Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium
The advent of this year's hurricane season and the recent
devastation of Greensburg, Kansas by a tornado remind Americans
that dealing with disasters is serious business. Following
the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the summer of 2005,
Washington justly received serious criticism for the shortfalls in
federal assistance. Too much attention, however, was given to
the role of government and too little to the efforts of those who
can and should make the biggest difference in ensuring that
communities can weather the critical first hours and days of a
crisis - people in the communities themselves. The greatest
advance America could make in preparing for catastrophic disasters
is building better community-based programs. Washington
should play a limited role, enabling and encouraging states and
communities to take the lead in empowering people to take care of
people during disasters. Join us as a panel of experts
discusses the proper roles of government and citizen's response
during disasters.
More About the Speakers
Keynote Remarks by:
The Honorable George W. Foresman
Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs,
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
With a Discussion featuring:
Matt Mayer
President and CEO,
Provisum Strategies LLC, and
former Counselor to the
Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security and
Head of the Office of Grants and Training
Leisha Pickering
Founder,
Helping Americans Needing Disaster Support (HANDS)