This CDS video on YouTube shows Judy Bezon at work in her role as associate director of Children’s Disaster Services.
Judy Bezon Braune has announced her retirement as associate director of Children’s Disaster Services (CDS) as of the end of the year. She has led CDS for five years, having started in the position in Sept. 2007.
She first came to love working with Children’s Disaster Service as a volunteer responding to hurricanes in Florida. A year later, she gave 51 days of service providing care to children affected by Hurricane Katrina, bringing a background as a retired school psychologist in New York State. In her work as associate director, she led CDS through challenging responses like the Joplin (Mo.) tornado, wildfires, hurricanes, an airplane crash, and most recently Hurricane Sandy.
Her passion for children and her knowledge of play therapy led to updates and improvements in the CDS volunteer training curriculum. Her expertise on children and trauma led to her participation in federal-level planning task forces with FEMA, the American Red Cross, NVOAD (National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster), and the National Commission on Children and Disasters.
She was married to David Braune in June. She often shares her appreciation for the community of compassion found at the Brethren Service Center and at Westminster (Md.) Church of the Brethren, where she attends.