WASHINGTON – Then there were two republicans presidential candidates. Hopefully, there will be more.
United States Senator Mary L. Landrieu is hosting a “Hope & Recovery Summit” on Monday, August 27, 2007, to commemorate the second anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the devastating flooding that followed. The summit will feature recovery-related panel discussions followed by a question and answer session and remarks with Presidential candidates, including Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and now two Republican Presidential Candidates are added to the fold. Former Governor Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., and Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-Calif will be appearing at this very special event. Every Democratic and Republican Presidential candidate was invited to participate, and others may join the Presidential Forum.
“I am so pleased that four candidates for President, both Democrats and Republicans, have joined us for the Hope & Recovery Summit,” Sen. Landrieu said. “Hurricane recovery is a critical issue of the 2008 Presidential election, and it is reassuring that some of the leading candidates will fight to ensure that our region remains a national priority.”
“As the second anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita approaches, we are reminded of the significant challenges that lie ahead for our recovery,” Sen. Landrieu said. “The next President will bear significant responsibility for the Gulf Coast’s ongoing recovery, and this forum will give Louisianians and the rest of the country an opportunity to hear the candidates’ approaches for reforming our national emergency preparedness and facilitating our continued recovery.”
“Two years ago, a natural disaster became a national disgrace,” Senator Clinton said. “Rebuilding this city is not a New Orleans obligation or a Louisiana obligation. It is an American obligation. And the time for action with real measurable results is right now. I look forward to joining my friend Senator Landrieu at this forum to discuss how the federal government can finally do its part to help New Orleans’ recovery.”
“We are not the country of the Superdome in New Orleans after Katrina,” Sen. Edwards said. “We can do better. We have a moral responsibility to get New Orleans back on its feet. I applaud Senator Landrieu for organizing this forum and bringing New Orleans the national attention it needs and deserves.”
“Two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, my heart still goes out to the 75,000 tired and frightened evacuees who sought refuge in Arkansas – and to all American families who were directly or indirectly impacted by this disaster,” Gov. Huckabee said. “As Arkansans embraced our neighbors from the Gulf Coast, we soon learned that there was not a lack of concern or compassion, but rather of command and control. This forum is a great way to continue the dialogue on improving our emergency preparedness and enhancing communication between state and federal agencies. I applaud Sen. Landrieu for her leadership in organizing this important platform for discussion.”
“America is a great nation, not because of what government does for people but because of what free people do for themselves,” Congressman Hunter said. “The rebuilding of New Orleans is an opportunity for many to become more productive than they have ever been. Rebuilding should allow many to move from the welfare rolls to the employment rolls. Many rush to characterize New Orleans residents as long-term victims. I reject that characterization. Instead, in the recovery, I see the opportunity for a newer more energetic New Orleans with citizens building a better life than before.”
The all-day summit will include five panel discussions with national and local leaders on key issues related to hurricane recovery and preparedness: Coastal Protection, Levees and Infrastructure; Education; Business Recovery; Rebuilding the Criminal Justice System; and Housing and Sustainable Community Recovery.
“The intent is not to revisit old debates over fault and failure in the days and months after the hurricanes – that is a road well tread,” Sen. Landrieu said. “This summit is a forum for fresh ideas and new paths forward for a great city and region.”
The schedule for the “Hope & Recovery Summit” is below but is subject to change as the event approaches.
Your coverage is invited.
What: “Hope & Recovery Summit”
When: August 27, 2007
8:45 am. CDT
Where: University of New Orleans
Lindy C. Boggs International Conference Center Auditorium
2045 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans, LA 70122
Schedule:
8:45 am. – University of New Orleans Chancellor Dr. Timothy Ryan introduces Sen. Landrieu
8:50 am. – Sen. Landrieu delivers opening remarks
9:00 am. – Panel #1: Coastal Restoration, Levees and Infrastructure
Panelists (subject to change):
· J. Richard Capka, Administrator of Federal Highways, U.S. Department of Transportation
· Brigadier General Robert Crear, Commander, Mississippi Valley Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
· Mark Davis, Senior Research Fellow and Director of the Institute on Water Resources, Law and Policy, Tulane University Law School
· Carlton Dufrechou, Executive Director of the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation
· Randy Hanchey, Deputy Secretary, Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Team Leader, Integrated Planning Team for the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority State Master Plan.
