The University of the Virgin Islands – Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning (UVICELL) Center in collaboration with the V.I. Office of Homeland Security and the V.I. Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (VI-DOSH) will host the 5th Annual Governor’s Safety and Health Conference. It will be held May 5-7 at the Marriott’s Frenchman’s Reef on St. Thomas and May 10-12 at the Carambola Beach Resort on St. Croix.
The conference provides an opportunity for both the private and public sectors to come together to share information on how to prepare for and respond to pandemics, natural disasters and other large-scale incidents requiring widespread emergency management. The highlight of this year’s conference will be the keynote address being presented by Congressman Bennie G. Thompson. He is currently serving his eighth term as the Democratic congressman for Mississippi’s Second District and is the chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee was established in 2002 following the attacks of September 11 and is responsible for providing government oversight on terrorism and disaster relief agencies.
“We are extremely pleased that Congressman Bennie G. Thompson has accepted our invitation to serve as the keynote speaker at this year’s conference,” said Governor John P. de Jongh Jr. “In the aftermath of world events such as 9/11, earthquakes and the swine flu, a number of initiatives have been undertaken to improve the safety and health of the territory. This conference provides an excellent opportunity for the entire community to ascertain what’s been happening on a local and federal level,” said de Jongh.
The conference will include a Senior Officials Workshop, which is a special session designed to bring together emergency response managers, elected and senior officials and other stakeholders across the territory. It will also feature a number of informative sessions that will provide employers, employees and the community with information and resources than can be used to assist in the development of appropriate and relevant programs. Other conference sessions include: Pandemics – Is Your Workplace Ready; Workplace Safety and Hazard Recognition; Planning for Disasters – Continuity of Operations; Keeping our Campuses Safe and much more.
Space is limited and registration is required. For more information, call the UVICELL Center at 693-1100.
