from Homeland Security also through TEMA to each community. Kelli is very good at those things.

“... Everyone knows Kelli,” he added. “They know her strengths, and she provides that continuity that everyone needs when there is a change at the helm in an office.”

Continuity is why Loudon County Mayor Rollen “Buddy” Bradshaw initially asked if Branam wanted the new role.

“She knows the job in and out and sideways, forwards and backwards, and she’s always done a great job,” Bradshaw said. “I just think she was just a natural selection to take it over. She thought about it for a day and then let me know that she wanted it. I was pleased to see her take the position and I just think she’s going to excel.”

Bradshaw has plans to fill Branam’s old position with Loudon County Americans with Disabilities Actor Coordinator Kim Yager.

Branam believes she is ready for the new role thanks to the years of preparation with Smith. She credits Smith for pushing her out of her “comfort zone.”

“Well, with the last 10 years with Daryl being the director, he always involved me in everything that was going on, every step, and so that has kind of prepared me for what I’ll be doing now,” she said. “If there was a meeting, we were both there and we were both active.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven a challenge.

“We just do what we do to try to make sure everybody is taken care of, and that’s another thing, EMA is a liaison for all the other emergency response departments,” Branam said. “If they’re needing (personal protective equipment), then they can contact me and I can request that through the state. It’s just trying to make sure everybody has what they need to do their job and service the citizens.”

She hopes to focus on a hazard mitigation plan for the county, which has been needed but was delayed.

“Areas that would be, again during severe weather, places that repeatedly flood or there’s repeated — how to go back, how to get money to mitigate and change that. I mean it’s just to make it better,” Branam said.

She said there will be more projects to tackle in the future, but for now she wants to focus on a smooth transition.

“Helping the citizens,” Branam said of why she is in EMA. “Just being able to make sure, especially like severe weather for example. If there’s any public assistance or individual assistance that the cities would be able to recoup their money.”