Witt, Clark, Slater Team for Public Safety and Homeland
Security
Former NATO Commander, Transportation Secretary & FEMA Director Provide
Wealth of Expertise to Public and Private Sectors
WASHINGTON, Sep 23, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- James Lee Witt, former
director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and chairman of
James Lee Witt Associates, LLC (JLWA), announced today that General Wesley
K. Clark (ret.) and former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney E. Slater
have joined the firm as vice chairs and senior advisors. General Clark will
focus on domestic and international security. Secretary Slater will lead the
firm on issues regarding transportation and critical infrastructure.
General Wesley K. Clark, one of the nation's most distinguished retired
military officers, was Supreme Allied Commander, Europe and
Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. European Command. He has served as
Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Southern Command, as one of the principle
negotiators of the Dayton Peace Accords and as Director of Policy and
Planning for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A former candidate for President of
the United States, General Clark is also an investment banker, author, and
public commentator. He is Chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark and
Associates, LLC a strategic advisory and consulting firm based in Little
Rock, Arkansas.
Secretary Slater, who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation during the
Clinton Administration, championed and received bipartisan congressional
support for the passage of several historic legislative initiatives,
including those which provided a record $200 billion for surface
transportation and a record $46 billion to improve the safety and security
of our nation's aviation system. Slater provided his expertise to countries
around the world focusing on safety and security issues for improving global
transportation and critical infrastructure. Secretary Slater is a partner
with the premier public policy law firm Patton Boggs LLP, helping to promote
a more secure, environmentally sound, and sustainable global transportation
infrastructure. Patton Boggs is headquartered in Washington, DC, with
offices in Northern Virginia, Anchorage, Dallas, Denver and Doha, Qatar.
James Lee Witt Associates, founded in 2001, following Witt's eight-year
tenure as Director of the Federal Emergency Management, is headquartered in
Washington, DC, with offices in Atlanta, Chicago and Sacramento and opening
soon in Little Rock, Arkansas. The firm provides development, analysis and
review of national security issues, crisis management and emergency plans,
after action investigations and reports, as well as response, recovery,
preparation and mitigation consulting on natural and man made disasters and
potential hazards. The practice areas include: disaster resistant
universities, agriculture and food security, crisis communications, criminal
justice, telecom interoperability and homeland security.
"Combining Wes' expertise in geopolitical strategy, security and corporate
situational analysis with Rodney's expertise in the full spectrum of global
transportation and critical infrastructure concerns, with the business I
have built in public safety and security, will provide unparalleled
strategic counsel to help clients grow and prosper in a world of uncertainty
and potential danger, both at home and abroad," said Witt.
"James Lee Witt and Rodney Slater are proven leaders in public safety,
crisis management and global transportation issues. Our combined experience
is a force-multiplier for people seeking to gain an advantage in public
safety, national security, transportation and critical infrastructure
protection," said Clark.
"Public service has always been at the heart of what James Lee, Wes and I
have done," said Slater. "That spirit will continue in everything we do. We
will always have our country's interests in mind as we develop our business.
This is a powerful team and one that I am proud to be a part of," added
Slater.
While all three will work together, each will continue his own individual
business interests.
General Clark will continue to operate Wesley K. Clark Associates, LLC
dealing with specific business matters.
Secretary Slater will remain a partner at Patton Boggs LLP.
Mr. Witt will continue his work as President and Chief Executive Officer of
the International Code Council.
Editors Notes:
* Biographies of Mr. Witt, General Clark and Secretary Slater are
below.
* Clients of James Lee Witt Associates, LLC include:
Pepco Holdings Inc., the utility covering much of the eastern seaboard,
for which JLWA conducted an after action review of the utility's
response and community relations following Hurricane Isabel.
Recommendations from the Witt Report are now being implemented.
Nextel, for which JLWA conducts interoperability studies and seminars
across the nation.
University of California system and New York University, among other
universities, for which JLWA is helping create disaster resistant
campuses.
The states of New York and Illinois, for which JLWA conducted thorough
reviews of emergency plans for the Indian Point nuclear power plant and
a review of city, county and state actions prior to and during a fatal
fire at the Cook County Administration Building.
