ALBANY—The Business Council will sponsor a day-long seminar on homeland security designed to help New York State businesses recognize and take advantage of business opportunities in the
emerging field. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, January 19, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in
downtown Albany.

In conjunction with the seminar, the Council’s new Homeland Security Council of New York State (HSC) will hold its first meeting from 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, January 18, also at the Crowne Plaza. The HSC is also co-sponsoring the January 19 seminar along with Empire State Development (ESD).

The Business Council has previously sponsored two other one-day homeland security seminars, one in June in New York City and one in October in Rochester. Each has been heavily attended and well received by participants.

The January 19 seminar is designed to inform New York’s businesses about opportunities in
homeland security. It is specifically intended to acquaint participants with government procurement procedures, to identify emerging technologies in the security field, and to pinpoint
specific goods and services that government entities will be seeking from businesses.

The seminar will also help companies establish relationships with other companies that are potential partners in government bidding, with government contacts at key agencies, and with representatives of colleges and universities on the cutting edge of technology.

The seminar agenda includes:

• A presentation on New York State’s perspectives on homeland security, featuring James McMahon, director of the state Office of Homeland Security.
  
  
• Discussions by top state officials on how to do business with New York’s state and local governments, how to bid on state contracts, and how to develop partnerships with other companies.
  
  
• A presentation on how businesses can get their products and services listed in a federal data base created to serve the needs of emergency responders. The presentation will be made by Don Hewitt, program manager for the Responder Knowledge Base.
  
  
• A review of ESD’s Homeland Security Initiative by Fred DiMaggio, director of industry development homeland security for ESD.
  
  
• Insights on how to commercialize homeland security-related technologies offered by Matt Behrmann, senior vice president of external affairs for the Research Foundation of the State University of New York.
  
  
• A review of financial resources available to New York State companies by Jeffrey Wetherbee of Empire State Development.

In addition, state Sen. Michael Balboni (R-Long Island), chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security, and Military Affairs, has been invited to speak during the luncheon.

The January 19 seminar conference is open to all. The price is substantially discounted for members of The Business Council and the HSC.

The Council created the Homeland Security Council of New York State (HSC) last fall in part because Business Council members have expressed strong interest in these seminars and the underlying priorities. The goal of the new council is to forge a working partnership between New York State's public and private sectors which will promote opportunity and provide information for its members working to protect the nation.

The HSC meeting agenda includes presentations by William Pelgrin, executive director of the state Office of Cyber Security and Critical Infrastructure Coordination, and Bob Gearhart, director of homeland security for Northrop Grumman Corporation.

HSC members will be invited to join a private VIP reception immediately after the meeting concludes.

The January 18 meeting of the HSC is open only to HSC members, for whom it is free. Registration and agenda information on both events will be available at www.homelandsecuritynys.org/events.htm.

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