Mr. Crowley moderates a panel on the impact of Hurricane Katrina on the Gulf Coast, recovery and reconstruction efforts, and lessons learned since the disaster a year after the hurricane's landfall. The panel also addresses the role of the Department of Homeland security, effectiveness of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and potential improvements in federal emergency responses to disasters.
Co-authors Robert Block and Christopher Cooper also talk about their book Disaster: Hurricane Katrina and the Failure of Homeland Security, published by Times Books. In the book they provided details on the federal government's response to the greatest natural disaster in U.S. history. Following their remarks they answer questions from the audience.
Hurricane Katrina was the costliest and one of the deadliest hurricanes in the history of the United States. It was the sixth-strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded and the third-strongest landfalling U.S. hurricane ever recorded. Katrina formed in late August during the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season and devastated much of the north-central Gulf Coast of the United States. Katrina's sheer size devastated the Gulf Coast over 100 miles (160 km) away from its center.
Bio
Robert Block
Bobby Block covers the Department of Homeland Security for The Wall Street Journal and is a former foreign correspondent who has reported on terrorism and war from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Christopher Cooper
Chris Cooper is a former White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal who currently covers national politics. He is also a former political reporter at The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.
P.J. Crowley
Philip J. (P.J.) Crowley is a Senior Fellow and Director of National Defense and Homeland Security at the Center for American Progress.
During the Clinton administration, Crowley was Special Assistant to the President of the United States for National Security Affairs, serving as Senior Director of Public Affairs for the National Security Council. Prior to that, he was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs. In all, Crowley was a spokesman for the United States government and United States military for 28 years, 11 of those years at the Pentagon and three at the White House. He served for 26 years in the United States Air Force, retiring at the rank of colonel in September 1999. He is a veteran of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.
Prior to joining American Progress, he served as a national spokesman for the property/casualty insurance industry, focusing on strategic industry issues that included the impact of terrorism on commercial insurance in the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy and to the effect of asbestos litigation on the broader economy. A native of Massachusetts, P.J. is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.
Councilmember Oliver M. Thomas Jr.
Mr. Thomas began his career in public service in 1986, serving as a Legislative Aide to then District B Councilmember Jim Singleton. In 1990, he joined the Downtown Development District as Capital Projects Manager. Prior to his election, he served in management for the Southeast Louisiana Region of the C.J. Brown Property Management Company, Inc.
In 1994, Mr. Thomas was elected Councilmember for District B. Reelected in 1998, he is currently serving his second term.
Mr. Thomas has served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Dryades YMCA, Bridge House, Each One Save One, Kingsley House, Volunteers of America, and Touro Infirmary. He has been a member of the Adoption 2000 Initiative Task Force, the YMCA Educational Services Board of Managers, and the Junior League Advisory Board. In addition, he is past president of the New Orleans Home Mortgage Authority and past Vice-President of the Senior Companion Program for the Council on Aging.
For his civic and community efforts, Councilmember Thomas has received numerous honors, including the Legislator of the Year Award from the Alliance for Good Government, and the Jefferson Award for Community Service from WDSU-TV.