David Coggins.
David Coggins, Florida Baptist Disaster Relief director, has accepted an invitation to join the program committee for the 40th annual Governor’s Hurricane Conference (GHC) to be held May 10-15, 2026, in West Palm Beach.
According to the GHC website, the conference was “established in order to provide a vehicle to present lessons learned and other important information about hurricanes to public and private officials, especially local emergency management professionals, and those involved in preparedness, planning, response and recovery at all levels of government, industry and private interests,” with first-line responders being the primary target audience.
More than 2,000 attendees are expected to attend the 2026 GHC, which includes general sessions, workshops, an exhibit hall and more, all designed to ensure best practices in hurricane preparedness and response efforts throughout the state. The GHC is considered to be the largest hurricane conference in the United States.
Those serving alongside Coggins on the program committee include, among others, county and state emergency management individuals as well as representatives from various relief agencies and the National Weather Service.
As a first-time member of the committee, Coggins said, “I am thankful for the invitation and opportunity to be part of the program committee for the GHC. I look forward to learning and working with the committee to make the 40th annual GHC a great success for the larger emergency management community across Florida and beyond.
“I think this invitation to be involved in the planning is a reflection of how our Florida Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers have continued to serve our state over the years with critical service at times of need. This is a great opportunity to represent our volunteers, other non-profits and especially the faith-based community.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE — This article originally appeared at the Florida Baptist Witness.)
