Center for Crisis Public Relations & Litigation Studies at Lehigh University Announces Environmental and Post 9/11 Crisis Situation Workshops in Philadelphia.

Business Editors/Education Writers

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003

Communicating effectively with diverse publics in environmental and other post-9/11 crisis situations is the focus of two back-to-back workshops at the Union League of Philadelphia on Thursday, May 8, and Friday, May 9.

Twenty experts on crisis, litigation, eco-terrorism, risk communication, vulnerability assessment and the media will speak individually or on panels during the workshops.

The highlight of the two days will be "An Evening with David Hess," the former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and the commonwealth's spokesman after the September 11 terrorism and during last year's Quecreek mining accident. Hess will share "Tips from an Environmental Crisis Spokesman" at the Union League sit-down dinner on May 8.

Both workshops and the dinner with David Hess are sponsored by the Center for Crisis Public Relations & Litigation Studies at Lehigh University, in partnership with Saul Ewing LLP, Business Wire and the Philadelphia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Topics and speakers for "Preventing, Managing and Communicating Environmental Crises" on Thursday are:

-- How Vulnerable are You? Jon Duecker, deputy director of the

Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security; and Andrew W.

Rosini, deputy fire chief and Domestic Preparedness program

coordinator for the City of Philadelphia

-- Countering Eco-terrorism, Earl Freilino, former director of

the Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security, and former FBI

supervisory special agent

-- Strategic Considerations in Getting the Word Out, Rick Kelly,

Robinson Kelly Strategic Communications, and Bonnie McCarthy,

Crossroads Communications

-- Working Successfully with First Responders and Regulatory

Agencies, Dennis Carney, acting deputy director of the EPA 

Region III's Hazardous Site Cleanup Division; Kerry Leib of

the Pennsylvania DEP, and Michael Towle, senior on-scene

coordinator, EPA Region III

-- Legal Issues Regarding Environmental (and other) Crises,

moderated by Joel R. Burcat, Esq., Saul Ewing LLP, with Thomas

J. Jennings, Esq., former area general counsel, Waste

Management, Inc.; and Jane Kozinski, Esq., Jim O'Toole and

John Stoviak, Esq., of Saul Ewing LLP

-- Communicating Risk and Overcoming NIMBY, Gail Rymer, director

of community relations, Lockheed Martin

-- Expectations from the Media, moderated by Carole Gorney,

director of the Center for Crisis Public Relations &

Litigation Studies at Lehigh University, with Sean Connolly,

director of communications, Pennsylvania Office of the

Attorney General, and former reporter for the Harrisburg

Patriot-News and the Allentown Morning Call; Dawn Fallik,

environmental reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and

Larry Kane, 45-year veteran broadcast journalist and strategic

consultant for The Brownstein Group

On Friday, nationally renowned author and crisis and litigation consultant Jim Lukaszewski , and Douglas A. Cooper, Esq., will lead an all-day workshop that explores ways to resolve the tension that often occurs between lawyers and communicators during a crisis.

During the workshop, entitled "Coordinating Litigation and Communication Strategies in Crisis," Lukaszewski and Cooper will discuss Crisis Management vs. the Legal Process, How the Law REALLY Works, Dealing with Media Misbehavior and The Crisis Response Process. Luncheon speaker Carole Gorney will present "Litigation Journalism: What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You.

The combined package fee for both workshops and the David Hess dinner is $375 ($225 for PRSA members). The individual cost for each workshop is $200 ($125 for PRSA members), and $75 ($50 PRSA) for the Hess dinner. Workshop fees include lunch at the Union League.

To make reservations, or for more information, contact Lee Marshall at Business Wire, [phone], or E-mail [e-mail].