· Jerome Ringo, Chair, National Wildlife Federation
· Randy Roach, Mayor, City of Lake Charles
· Jerome Zeringue, Executive Director of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District
10:00 am. – Break
10:15 am. – Presidential Leadership Forum: Q & A/Remarks: Governor Huckabee
10:45 am. – Break
11:00 am. – Panel #2: Education
K-12 Panelists (subject to change):
· Matt Candler, CEO, New Schools for New Orleans
· Linda Johnson, President, Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
· Hudson La Force III, Senior Counselor to the U.S. Secretary of Education
· Dr. James Meza, Dean of the College of Education, University of New Orleans
· Paul Pastorek, Louisiana Superintendent of Education
· Paul Vallas, Recovery School District Superintendent
· Doris Voitier, St. Bernard Parish Schools Superintendent
Higher Education Panelists (subject to change):
· Scott Cowen, President, Tulane University
· Dr. Norman Francis, President, Xavier University / LRA Chairman
· Dr. Timothy Ryan, Chancellor, University of New Orleans
· Dr. Joseph Savoie, Louisiana Commissioner of Higher Education
· Dr. Victor Ukpolo, Chancellor, Southern University at New Orleans
12:20 pm. – Lunch Break
1:15 pm. – Remarks by the Honorable Steven Preston, Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration
1:30 pm. – Panel #3: Business Recovery
Panelists (subject to change):
· Harry Alford, President & CEO, National Black Chamber of Commerce
· Ernest Broussard, Executive Director of Planning & Development, Cameron Parish Recovery (AICP/CECD)
· Eugene Cornelius, Louisiana District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration
· Mark Drennen, President & CEO, Greater New Orleans, Inc.
· Darlene Kattan, Executive Director, Louisiana Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
· Andy Kopplin, Executive Director, Louisiana Recovery Authority
· Ronald N. Langston, National Director, Minority Business Development Agency
· Tina Nguyen Owen, Chairperson, Asian Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana
2:30 pm. – Break
2:45 pm. – Panel #4: Rebuilding the Criminal Justice System
Panelists (subject to change):
· James Carter, New Orleans City Council
· Terry Ebbert, Director of Emergency Preparedness, City of New Orleans
· Ruthie Frierson, Founder and Chairperson, Citizens for One Greater New Orleans
· Catherine D. “Kitty” Kimball, Associate Justice, Louisiana Supreme Court
· Jim Letten, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana
· Mike Ranatza, Executive Director, Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement and Administration of Criminal Justice
· Warren Riley, Chief, New Orleans Police Department
· Bob Stellingworth, Executive Director, New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation
3:45 pm. – Break
4:00 pm. – Panel #5: Housing Recovery and Sustainable Community Development
Housing Recovery Panelists (subject to change):
- C. Donald Babers, Deputy Regional Director for Region VI, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
- Ken Bacon, Executive Vice President, Fannie Mae
- Milton Bailey, President, Louisiana Housing Finance Authority (LHFA)
- Ralph Boyd, Chairman, Freddie Mac Foundation
- James R. Kelly, CEO of Catholic Charities and Providence Community Housing
- Mtumishi St. Julien, President, The Finance Authority of New Orleans
- Reverend Marshall Truehill, Senior Pastor, First United Baptist Church
Sustainable Community Development Panelists (subject to change):
- Major General Hunt Downer, Assistant Adjutant General, Louisiana National Guard
- Melissa Flournoy, President and CEO, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations
- Jeff Hebert, Director of Community Planning, Louisiana Recovery Authority
- Sean Reilly, Louisiana Speaks Champion; President of Lamar Advertising
- Elizabeth “Boo” Thomas, President and CEO, Center for Planning Excellence
5:20 pm. – Break
Presidential Leadership Forum
6:30 pm. – Q & A/Remarks: Senator Edwards
7:00 pm. – Q & A/Remarks: Senator Clinton
7:30 pm. – Q & A/Remarks: Congressman Hunter
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