Contacts:
Beth LaGuardia, American Military University
703.396.6421, blaguardia@apus.edu

Carolyn Russell, Russell Public Relations
316.932.9000, news@russellpr.com

FEMA Director to Speak at AMU's Homeland Security Conference
‘Homeland Security: The Ripple Effect,’ Feb. 6-7, Washington, D.C., also features other national, state officials

CHARLES TOWN, WV, Jan. 10, 2007 —  American Military University (AMU) has announced that R. David Paulison, Under Secretary of Federal Emergency Management and Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will speak at its February homeland security conference.

“Homeland Security: The Ripple Effect” is one of the first-ever homeland security conferences to address the needs of smaller communities after a catastrophe. It is set for Feb. 6-7 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

AMU, was among the first to offer homeland security degrees, even before 9/11 attacks on U.S. soil. It remains one of the nation’s leading homeland security programs, recognized because of the depth and breadth of its curriculum.

Paulison will be part of a panel discussion regarding local, state and national cooperation. Other conference speakers include:

• U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the Committee on Homeland Security
• Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, commander of Joint Task Force Katrina
• Gary Hart, former senator and presidential candidate, now Wirth Chair Professor at the University of Colorado’s Graduate School of Public Affairs
• James Gilmore, former Virginia governor, chair of the Congressional Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction, now partner in the international law firm Kelley Drye and Warren
• James Spears, homeland security advisor and secretary of Military Affairs and Public Safety, state of West Virginia
  

Conference details

The homeland security conference tracks are: planning and preparation; training, education and awareness; and command, control and operations. Sessions include:

• Funding and resources
• Health care systems in outlying communities
• Transportation and mobility
• Training, education and public awareness
• Local government planning: ensuring continuity after disaster strikes
• Emergency preparation and response for special populations
• Food and water safety and emergency response
• Federal response: policy gaps

Online registration is available at the homeland security conference Web site, www.apus.edu/disaster. Registrants may also call Potomac Management Resources at 888.767.5561 or 703.683.5561.

Go to www.inhomelandsecurity.com for ongoing discussions regarding conference topics.