November 28, 2001 Special Presentation

Homeland Security in the Heartland

An interview and Q&A session with

Ellen Gordon
Iowa Homeland Security Advisor
and
Administrator of Iowa Emergency Management Division

SUMMARY

EIIP Virtual Forum Special Presentation
Wednesday - November 28, 2001 - 12:00 Noon EST

Homeland Security in the Heartland

Ellen M. Gordon
Iowa Homeland Security Advisor
and
Administrator of Iowa Emergency Management Division

Avagene Moore
Moderator, EIIP Coordinator

The EIIP Virtual Forum reconvened for a Special Presentation on November 28, 2001. The topic under consideration was "Homeland Security in the Heartland. " The event was conducted as a 10-question interview of Ms. Ellen M. Gordon, Iowa Emergency Management Division, followed by an interactive Question & Answer session with the audience.

Ellen Gordon is the Administrator of Iowa Emergency Management Division, the Homeland Security Advisor for her State, and a member of the Gilmore Commission Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism. Ms. Gordon is a knowledgeable subject matter expert heavily involved in preparing, planning, and training for the threat of terrorism at the State and Local level.

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ELLEN M. GORDON

Administrator/Homeland Security Advisor
Iowa Emergency Management
(Bio page with photo)

Ellen Gordon has served as the Administrator of Iowa Emergency Management Division since July 1986. She was re-appointed by Governor Tom Vilsack in January 1999. October 2001 Governor Vilsack also appointed Ms. Gordon as the Iowa Homeland Security Advisor. Prior to being the administrator, she served as the Operations and Public Information Manager for Iowa Emergency Management. Ms. Gordon came to state government with eight years of local government emergency management experience.

Ms. Gordon is a graduate of Truman University, Kirksville, Missouri with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice, and holds a Certificate of Completion from the University of Missouri Law Enforcement Academy. She is also a graduate of the Iowa Association of Business and Industry's Leadership Iowa program. Ms. Gordon is an honored member of Who's Who in Government Services as well as the International Who's Who of Professional's. She is a recipient of an U.S. Army Commanders Award for Public Service and U.S. Army Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service for her meritorious performance during the Floods of 1993, as well as a National Weather Service Modernization Award and a National Emergency Management Association Presidential Citation.

In addition to serving as Administrator for the State of Iowa, Ms. Gordon is a Past-President of the National Emergency Management Association after serving several years as a NEMA Regional Vice President; a member of the Iowa Emergency Response Commission; and previously a member of the National Weather Service Modernization Transition Committee for the U.S. Department of Commerce; Ms. Gordon is very active within her state as well as on a national basis in numerous task forces, study groups, and policy boards. She currently serves as a member of the Advisory Panel to Assess Domestic Response Capabilities for Terrorism, "Gilmore Commission", Chaired by Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore. She previously served on the city council for the City of Lambs Grove, Iowa.

Ms. Gordon has led the State of Iowa through numerous Presidential Declared Disasters; as well as hundreds of State of Emergency Declarations, including the United Airline 232 Crash in Sioux City, the most costly & widespread flooding disaster in the state's history; severe ice storms; tornadoes; and the state's largest chemical release incident.

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