Iowa Floods, Business Steps Up
BENS-Fostered Partnership Helps Lead Response
For the third time in two years—after severe storms in Georgia last spring and the California wildfires last fall—a public-private partnership championed by BENS has proved critical in a real-life emergency. As massive floods inflicted upwards of three billion dollars in crop damage across Iowa and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate, the Safeguard Iowa Partnership (SIP)—a BENS-facilitated initiative—has played a vital role in the response and recovery.
Part of the Team – Even before the flooding began, the SIP helped state and local agencies locate private sector resources available for response efforts. SIP and BENS regional staff were deployed to major Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) to coordinate business outreach statewide and serve as a conduit between state and county EOCs and the business community. In addition, Iowa Governor Chet Culver incorporated SIP Executive Director Jami Haberl directly into his crisis management team as a means of maintaining direct access to the pulse of the business community.
Critical Relief – Drawing on the expertise and assets of over 60 member organizations who had previously volunteered to help in a crisis, the Safeguard Iowa Partnership assisted in securing products and services, including two pallets of packaged food, 760 items of new clothing, 20,000 zip ties, 100 five gallon buckets of cleaning supplies, and transportation for six truckloads of bottled water. In addition, when road closures and regulations threatened distribution schedules, Partnership staff worked directly with the Department of Transportation in the EOC to identify alternative routes in order to continue the movement of products.
“A New Way to Donate” – At the request of Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management officials, the Safeguard Iowa Partnership helped the state implement the new FEMA-endorsed Aidmatrix solution that Governor Chet Culver calls “a new way to donate” – an online link that quickly channels donations to relief organizations working on the ground. Interested in contributing products to help Iowa recover? For the BENS National portal on Aidmatrix, click here .
Lessons Learned, Planning Ahead – To harness the lessons of the response effort for future emergencies, the Partnership has assisted in coordinating “Back to Business” seminars, hosted by the local chambers of commerce, and has begun gathering lessons learned from the private sector that will be shared with government agencies for their after-action report. For the latest information on the disaster, go to the Safeguard Iowa Partnership website, www.safeguardiowa.org , or the Flood Resource Center, www.flood2008.iowa.gov .
BENS Works: Business Sense for National Security
Global Presence, Business Perspectives – Question: What does the U.S. State Department have in common with today’s global companies? Answer: The organizational challenge of training, deploying and then managing employees in far corners of world. How to meet that challenge was topic #1 at the BENS Washington, DC office June 17-18. The series of roundtable discussions offered U.S. State Department officials the opportunity to engage business colleagues in valuable and candid dialogue on remote training with an emphasis on methods of crisis management. The officials will do a follow-up site visit to a Cisco Systems training facility later this summer to complete the engagement.
The New Color of Money – Money laundering, fraud, and terrorist financing are just a few of the challenges facing corporations and government agencies due to the increasing use of electronic, prepaid Stored Value Cards (SVC). SVCs allow users to access and transfer funds anonymously and both their use and abuse are proliferating. Addressing this challenge—and exploring collaborative solutions—was the focus of a BENS-hosted roundtable with U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) in Washington, DC on June 26-27, which was attended by over 65 representatives from government, processors, retailers, issuers and information security specialists. The roundtable, a continuation of BENS’ recent engagements with SOCOM, served as a precursor to the Command’s next Global Synchronization Conference this fall. Contact Danielle Lindholm at (202) 296-2125 or dlindholm@bens.org
A Few (More) Good Men (and Women) – Less than 3 in 10 young Americans meet the academic, physical, and moral requirements for military service. At the request of General William Wallace, head of the Army Trading and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), BENS hosted a two-day event in Washington, DC on June 12-13 to address the immediate and long term national security implications of this troubling demographic reality. The conference, attended by 45 senior business, university, and military leaders, included a presentation by the Gallup Organization on the trends and attitudes of youth and offered participants a rare opportunity to engage with their counterparts and address a pressing national security issue in an open forum.
Business Force and Regional Partnership News
The Response Before the Storm – BENS representatives played a central role in a two-day mobilization of the Business Operations Center (BOC) in Atlanta. The exercise, HURREX 2008, simulated requests for emergency aid and assistance from multiple state agencies in response to a Category 4 hurricane. Praising the May 28-29 event, Georgia Emergency Management Agency Director Charley English said, “The BOC has done an exemplary job closing the gap between the private sector and state government. This is a shining example of good corporate citizenship.” For more information, contact Allison Cheatham at (404) 220-1135 or acheatham@bens.org
Civic Tour of Duty – The June 10-13 NORTHCOM Civic Leader Tour featured stops at military bases in Texas, Florida, and South Carolina and provided BENS Members first-hand experience of how North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command defend the nation. Participants traveled by military airlift, were briefed on key national security issues, and toured inspection and intelligence facilities. During the trip, Air Force General Victor Renuart, Commander of NORTHCOM and NORAD, offered his thoughts on the increasingly vital role of the private sector in national security. Members also met with several soldiers who recently returned home from Iraq – a powerful reminder of the service and sacrifices being made every day by American men and women in uniform.
