By JENNIFER SEEFELD
J Alumni news staff
Sean Powers
Assisting with emergency deliveries of humanitarian relief aid to Haiti and Chile after the devastating earthquakes in early 2010 was something UNL Journalism graduate Sean Powers didn’t expect when he took a job with WTDC, a supply chain management company in Miami, Fla. WTDC handles shipments to and from the Americas and is a US Customs bonded warehouse for clients such as Bacardi USA. Powers, WTDC’s Marketing Coordinator, never thought he would be taking calls from federal and philanthropic organizations wanting advice on how to get relief supplies overseas.
Within 72 hours of the first quake in Haiti, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the FFA (Federal Aviation Administration) called upon WTDC to serve as a hub in helping store and organize the transportation of major relief supplies. Generators, diesel fuel, trucks, food, water and a 40-foot mobile Air Traffic Control Center were just some of many FFA shipments to Haiti. Shortly after learning of the earthquake and in the days that followed, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) such as Save the Children called wanting to help in sending relief.
“The real story here is that there were a lot of people and organizations that worked together selflessly, stepping outside their normal comfort zone. It was my task to let our contacts know we were able to process their relief cargo,” Powers said about his personal involvement in the relief. “People put their regular business on hold to help handle the humanitarian aid efforts.”
“With the overwhelming interest in sending relief to Haiti, Government and NGOs were at the top of the airport’s priority landing list,” mentioned Powers. “It just wasn’t possible for anyone to send cargo because when it arrived there were no workers or infrastructure on the ground to process it. Closures at the port and along the road from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince further complicated the situation. “At the end of the day, our management team was able to lean on its contacts to not only find out who was in charge, but to actually get the cargo to its final destination,” stated Powers.
Long-term rebuilding efforts in Haiti are just beginning, requiring a constant movement of cargo and machinery. President and CEO of WTDC, Ralph L. Gazitua stated, “The rebuilding of Haiti will continue for years even after the publicity subsides. The strength of NGOs will not only facilitate the physical rebuilding of Haiti, but its spiritual rebuilding as well.”
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