Congressional Hurricane Maria Conference Agenda, Panelists, & Keynote Speaker Announced

September 18, 2018

Committee on Homeland Security

MEDIA ADVISORY

Congressional Hurricane Maria Conference Agenda, Panelists, & Keynote Speaker Announced

September 17, 2018 (WASHINGTON) – This Thursday, September 20^th, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security,

Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Ranking Member of the Committee on Small Business,

and Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ), Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources, will sponsor a Congressional conference on Hurricane Maria marking one year since the catastrophic storm made landfall on Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The conference will feature three expert panel presentations from non-governmental organizations, private sector organizations, and academia. The conference will be an opportunity to hear from experts on Hurricane Maria's impact, explore how the Federal government can improve its response and recovery efforts, and remember those who lost their lives in the storm.

Keynote Speaker:

Evelyn Lozada

Television Personality, Businesswoman and Founder of the Evelyn Lozada Foundation

Panel 1: Beyond Government: Resources Assisting Response Efforts

Tiffany Cross, Co-Founder & Managing Editor, The Beat DC (Moderator)
Kellie Bentz, Head of Global Disaster Response and Relief, Airbnb
Gina Adams, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, FedEx (TBD)
Angelique Sina, Co-Founder & President, Friends of Puerto Rico
Nate Mook, Executive Director, World Central Kitchen
José Calderón, President, Hispanic Federation

Panel 2: Helping Vulnerable Communities Weather the Storm

Gretchen Sierra-Zorita, MPA, Public Policy and Communications Strategist (Moderator)
Irwin Redlener, MD, Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University
Jeff Schlegelmilch, MPH, MBA, Deputy Director, National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University
Casey Harrity, MPA, Senior Director, Humanitarian Programs, Save the Children
Annelle Primm, MD, MPH, Chair and Convener, All Healers Mental Health Alliance
Marcie Roth, Chief Executive Officer, Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
Alejandra Y. Castillo, Esq., Chief Executive Officer, YWCA USA

Panel 3: Looking to the Future

Federico de Jesús, MA, Principal, FDJ Solutions (Moderator)
Enrique Fernández Toledo, Director, Puerto Rico Relief and Economic Policy, Center for American Progress
Barbara Lyons, PhD, Senior Vice President, The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
Diane Yentel, MS, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Low Income Housing Coalition
Carmen Orozco-Acosta, PhD, Senior Policy Advisor, US Domestic Program, Oxfam America
Alice Thomas, JD, Climate Displacement Program Manager, Refugees International

The Hurricane Maria Conference: Reflecting on Catastrophe and Preparing for the Future

Thursday, September 20, 2018

9:30am- 2:00pm

Capitol Visitor Center Room HVC-215
U.S. Capitol, Washington, DC

RSVP: E-mail CHSDemPress@mail.house.gov

Conference webpage for updated details and streaming info

Although Members will be sponsoring and hosting this event to inform stakeholders and the policymaking community, they will not be in Washington for the conference.

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Media contact:
(Thompson) Adam Comis at 202-225-9978
(Velázquez) Alex Haurek at 202-225-2361
(Grijalva) Adam Sarvana at 202-225-6065