July 28, 2006

Tennessee Experts in the Spotlight at National Legislative Meeting

NASHVILLE—Founder of Memphis-based FedEx Corporation Frederick W. Smith will talk about success in the small world his company helped create. Tennessee legislators Mark Maddox and Roy Herron will demystify the art of joke-telling. University presidents from Knoxville, Memphis and Murfreesboro will look into the future of higher education. And former Tennessee Titans running back Eddie George will kick of a Walk for Wellness.

These are just a few of the dozens of local speakers who will share their knowledge and expertise with state legislators and legislative staff from across the nation at the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2006 Strong States, Strong Nation Annual Meeting, August 15-18 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.

Below is a list of more scientists, professors, government officials, legislators, legislative staff and others from Tennessee who will speak on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of the conference.

Monday, August 14, 2006 (Pre-conference seminars)

Making Racial Equity in Child Welfare a Policy Priority
1:45 pm - 2:45 pm, Hermitage D

Dr. Viola Miller, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Children's Services in Nashville
Tennessee House Speaker Pro Tempore Lois DeBerry

Critical Health Topics: Lessons from Tennessee
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm, Bayou E

David Hollis, M.D, Chief Medical Officer at XLHealth Tennessee, LLC in Brentwood
Susan Cooper, Tennessee Governor's Office in Nashville

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Attracting Students to Math and Science
7:30 am - 8:15 am, Delta Island Boardroom

Saeed Foroudastan, Associate Dean at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro

The Global Edge: Economic Success in a Competitive World
8:15 am - 10:00 am, Delta Ballroom A

U.S. Representative John Tanner, of Union City
Fredrick W. Smith, Chairman of the Board FedEx Corporation in Memphis
Matthew Kisber, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in Nashville (Moderator)

Supreme Court Roundup
10:15 am - 11:45 am, Bayou A/B

Suzanna Sherry, Cal Turner Professor of Law and Leadership at Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville.

Workforce Investment Act: Reauthorization, Funding and the Future
10:15 am - 11:15 am, Governor's Ballroom D

Windie Wilson, Assistant Director of Workforce Connections in Knoxville

Solving Traffic Congestion
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Governor's Ballroom B

Ed Cole, Chief of the Bureau of Environment and Planning of the Tennessee Department of Transportation

Farm Bill Session: Key Players in the Farm Bill
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Canal E

Gary Adams, Vice President of Economics and Policy Analysis at the National Cotton Council in Memphis

Are We Meeting the Needs of the Legislature?
1:30 pm - 3:15 pm, Jackson C/D

Tennessee Senator Roy Herron

Hiring Guide for Legislators and Staff
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm, Lincoln D/E

Connie Frederick, Director of Administration for the Tennessee General Assembly

Treating Drug Offenders: Outcomes and Evidence
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Bayou A/B

Patricia Dishman, Director of the Office of Criminal Justice Programs in Nashville

Legislative Documents as Public Records: Why? Why Not?
3:15 pm - 5:15 pm, Tennessee Ballroom D

Janet Kleinfelter, Senior Counsel of the Financial Division of the Attorney General's Office in Nashville

The ABCs of K-12 Education Funding
3:30 pm - 5:15 pm, Jackson C/D

John Morgan, Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury

Data Driven Decision Making: Using Data to Inform Policymakers and School Leaders
3:45 pm - 5:00 pm, Canal A

Mary Reel, Tennessee Department of Education

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Walk for Wellness
6:30 am - 8:00 am. Buses will depart from the Presidential Portico of the Gaylord Opryland.

Eddie George, former Tennessee Titans running back

Land Use and Transportation Issues
10:15 - 11:30 a.m., Governor's Ballroom B

Ken Belliveau, Senior Research Associate at the Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernment Relations in Nashville

Can Information Technology Save Our Health Care System?
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm in Jackson A/B

Mark Frisse, MD, MBA, MSc, Director of the Regional Informatics Programs and Vanderbilt Center for Better Health

Changing the Odds for Youth
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, Governor's Ballroom D

Tennessee Senator Jamie Woodson

Higher Education on the Edge
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, Tennessee Ballroom A

John D. Petersen, President of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville
Shirley Raines, President of the University of Memphis
Sidney McPhee, President of Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro

Music City Muse: Looking at the Business of the Arts
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, Lincoln A

Steven Tepper, Associate Director of the Curb Center for Art, Enterprise and Public Policy in Nashville
Ralph Schulz, President and CEO of Adventure Science Center, and former chairman of the Convention and Visitors Bureau in Nashville

Stamping Out Disease: A Look at the Leading Causes of Death in Women
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm, Jackson F

Kathy Kastan, President of WomenHeart in Cordova

Secure: Are You Sure?
2:45 pm - 4:15 pm, Lincoln D/E

Bryant Tow, Director and Vice President of InfraGard National Members Alliance in Franklin

The Future of State Budgets
2:45 pm - 4:15 pm, Tennessee Ballroom A

Bill Fox, Professor of Economics at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville

Will Tiny Technology Drive the Next Industrial Revolution?
2:45 pm - 4:15 pm, Governor's Ballroom D

James Roberto, Deputy Director for Science and Technology at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Capturing DNA's Crime Potential
8:15 am - 9:45 am, Governor's Ballroom D

Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Ronald Ramsey

Politics, Humor and Tall Tales
8:15 am - 9:45 am, Jackson C/D

Tennessee Representative Mark Maddox
Tennessee Senator Roy Herron

Immunizations: What's New? Who Gets Them? Who Pays?
8:15 am - 9:45 am, Bayou A

William Schaffner, MD, Professor and Chair of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville

Is There a Wordsmith in the House (or Senate)?
2:15 pm - 4:00 pm, Presidential Ballroom C/E

John Geer, Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville

Friday, August 18, 2006

ABCs of Emergency Preparedness: Avian Flu, Bioterrorism and other Calamities
10:15 am - 12:15 pm, Delta Ballroom D

Ron Wilson, State Veterinarian at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture in Nashville

Experts from all over the nation will speak at the Annual Meeting. Historian and author Doris Kearns Goodwin will address legislators and staff on Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8:30 a.m. Chief economist at Standard & Poor's David Wyss will discuss the economy on Thursday, Aug. 17 at 2:45 p.m. Communicator Frank Luntz and pollster Peter Hart will preview upcoming elections on Friday, Aug. 18 at 8:30 a.m.

Credentialed journalists can attend NCSL’s Annual Meeting for free, but they must register. (Go to the "Register Now" button in the lower middle of the page.)

NCSL is the bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staff of the states, commonwealths and territories. It provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues and is an effective and respected advocate for the interests of the states in the American federal system.

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Contacts

Bill Wyatt
Director of Media Relations
Washington, D.C.
202-624-8667

Nicole Casal Moore
Public Affairs Manager
Denver
303-364-7700

To reach us in Nashville during Annual Meeting Aug. 14-18, call the press room at 615-458-0831.

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