EPISODE · Feb 24, 2026 · 31 MIN
MDS Podcast Episode #3 - Tom Smucker (Former Executive Director of MDS)
from Mennonite Disaster Service · host MDS Podcasts
On November 18, 2024, Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Tom Smucker of Sterling, Ohio, former Executive Director of Mennonite Disaster Service, to reflect on a lifetime of responding to disaster.Tom shares how he first became involved with MDS in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, drawing from his background in construction and farming. He recounts the early days of MDS, its history and separation from MCC, and what it feels like to witness a disaster for the first time. From the overwhelming sight and even the smells of destruction, to the challenges of arriving early in a response, Tom offers honest insight shaped by decades of leadership.The conversation also explores how MDS, and disaster response as a whole, has grown and changed over the years, and the importance of collaboration with other organizations doing meaningful work.Join us as we listen, learn, and give thanks for Tom Smucker’s faithful years of service with MDS.
What this episode covers
On November 18, 2024, Gloria Nussbaum sits down with Tom Smucker of Sterling, Ohio, former Executive Director of Mennonite Disaster Service, to reflect on a lifetime of responding to disaster.Tom shares how he first became involved with MDS in 1992 following Hurricane Andrew, drawing from his background in construction and farming. He recounts the early days of MDS, its history and separation from MCC, and what it feels like to witness a disaster for the first time. From the overwhelming sight and even the smells of destruction, to the challenges of arriving early in a response, Tom offers honest insight shaped by decades of leadership.The conversation also explores how MDS, and disaster response as a whole, has grown and changed over the years, and the importance of collaboration with other organizations doing meaningful work.Join us as we listen, learn, and give thanks for Tom Smucker’s faithful years of service with MDS.
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MDS Podcast Episode #3 - Tom Smucker (Former Executive Director of MDS)
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