Event Highlights and BENS Developments
Charlie Wilson’s Words – Speaking before the largest BENS luncheon in Texas to date, former Congressman Charlie Wilson dazzled 78 BENS members and guests with insights into his 1980s role championing U.S. support for the Afghan rebels who ultimately drove Soviet forces from Afghanistan. On June 16 in Dallas, the twelve-term representative from the Texas 2nd District discussed how the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberation of Eastern Europe from communism. In his remarks, BENS Member Bob Utley called Wilson a living, breathing example of what one man can do with courage, determination and a willingness to take risks.
Their Credentials Speak for Themselves – BENS is very pleased to welcome two new members to the Policy staff in Washington DC. Butch Hinton concluded a 37-year career in the Government Accountability Office (GAO), most recently as the Managing Director on defense issues. Susan Maybaumwisniewski, a retired Navy Captain and current PhD candidate, spent the past four years as a Professor of Acquisition at the National Defense University. Please join us in welcoming them aboard at hhinton@bens.org and smaybaumwisniewski@bens.org
Help Repair a PATRIOT Missile – Join BENS members on a tour of the Letterkenny Army Depot in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, July 29 - 30. Letterkenny is responsible for repair and servicing of a variety of military missile systems, including the PATRIOT Missile and its ground support and radar equipment. This unique opportunity will include a “hands on” tour of the facilities and a question and answer session. To reserve your spot, contact Reggie Gibbs at (202) 296-2125 or rgibbs@bens.org
Upcoming Events
- Atlanta – Lunch with Al Martinez-Fonts, Office of Public Private Partnerships, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, August 12. Contact Allison Cheatham at (404) 220-1135 or acheatham@bens.org
- Atlanta – Visit to the Port of Savannah, Georgia, October 17. Contact Allison Cheatham at (404) 220-1135 or acheatham@bens.org
- Dallas – Lunch with David Danelo, author of Blood Stripes: The Grunt's View of the War in Iraqand soon to be released The Border: Exploring the U.S.-Mexican Divide, July 29, 11:30, Crescent Club. Contact Matthew Elias at (214) 315-2576 or melias@bens.org
- Kansas City – Kansas City Royals Appreciation Event, August 2, 2008, 6:10, Royals Stadium. Contact Bill Lawson at (816) 842-1778 or wlawson@bens.org
- Kansas City – FEMA VII Pandemic Tabletop Exercise, August 20, 2008. Contact Bill Lawson at (816) 842-1778 or wlawson@bens.org
- New York – Private Sector Symposium, Keynote Speaker Mr. James Eberwine, July 14, New Jersey Institute of Technology. Contact Hank Straub at (609) 577-5373 or hstraub@bens.org
- San Francisco – Lunch with Matt Bettenhausen, Director, California Office of Homeland Security, July 22, 11:30, Intel Corporation Headquarters. Preceded by Bay Area Business Force Meeting at 9:00. Contact Kathy Denzer at (415) 690-6254 or kdenzer@bens.org
- San Francisco – Milt Bearden, former CIA office and author, August 5, 11:30, Exponent. Contact Kathy Denzer at 415-690-6254 or kdenzer@bens.org
- Washington DC – Lunch with Milt Bearden, former CIA officer and author, July 9, 12:00, Ronald Reagan Building. Contact Steve Ewell at (202) 296-2125 or sewell@bens.org
- Washington DC – Lunch with Mark Sullivan, Director, U.S. Secret Service, July 29, 11:30, Secret Service Headquarters. Contact Steve Ewell at (202) 296-2125 or sewell@bens.org
- Washington DC – Tour of Letterkenny Army Depot, July 29-30, Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Contact Reggie Gibbs at (202) 296-2125 or rgibbs@bens.org
- Washington DC – Air Force General Victor Renuart, Commander NORAD and US NORTHCOM, September 4, 8:00, Location TBD. Contact Steve Ewell at (202) 296-2125 or sewell@bens.org
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Interested in attending one of our regional events? See which events are in your area.
If you have any questions or comments, please contact Eric Meyers at (202) 296-2125 or emeyers@bens.org.
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