Liz Swaine, Executive Assistant to Shreveport Mayor Keith Hightower, will be honored Thursday, June 22 at 10:30am at the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP), 1511 Doctor's Drive, Bossier City, for her efforts in assisting this North Louisiana community during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Swaine was named as a winner of the “2006 Dedication Award” presented by the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association at their annual awards banquet earlier this month. On Thursday, Caddo Bossier Homeland Security Director Sandy Davis will be presenting her with the award plaque.

Swaine was instrumental in overseeing Shreveport's role in the responses to the twin disasters in the fall of 2005, making the necessary connections with local government to “Make things happen.” In addition she coordinated the public information services of area agencies keeping the media and citizens informed of the dynamic and changing situation in Shreveport and Bossier City during this unprecedented disaster.

"Liz was invaluable to the city-parish response for the sheltering of thousands of our evacuated neighbors from the hurricane stricken areas” according to Davis. "She made herself available to assist the response community 24 hours a day; every day for more than six weeks helping coordinate with local, state, and federal governmental agencies, the American Red Cross and the Caddo-Bossier OHSEP. Liz certainly typifies the “Can Do Spirit” that makes our area so successful in addressing the issues of disaster management. She didn't put in the long hours expecting an award, but we certainly agree that she is deserving of it."