On Tuesday, May 6, 2008, New York University’s Center for Catastrophe Preparedness & Response (CCPR) and John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress will host a discussion on the cornerstone of federal disaster relief legislation, the Robert T. Stafford Act, and needed reforms. The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Rayburn House Office Building, House Judiciary Committee Room 2226, Washington, D.C.

The informative program will begin with a 45-minute panel and brief question-and-answer session. Immediately following this, a keynote address will be delivered by James Lee Witt, CEO of James Lee Witt Associates, a part of GlobalOptions Group, and former Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during the Clinton Administration.

Other participants include: Gerard Hoetner (Moderator), Executive Director, Public Entity Risk Institute; Donny Williams (Introduction), Staff Director, Senate Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery; Paul Light (Panelist), Paulette Goddard Professor of Public Service, Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at NYU; Mitchell Moss, (Panelist), Henry Hart Rice Professor of Urban Policy and Planning, Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service at NYU, Claire B. Rubin, (Panelist), President, Claire B. Rubin & Associates.

The general public - and media coverage - are invited.

Please RSVP to http://www.nyu.edu/brademas/programs.events/.