Lt. Governor Gregory R. Francis met with a representative from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) last week to confirm plans for a continued partnership for the GIS Conference to be held in November 2007.

Lt. Governor Francis met with Ms. Carmen Iris Delgado, FEMA Representative for the Caribbean Region. Ms. Delgado committed the federal agency to once again collaborate with the Virgin Islands in hosting the third annual conference. FEMA has been a sponsor of the conference since its inception in 2005.

“I am pleased that FEMA has decided to remain partners with the Virgin Islands Geospatial Information Council and the Office of the Lieutenant Governor for this conference,” Lt. Governor Francis said. “This partnership is important to us and to FEMA as we discuss ways to effectively use geospatial information to assist in natural disaster preparedness and to help us mitigate damages that these disasters may cause. FEMA is vital in this endeavor and we are grateful to have them onboard.

Other conference partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Third Annual Geographic Information System Conference entitled “Empowering a Community of Users: Building a Strong Geospatial Connected Network Throughout the Caribbean by Advancing Policies and Best Practices” will be held from November 14-16, 2007 at the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort on St. Thomas.

For more information about the conference, please call the Office of the Lieutenant Governor at 773-6459 on St. Croix or at 776-8505. Additional information is available at the Office of the Lieutenant Governor’s website at www.ltg.gov.vi.