A complete list of JLWA clients can be found at
http://www.wittassociates.com
Biography of James Lee Witt
James Lee Witt is currently President and Chairman of James Lee Witt
Associates, LLC providing disaster recovery and mitigation management
services to state and local governments, educational institutions, the
international community and corporations.
In 2003, Mr. Witt became the Chief Executive Officer of the International
Code Council (ICC), a 50,000-member association dedicated to building
safety, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial
buildings, including homes and schools. Through its founders, the ICC has
more than 190 years of collective experience developing building safety
codes that save lives. The majority of U.S. cities, counties and states that
adopt codes choose building and fire safety codes developed by the ICC.
James Lee Witt has over 25 years of disaster management experience,
culminating in his appointment as the Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, where he served from 1993-2001. In this capacity, he is
credited with turning FEMA from an unsuccessful bureaucratic agency to an
internationally lauded all-hazards disaster management agency. His
leadership abilities have been praised by nationally recognized
organizations, including the Council for Excellence in Government, Harvard
University's Kennedy School of Government, and the National Association of
Broadcasters.
Mr. Witt was appointed by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate
as Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in April 1993. In
February 1996, President Clinton elevated Mr. Witt to cabinet status - a
first for a FEMA Director. As FEMA Director, Mr. Witt coordinated federal
disaster relief on behalf of President Clinton, including the response and
recovery activities of 28 federal agencies and departments, the American Red
Cross and other voluntary agencies. He also oversaw the National Flood
Insurance Program, the U.S. Fire Administration and other pro-active
mitigation activities that reduce loss of life and property from all types
of hazards. Mr. Witt directed 2,500 employees located in Washington, DC and
10 regional offices.
From 1993 to 2000, Mr. Witt oversaw more than 350 disasters. More
importantly, he was responsible for response and recovery operations for six
of the ten most devastating disasters of all time, including the most costly
flood disaster in the nation's history, the most costly earthquake, and a
dozen damaging hurricanes.
As Director of FEMA, Mr. Witt was the visionary and architect of national
government programs related to emergency preparedness and mitigation,
response, recovery. In addition to his experience in emergency management on
the State and local level, Mr. Witt has expertise integrating
community-based disaster management with national emergency management
strategy. He initiated Project Impact, the first federally funded program
dealing with emergency preparedness and mitigation at the local level.
Mr. Witt integrated flood mitigation, control and protection into FEMA's
policy. After the devastating Midwest floods of 1993, Mr. Witt pursued an
aggressive flood prone property acquisition and relocation program. By
purchasing properties that were repeatedly flooded, he saved taxpayers
millions of dollars when floods again ravaged the same Midwest area again in
1995.
Mr. Witt's professional career includes the formation of Witt Construction,
a commercial and residential construction company. After 12 years as a
successful businessman and community leader, he was elected County Judge for
Yell County, serving as the chief elected official for the county, with
judicial responsibilities for county and juvenile court. At age 34, he was
the youngest elected official in Arkansas, and was later honored for his
accomplishments by the National Association of Counties. After being re-
elected six times to the position, Mr. Witt was tapped by then-Governor Bill
Clinton to assume leadership of the Arkansas Office of Emergency Services (OES).
He served as the Director of the Arkansas OES for four years.
In addition to running his company, James Lee Witt Associates, he is also
President and CEO of the International Code Council.
He is married to Lea Ellen Witt. They have two sons, Michael and Jimmy Witt
of Dardenelle, AR and three grandchildren.
Biography of General Wesley Clark
General Wesley K. Clark (ret.) is one of the nation's most distinguished
retired military officers. During his thirty-three years of service in the
United States Army, he held numerous staff and command positions, served in
Vietnam, and rose to the rank of 4-star general and NATO Supreme Allied
Commander. Now in the private sector, General Clark is chairman and CEO of
Wesley K. Clark & Associates, a strategic advisory and consulting firm,
serves on the boards of several private corporations and non-profit
organizations and comments regularly on politics, diplomacy and public
affairs.
From 1997 through May of 2000, General Clark was NATO Supreme Allied
Commander and Commander in Chief of the United States European Command. In
this position, General Clark commanded Operation Allied Force, NATO's first
major combat action, which saved 1.5 million Albanians from ethnic cleansing
in Kosovo.
From 1996 to 1997 General Clark served as Commander in Chief of the United
States Southern Command, Panama, where he was responsible for the direction
of U.S. military activities in Latin America and the Caribbean.
