Avagene was known as the “rock star of Emergency Management” among her colleagues. She was responsible for strengthening the program both in the United States and abroad.
Avagene Nelson grew up in Lawrenceburg, TN with her future husband, Jimmy, a close neighbor. She was the oldest of two children; she had a brother, Charles (1940-2022). She was an excellent student and graduated from high school a year early.
After marrying Jimmy, she had three children and soon ventured into the working world as Lawrenceburg’s Civil Defense director, before it was called Emergency Management. She was always active in her children’s lives, from girl scout meetings, transportation to airports, and piano lessons. Unlike her husband, she remained in Lawrenceburg for most of her life, other than traveling for her national and international engagements with Emergency Management.
She served as the President of IAEM and NCCEM as well as EIIP, all at different levels of Emergency Management. Overall, she worked more than 35 years in the field as a CEM, consultant, collaborator, and mentor. In 2011, she was inducted into the International Women in Homeland Security and Emergency Management Hall of Fame.
She was also a talented seamstress and an unstoppable Do-It-Yourself wizard with a unique artistic sense.
Friends and neighbors could count on Avagene to help when they were sick or in need. She always remembered birthdays and took the time to write cards and letters. Parties and gatherings she arranged were always a hit with guests.
Avagene was Jimmy’s editor and proofreader for his contributions to the local newspaper and other written works as well as being a writer herself. To the best of this writer’s knowledge, the only things Avagene couldn’t do well were to differentiate between major and minor chords when listening to music and making biscuits.
If you didn’t know her, you missed out on knowing an amazing human being.
