U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1999 National Community Involvement
Conference/Training
"EPA's Role In Community Involvement"

Welcome! Thank you for your interest in the second annual National EPA Community Involvement Conference. Our goal is to provide an opportunity for community involvement practitioners, managers, and policy-makers at EPA, and partners in federal, state, tribal and local agencies, to share their knowledge and expertise.

Our conference theme this year is “EPA’s Role in Community Involvement.” Presentations emphasize EPA’s broad scope of community involvement efforts and programs—from useful techniques and approaches to practical lessons learned in the field. You will hear three keynote presentations from experts on cultural diversity, communication and public policy. You also have an opportunity to join colleagues on three separate site tours to experience first hand the impact and benefits of EPA’s public participation initiatives. The agenda also features exceptional presentations from EPA, federal, state and tribal agency representatives, as well as public participation experts and community members. “Open Time” sessions provide a unique opportunity for networking or discussing “hot” topics.

Planning for this year’s conference was a collaborative effort comprised of EPA Headquarters and Regional staff. The Planning Committee was chaired by the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances and co-chaired by the Office of Emergency and Remedial Response.

The Planning Committee has worked hard over the past year to design a diverse educational program. The program aims to engage participants in a variety of learning and sharing environments with friends and colleagues. We hope this conference addresses the needs and interests of all attendees and permits an open exchange of information and ideas about community involvement and public participation.

Please take time to review this booklet, which contains everything you need to plan your conference time. It also includes information about our host city of Kansas City, Missouri. We hope you find the sessions educational and enjoy your time in Kansas City.

Heidi Paulsen and Joe Schechter Conference Chairs
Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

All About the Conference

The conference includes three plenary sessions with keynote speakers, 33 concurrent workshop/panel sessions, three field trips, and two open times for networking or discussing “hot” topics. The conference begins Tuesday, May 25, at 9:00 a.m. and concludes with a luncheon Thursday, May 27, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Optional training sessions immediately follow the general conference. These training sessions are scheduled from 1:30 p.m., Thursday, May 27, to 12:30 p.m., Friday, May 28. Detailed information about conference activities is available online:

• Conference agenda
• Information on keynote presentations
• Detailed session and training abstracts
• Hotel and travel information

Keynote Speakers
Each plenary session includes a keynote presentation. Detailed descriptions of these presentations are available online. Keynote presenters are:

• The Honorable Clarence Harmon, Mayor of St. Louis, MO, who will speak about “Collaborating with State and Federal Agencies to Meet Urban Environmental Challenges.”
• Daniel R. Wildcat, Haskell Indian Nations University, whose presentation focuses on “The Challenge of Involvement: Technology, Community, Culture, and Communication.”
• Ida Wiedel, of Personally and Professionally Speaking, plans to discuss “The Image Profile of an Effective Communicator: What’s Your PIC?”

Closing Plenary and Luncheon
The conference concludes with a closing plenary session and optional luncheon Thursday, May 27, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. During this closing session, participants will hear a keynote presentation from Ida Wiedel. The lunch is available for $16 per person. The hotel will sell tickets for the luncheon during the first two days of the conference. Ticket sales end at noon, Wednesday, May 26. If you have not done so already, please pre-register for the closing luncheon through the on-line registration form or by contacting Wendy Woodburn, with Environmental Management Support, Inc., at (301)589-5318 (email: wwoodbur@emsus.com). Note that all participants may attend the closing plenary session; however, only those who purchase a luncheon ticket from the hotel will be served a meal.

Field Trips; EPA Region 7
Three separate field trips are planned for participants to see first hand the results of community outreach efforts. A description of each field trip is provided in the session abstracts. Please pre-register for the field trips. Since space is limited, register early to ensure your participation. If space is still available, you may be able to register at the conference. The field trips are:

• Community Involvement and Brownfields: A Kansas City Site Tour (Wednesday, May 26, 8:30-11:45 a.m.). This tour is filled to capacity. A wait list has been established.
• Kansas City, MO and Surrounding Communities’ Household Hazardous Waste Program Building Tour (Wednesday, May 26, 3:00-5:00 p.m.)
• Hillsdale Lake Community-Based Environmental Protection: An On-the-Ground Learning Experience (Thursday, May 27, 1:30-5:30 p.m.)

Optional Training Sessions
Three optional training and skills development sessions are scheduled Thursday, May 27, from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. Two sessions continue on Friday, May 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A description of each training session is provided on pages 19-20. You must pre-register for the training sessions. Register early as each training session has limited seating. The three training sessions are:

• Crisis Communications (8 hours)
• Media Relations (4 hours)
• Public Involvement with a Cross-Cultural Focus (8 hours) CANCELLED

Open Time Sessions
The conference includes “Open Time” sessions for participants to discuss “hot” topics. The scheduled Open Time sessions do not conflict with other conference sessions. Topics for Open Time discussions will be determined during the plenary sessions on Tuesday, May 26 and Wednesday, May 27. During those plenary sessions, you may propose a discussion topic of interest or importance to you and ask others to join you to talk about the issue. Be prepared to explain the scope of the topic and to work with conference organizers to locate meeting space during scheduled Open Times. You will serve as “host” for the discussion. During your meeting, the group can determine the best way to structure the time and discussion. The meeting location and time for each Open Time discussion topic presented in the plenary sessions will be posted at the conference registration desk.

Poster Session
A large room has been reserved for the display of posters and exhibits. Space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you would like to reserve space to display an exhibit or poster, please contact Wendy Woodburn at (301)589-5318 (email: wwoodbur@emsus.com). The deadline for reserving space is Friday, May 14, 1999.

Networking and Social Activities
On the evening of Tuesday, May 25, EPA Region 7’s Office of External Programs is hosting a cash bar reception from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the hotel. On Wednesday evening, May 26, a group social activity is planned at 5:30 p.m. at “210 at Fedora,” a local restaurant. Lite dinner fare will be offered for $15 per person. Reservations are required by May 20, to Diane Huffman, EPA Region 7, at (913)551-7544 or by email at huffman.diane@epa.gov. Conference participants with reservations may pay for tickets at the conference registration desk.

Contact Information
Should you have questions about the agenda or other conference activities, please contact either Heidi Paulsen (email: paulsen.heidi@epa.gov), with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at (703)305-5251; or Tom Heim (email: theim@emsus.com) or Wendy Woodburn (email: wwoodbur@emsus.com), with Environmental Management Support, Inc. at (301)589-5318.