Western governors gather to explore regional issues

Erin Neff

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

Governors of eight Western states will meet in Henderson and Las Vegas this week to discuss homeland security and critical regional issues such as wildfires and energy.

Gov. Kenny Guinn will host the Western Governors' Association winter meeting at Green Valley Ranch Station in Henderson on Thursday and Friday. The organization is designed to identify and advance policy issues of concern to Western states.

The only neighboring state governor who will attend is Utah's Michael Leavitt, who is scheduled to moderate a panel Thursday. California's Gray Davis, Arizona's Jane Hull and Idaho's Dirk Kempthorne, will not attend.

"They're all looking at very tough budgets," WGA spokeswoman Karen Deike said.

Montana Gov. Judy Martz, chairwoman of the WGA, will preside over a special session examining critical infrastructure issues states face working with the recently approved Homeland Security Department.

John Tritak, director of the U.S. Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, will present the keynote address Thursday for the infrastructure sessions taking place at Caesars Palace.

Nebraska Gov. Mike Johanns, who is expected to be elected vice-chairman of the WGA during the winter meeting, will moderate a panel examining public-private challenges in protecting key regional and national assets such as ports, dams, railroads and telecommunications networks.

Union Pacific Railroad CEO Richard Davidson, who is chairman of the National Infrastructure Assurance Council, and Frank Ianna, president of AT&T Network Services, are among the participants in that session.

On Friday at Caesars, the infrastructure session will include a keynote speech from Undersecretary of Commerce Kenneth Juster and a panel examining information-sharing models that work in local communities. Utah's Olympic security model and the U.S. Secret Service's electronic crimes task force will be discussed.

John Gannon, director of information analysis and infrastructure protection for the Department of Homeland Security's Transition Planning Office, will be the featured speaker.

Also on Friday, at Green Valley Ranch, the conference will examine education issues and a strategic agenda for the West.

George Ann Rice, associate superintendent of the Clark County School District, will take part in a discussion of courses expected to be offered by the Western Governors University. The university was created and funded by Western states to provide access to people in remote or rural Western areas to take college courses online.

"There are people in the tourism industry whose schedules and working schedules do not allow them to take the courses," Rice said. "If you've got a work schedule where you're tied up, this would enable you to complete college."

The university partners with 50 colleges and universities and recently received a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

Executives from Western business firms, including Thomas Siebel, CEO of Siebel Systems, will discuss how the university is helping to expand the teacher base and improve K-12 schools.

The governors will discuss the strategic agenda for the West, including forest health and wildland fires, energy, health, transportation and drought.

Other governors expected to attend are South Dakota's William Janklow, North Dakota's John Hoeven, Wyoming's Jim Geringer, outgoing New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and New Mexico Gov.-elect Bill Richardson.

Guinn's spokesman, Greg Bortolin, said that as host governor Guinn will participate in a few of the sessions.