Americares Announces New Emergency Programs Directors

Kristin Stevens Brian Scheel Adam Keehn

Stamford, Conn. – June 18, 2018 – Americares, the health-focused relief and development organization, today announced three new additions to its Emergency Programs team to support the nonprofit’s growing disaster preparedness, response and recovery portfolio. Kristin Stevens joins Americares as Director of Preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction, Brian Scheel joins as Director of Emergency Response and Adam Keehn joins as Director of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies.

“We’re excited to be adding three industry veterans to our Emergency Programs team,” said Americares Vice President of Emergency Programs Kate Dischino. “Kristin, Brian and Adam are leaders in the humanitarian aid sector and will be instrumental in further developing Americares comprehensive emergency programs in the U.S. and around the world.”

As Director of Preparedness and Disaster Risk Reduction, Kristin Stevens will be responsible for implementing programs that provide health centers with the tools to better prepare for future emergencies and continue to operate despite power outages, facility damage and other obstacles. Prior to joining Americares, Stevens, of New York City, served as principal and founder of Stevens Research & Consulting where she provided consulting services in emergency management, health security, disaster risk reduction and business continuity. Kristin also served as Director of Emergency Management for NYU Langone Medical Center where she oversaw the emergency management program for three hospitals and the NYU School of Medicine.

As Director of Emergency Response, Brian Scheel will lead responses to sudden disasters including earthquakes, floods, hurricanes and outbreaks worldwide. In his new role, Scheel will be responsible for coordinating large-scale deliveries of medicines and supplies, deploying and managing emergency response field teams and restoring health services for disaster-affected communities. Scheel, a Ridgefield, Conn., resident, brings to Americares more than a decade of experience in the humanitarian sector. He comes to Americares from Heart to Heart International, where he was on the frontlines of dozens of emergencies, including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the United States.

As Director of Complex Humanitarian Emergencies Adam Keehn is tasked with leading Americares responses to disease outbreaks, famines, civil conflicts and international crises. He is responsible for deploying emergency response teams into the field, coordinating large-scale deliveries of critical medicine and relief supplies to disaster areas and implementing recovery programs that meet survivors’ long-term health needs. Keehn, a Norwalk, Conn., resident, brings to Americares more than 25 years of experience in the humanitarian field. Prior to joining Americares Keehn spent much of his career with Save the Children, most recently serving as their Hurricane Irma Team Leader where he oversaw all aspects of the nonprofit’s response to that disaster. While at Save the Children, Keehn also held the positions of Country Director in Ethiopia, Mali and Burkina Faso, Interim Program Director for Southern Africa, and Program Development and Quality Director in Liberia.

Americares has professional relief workers ready to respond to disasters at a moment’s notice and stocks emergency medicine and supplies in its warehouses in the U.S., Europe and India that can be delivered quickly in times of crisis. The organization responds to an average of 30 natural disasters and humanitarian crises worldwide each year, establishes long-term recovery projects and brings disaster preparedness programs to vulnerable communities.