Governor de Jongh, Lt. Governor Francis, Cabinet Officials
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In an effort to enhance the territory’s preparedness and response capabilities for threats beyond natural hazards, Governor John P. de Jongh Jr., Lt. Governor Gregory R. Francis, members of the Cabinet and key federal partners met Monday for a top-level seminar to discuss homeland security issues and strategies to meet these challenges in a post 9-11 world. 

At the invitation of the Governor, a team of nationally-recognized homeland security experts from the Naval Postgraduate School & U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security met with the territory’s executive leadership and federal partners for the intensive day-long session.

The Center for Homeland Defense and Security is considered the nation’s security educator and has conducted more than 165 of these seminars for governors and state and local officials across the United States.

The seminar ― conducted by the Center’s subject matter experts who comprise a Mobile Education Team (MET) ― has been formulated to help strengthen the U.S. capability to prevent, deter, and respond to domestic terrorist attacks, and to build the intergovernmental, interagency, and civil-military cooperation that homeland security requires.

Federal partners attending the seminar included Lynn Canton, newly-appointed Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator for Region II, and senior regional representatives of the U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol and Department of Defense. 

The homeland security experts and government officials convened at Marriott Frenchman’s Reef where the team facilitated discussions on a wide range of homeland security issues including threat assessment and intelligence, identification of vulnerable targets, prevention strategies and responsibilities, critical infrastructure protection, public/private collaborations and communications strategies. The seminar was funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

“Today we demonstrated that we know some areas very well, but there are some areas where there are maybe unknowns,” Gov. de Jongh told the panel. “Overall today’s session served us well. When it is all said and done, 120,000 people will look to us for leadership and the private sector will come to us for guidance.”

Stan McKinney, Director of the Executive Education Program, said it is crucial that policies and strategies adapt as the threats to homeland security changes. “A critical part of this is your partnership with each other and with FEMA, in support of Governor de Jongh whose most important role is protecting the life and property of Virgin Islanders,” Mr. McKinney told the assembled officials.

Administrator Canton called the seminar a significant step for the territory. The Executive Education Seminar is a direct result of recent discussions Gov. de Jongh held with VITEMA Director Mark Walters and key Federal Emergency Management Agency ― Region II officials at Government House on St. Thomas. 

Prior to Monday’s seminar, de Jongh met with Administrator Canton, FEMA Deputy Administrator Michael F. Moriarty and FEMA Caribbean Division Director Alejandro de la Campa at Government House. The meeting provided the opportunity for the governor to outline the progress that has been made in reorganizing VITEMA and in overall preparations for the 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season. There was also a discussion on steps the Administration has taken since the January earthquake in Haiti to determine the preparedness level in the Virgin Islands for earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters and assistance that can be provided by FEMA in enhancing the preparedness measures. 

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