RAND Event

Reflections on the Nation's Homeland Security

Moderator: James A. Thomson

James Thomson has been RAND's president and chief executive officer since August 1989. The RAND Corporation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution that seeks to improve public policy through research and analysis. With annual revenues of over $200 million and a staff of 1500, RAND's research programs address a broad range of domestic, international, and national security issues.

A member of the RAND staff since 1981, Dr. Thomson has served the institution in a variety of roles, including that of director of RAND's research programs in national security, foreign policy, defense policy, and arms control; vice president in charge of the Project AIR FORCE division; and executive vice president. From 1977 to January 1981, Dr. Thomson was a member of the National Security Council staff at the White House, where he was primarily responsible for defense and arms control matters related to Europe. He was on the staff of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1974-1977.

Panelists:

Honorable Thomas J. Ridge, former Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and former Pennsylvania Governor

Tom Ridge has twice been elected the Governor of Pennsylvania. He served as the state's 43rd governor from 1995 to 2001. Governor Ridge became the nation's first Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security on January 24, 2003. In recognizing Secretary Ridge for his service as the nation's first Homeland Security Advisor and first Secretary of Homeland Security, President Bush said of Tom Ridge: “In the fight against terrorism, he has played a vital role in protecting the American people from a real and ongoing threat… America is safer and our government is better able to protect our people because of his hard work.”

In total, the Governor has had more than 25 years in public service, including being the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Governor Ridge is now consulting on security and risk related matters, exploring business opportunities and serving on several public and private boards. His work in the nonprofit area includes the Council for Competitiveness, the Center for Excellence in Government and the National Organization on Disability.

Brian Michael Jenkins

Brian Michael Jenkins is one of the world's leading authorities on terrorism and sophisticated crime. He works with government agencies, international organizations and multinational corporations. He is senior advisor to the president of RAND. From 1989 to 1998, Mr. Jenkins was the deputy chairman of Kroll Associates, an inter-national investigative and consulting firm. Before that, he was chairman of RAND's Political Science Department where, from 1972 – 1989, he also directed RAND's research on political violence.

In 1996, President Clinton appointed Mr. Jenkins to be a member of the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security. From 1999 - 2000, he served as an advisor to the National Commission on Terrorism and in 2000 he was appointed to be a member of the U.S. Comptroller General's Advisory Board. Mr. Jenkins is a research associate at the Mineta Transportation Institute, and since 1997 has directed its continuing research on protecting surface transportation against terrorist attacks.

Making a Difference: Improving Outcomes for Students in the Pittsburgh Public Schools

Esther L. Bush: Ms. Bush is the current President and CEO of the Urban League of Pittsburgh. She is the first female to serve in each of her last four positions in the Urban League movement and has established herself as a force for positive change in the Greater Pittsburgh community and throughout the U.S.

Brian Gill: Mr. Gill is a Social Scientist with the RAND Corporation. He is a scholar with interdisciplinary training in methods of public policy analysis, law, and economics, focusing on education and child policy.

Mark Roosevelt: Mr. Roosevelt was appointed the Superintendent of the Pittsburgh Public Schools in August of 2005. As Chair of the Massachusetts State Legislature's Education Committee, he was largely responsible for the passage of the Education Reform Act of 1993.

Moderator:
Susan Brownlee: Ms. Brownlee has been the Executive Director of the Grable Foundation, whose focus is on educational reform in southwestern Pennsylvania, for six years. In the past, she has worked for numerous educational reform organizations and was a teacher and school administrator.

Keeping Us Safe at Home: How Prepared Are State and Local Law Enforcement for Possible Acts of Terrorism?

Bruce Dixon: Dr. Dixon has been the Director of the Allegheny County Health Department since 1992. In addition, he has been an Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh since 1979. He has published numerous articles on topics including bioterrorism and preparedness.

Robert A. Full: Chief Full is the Allegheny County Fire Marshal and Chief of the Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services. He also holds the position of Chairman of the Regional Counter Terrorism Task Force, referred to as Pennsylvania Region 13.

Joseph A. Goodwin: Mr. Goodwin serves as Deputy Director, Office of Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He is responsible for coordinating the state's homeland security efforts between the federal and state agencies, counties and municipalities.

Moderator:
K. Jack Riley: Dr. Riley is the Associate Director of RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Environment. He was the founding co-director of RAND's Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy that addresses homeland security issues. He is currently acting director of the Center on Quality Policing.

Strategies for Making High-Quality, Affordable Health Care More Widely Available

Michael Blackwood: Mr. Blackwood is currently President and CEO, Gateway Health Plan. He is very active in the health community, serving on many boards and associations. He has previously held many positions in the health industry, including serving as a Captain in the Medical Field Service Corp. of the U.S. Army.

Arthur S. Levine: Dr. Levine is the Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences and Dean, School of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh. Beyond his University responsibilities, Dr. Levine works closely with UPMC.

Deborah W. Linhart: Ms. Linhart is the President and CEO of Magee-Womens Health Corporation which houses the Magee-Womens Research Institute Magee-Womens Heath Foundation and Magee Womancare International.

Moderator:
Andrew Dick: Dr. Dick is a senior health economist at RAND and Adjunct Professor in the Department of Community and Preventive Medicine at the University of Rochester. He has worked extensively on empirical methods to measure and assess quality of care based on risk-adjusted health outcomes.

Reaping the Benefits of Investing in Early Childhood Education

Joan L. Benso: Ms. Benso is President and CEO of Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. She is directly involved in the organization's interaction with state-level public policy makers, Pennsylvania's Congressional delegation, the news media, and the children's advocacy community.

Eva Tansky Blum: Ms.. Blum is the Senior Vice President and Director of Community Affairs for PNC Bank. She also serves as Chair of the PNC Foundation. She directs the company's philanthropic programs, including PNC Grow Up Great, which supports quality early childhood education.

Lynn A. Karoly: Dr. Karoly is a senior economist with the RAND Corporation whose research has focused on child and family well-being, human capital investments, social welfare policy, and labor market behavior. In the area of child policy, her work has examined the benefits and costs of early childhood programs.

James E. Rohr: Mr. Rohr is the chairman and CEO of the PNC Financial Services Group. He serves on the boards of a number of civic, cultural and educational organizations. He is current chairman of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. He is also on the RAND Board of Trustees.

Moderator:
William H. Isler: Mr. Isler is the President of Family Communications, Inc. He is also the Board President of the Pittsburgh Public Schools, and Executive Director of The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children's Media at Saint Vincent College.