Dear Friends:

 

NOVA is hosting its 2^nd Bi-Annual National Crisis Response Conference, North Little Rock, Arkansas, Wyndham Riverfront Hotel, November 10-13.  This meeting is primarily for NOVA-trained crisis response volunteers, but others with a specific interest in community crisis response / crisis intervention are also welcome to attend.  Those who have never gone through NOVA training will not be able to register online, but will need to go to http://www.trynova.org/events/2006CrisisRespConf/ to download a paper registration form to mail or fax.  Then, register for a hotel room at the Wyndham.

 

The full conference program will be posted on the NOVA web site by mid-October, but in the meantime, let me alert you to these highlights:

 

The conference theme is Bridge to Hope:  Partnerships in Preparedness.  We have a great list of topics and speakers.  We will welcome James Lee Witt, former Director of FEMA, and Deena Burnett as keynote speakers.  Ms. Burnett is the wife of Tom Burnett, the United 93 pilot who died in the September 11 attacks.  (She’ll be signing her new book, too.) Tom Hazelwood, NVOAD’s current Board President, will join us as a plenary speaker.  The Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Rachel Brandt, is also on the agenda.  Not to mention all the other plenary speakers on Preparedness and Partnership topics!

 

This meeting will feature leaders from our NVOAD and government disaster response partners.

 

We’ve changed the format of the meeting so that there will be (virtually) no separate workshops.  Everybody will be together in plenary sessions, so everyone will hear all the same content together – as a TEAM. 

 

Following the conference, we will have an opportunity for folks to take their NIMS / Incident Command Training (FEMA 00-700) and get their FEMA certificate (at no extra cost).  There will also be a Spiritual Care Coordinator Institute on Monday afternoon, November 13 and on Tuesday, November 14.  (We are postponing the November 14 NIMS/ICS session and the Team Leader/Manager Institute until further notice.)

 

The Arkansas Crisis Response Team has made special arrangements for an “after-hours” private tour of the William J. Clinton Presidential Center.  There will be two great receptions, and the low, low registration rate includes 6 meals.  There is trolley transportation to nearby areas of interest and restaurants.  The hotel offers free parking and there is free transportation from the airport.  (In case you can’t tell, I LOVE NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS!  It’s one of my most favorite destinations!)

 

AR-CRT is also working to coordinate child care services in case people need that service – more on that later.

 

We’ll have a table set up so you can purchase CRT stuff (hats, new name badge holders, sweat shirts, etc.).

 

Certificates of Attendance will be provided.

CEUs for NCRT Credential, NACP Credential, and American Council on Education CEUs will be provided.

 

Special Meetings:

All NOVA trainers are being invited to meet with our Training and Education Committee Chair, Barbara Kendall on the morning of November 10.

All NOVA Team Coordinators are being invited to meet with Ginger Bailey and Diane Alexander . . . look for an email from Ginger on this.

 

 

Best wishes,

 

Cheryl Tyiska

Deputy Director

 

 

Kudos to our Conference Planning Committee:

Ginger Bankston Bailey, President, Arkansas Crisis Response Team and Arkansas VOAD

Diane Alexander, Director, Justice Solutions and Capital Area Crisis Response Team

Larance Johnson, Criminal Justice Institute and AR-CRT