From 1994 to 1996, he served as Director for Strategic Plans and Policy for
the Joint Chiefs of Staff with responsibilities for worldwide U.S. military
strategic planning.
General Clark is a 1966 graduate of the United States Military Academy at
West Point where he graduated first in his class. He holds a Master's Degree
in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University where he was a
Rhodes Scholar.
General Clark is a recipient of numerous U.S. and foreign military awards,
including the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He has received
honorary Knighthoods from the British and Dutch governments and was made a
commander of the French Legion of Honor. In August 2000, General Clark was
awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian
honor.
General Clark is also an investment banker. He joined Stephens Inc. as a
consultant in July of 2000 and was named Managing Director - Merchant
Banking of Stephens Group, Inc. from March 2001 through February 2003.
An acclaimed public speaker and commentator for CNN, General Clark is the
author of the best-selling Waging Modern War: Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Future
of Combat (Public Affairs, New York, NY, 2001).
He and his wife Gert live in Little Rock, Arkansas where he grew up and
graduated from high school. They have one son, Wesley, who is married and
lives in Los Angeles.
Biography of Rodney E. Slater
Rodney E. Slater is currently a partner in the premier public policy law
firm, Patton Boggs LLP, with a focus on promoting a more secure,
environmentally sound, and sustainable global transportation infrastructure.
Patton Boggs is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Northern
Virginia, Anchorage, Dallas, Denver and Doha.
He came to Patton Boggs after serving in the cabinet of President William J.
Clinton, as U.S. Secretary of Transportation since 1997.
During his tenure as Transportation Secretary, Mr. Slater championed and
received bipartisan congressional support for the passage of several
historic legislative initiatives, including the Transportation Equity Act
for the 21st Century (TEA-21), which guaranteed a record $200 billion in
surface transportation investment through 2003, and the Wendell H. Ford
Aviation Investment Reform Act for the 21st Century (AIR-21), which provides
a record $46 billion to provide safety and security of the nation's aviation
system. Under his leadership, the federal transportation budget doubled and
in the department's "best in government" strategic and performance plans,
the scope and definition of transportation was expanded to include a focus
on safety, mobility and access, economic development and trade, the
environment and national security. In addition, Slater provided his
expertise to countries around the world focusing on safety and security
issues for improving global transportation and critical infrastructure.
During his tenure, the U.S. negotiated nearly 40 "Open Skies" agreements
with countries around the world, far expanding the U.S.'s reach in the
aviation community and promoting U.S. carrier access to foreign markets and
competition in international markets. He built multilateral relations with
European, African, Asian and Latin American governments, creating
opportunities for U.S. businesses to expand globally. He helped create a
world-class transportation system in the U.S. for aviation, maritime,
highway and rail and transit and held the first-ever International
Transportation Symposium attended by more than 90 countries.
During President Clinton's first term, Slater was named Federal Highway
Administrator in the U.S. Department of Transportation, where, as the
agency's first African-American Administrator in its century-long history,
he oversaw the development of an innovative financing program that resulted
in hundreds of transportation projects being completed years ahead of
schedule with greater cost efficiencies.
Prior to his federal service, Slater held several prominent positions in
state government. Upon graduation from law school, he became an assistant
Attorney General of Arkansas, and remained in that position until 1982. In
1983, then Governor Clinton named him one of his assistants, where he worked
first in the economic and community affairs areas, and then later as special
assistant for community and minority affairs. In 1987, Clinton named Slater
to the Arkansas Highway Commission, where he became chairman in 1992. During
this time, Slater served as director of government affairs for Arkansas
State University.
He attended Eastern Michigan University on a scholarship, where he was
captain of the football team and a star of Eastern Michigan's national
championship forensics team, graduating in 1977. He went on to attend the
University of Arkansas School of Law, earning a J.D. degree in 1980.
Slater is a renowned public speaker on a multitude of issues, including
global transportation and critical infrastructure, international
transportation negotiations and labor-management issues for aviation,
transit, rail, maritime and highway issues.
Slater and his wife, Cassandra Wilkins, have a daughter, Bridgette Josette.
SOURCE James Lee Witt Associates, LLC
Morrie Goodman of James Lee Witt Associates, LLC,
+1-202-585-0780
http://www.wittassociates.com
|
|
