NEMA Mid-Year Policy & Leadership Forum

Friends –

We in NEMA invite you to join us at the 2013 Mid-Year Policy and Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. on March 18-21, 2013. More than ever, the key words to describe this gathering are “policy” and “leadership.” There will be many venues and opportunities to join the discussion, contribute to the understanding, and explore the possible outcomes on many policies.

Our forums reflect on recent events and disasters to better sustain and enhance preparedness for the future. There is an old expression that "talk is cheap." It may indeed be cheap but, without it, we cannot set a clear course of progress to improve the nation. There will be much talk at our forum and even more opinions. But these are good and healthy characteristics. Our world is not consistent and seldom follows the thirty year average. I think that our nation, our states, and our profession are facing increasing uncertainty and growing variability. Our forum will challenge our assumptions and embrace the complexity of the threats and hazards we face.

In our profession, we must be the ultimate generalists knowing something about everything and everything about some things. The NEMA forum is an opportunity to bring together seemingly unrelated issues and policies and to identify their interrelations. Our proposal to Congress and the Administration on homeland security grant reform is an excellent example. It stated our values, it recognized our responsibilities, and it offered a comprehensive and inclusive approach. I described that approach as flexibility with accountability.

At this forum, our agenda will weave together three very timely issues – EMAC (Emergency Management Assistance Compact), THIRA (threat hazard identification and risk assessment), and the private sector. Each committee meeting will examine these issues from their perspective and discuss how best to work with other committees to attain our milestones. Formal presentations will be rare and spirited conversations will be common.

We will host three workshops during the forum detailing issues regarding THIRA, the private sector, and the consequences of cyber-attacks. Each will be open to all attendees and will focus on a single issue of high importance to our profession. There will be no table or lectern separating experts from audience. Neither will there be presentations or scripts. There will be moderators to encourage open discussion and facilitators to keep our focus on the relevant issue.

I urge you to join us in examining these fundamental issues and contribute to our mutual understanding of the risks, consequences, and possible policy outcomes.

I believe that each of you – practitioner, entrepreneur, volunteer, or colleagues in fellow professions – stand to gain and to contribute to our common goals of protecting our nation, its people, and their vital interests.

Sincerely,

alt