ASSISTANT COMMERCE SECRETARY ROHDE TO OPEN NETWORKS FOR PEOPLE CONFERENCE

NTIA sponsored annual conference to focus on efforts by non-profits to further digital inclusion 

WASHINGTON--Assistant Commerce Secretary Gregory L. Rohde will make opening remarks at the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administrations (NTIA) annual conference, Networks for People, on Oct. 30, 2000. Networks for People is a forum to discuss the connections of people, information technology, and services that are transforming American life. 

Mario Morino of the Morino Institute will keynote the conference, discussing "Policy & Philanthropy: Keys to Closing the Digital Divide." Also featured at the conference will be representatives from NTIA's Technology Opportunities Program (TOP), which awards grants for model projects that demonstrate innovative uses of network technologies. TOP grant recipients will also participate with such nationally-known authorities as Gary Chapman, Director of the 21st Century Fund at the University of Texas; Peter J. Denning, Professor of Computer Science at George Mason University; and David Bolt, Producer of the award winning PBS series on the digital divide. Other panelists include Michael Nelson, Director of Internet Strategy for the IBM Corporation; Harry Davis, Professor of Creative Management at the University of Chicago; Laurie Lipper of the Children's Partnership; Larry Kirkman of the Benton Foundation; Paul Schroeder, American Foundation for the Blind; Alan Davidson, Center for Democracy and Technology; and many more.

WHEN: Monday-Tuesday, Oct. 30 and 31, 2000. 
The conference will begin at 9 a.m. Oct. 30 and continue through noon on Tuesday Oct. 31. 

WHERE: Hilton Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia (Phone 703-418-6800).

A conference fee of $60 covers the cost of lunch on Monday and conference materials. Online registration closed on October 18th, but on-site registration is available on the days of the conference. An agenda for the workshop is attached.

NETWORKS FOR PEOPLE 2000
Entrepreneurship: Non-Profits @ Internet Speed

October 30 and 31, 2000
Crystal City Hilton, Arlington, Virginia

CONFERENCE AGENDA

Monday, October 30, 2000
Admiralty Ballroom

8:00-9:00 Registration

9:00-9:15 Welcome
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera
Associate Administrator, Office of Telecommunications and Information Applications, NTIA

9:15-9:45 Non-Profits and the Digital Divide
The Honorable Gregory L. Rohde
Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information

9:45-10:30 Keynote Speaker: Mario Morino, The Morino Institute 
Policy & Philanthropy: Keys to Closing the Digital Divide

10:30-11:00 Break

11:00-12:00 The Skilled Worker Shortage. 

Keeping staff who have information technology skills is the number one problem for TOP projects. How do people acquire technical skills? We have heard about the lack of information technology workers and debated solutions. But, how do people move from being a "novice" on a computer to an employable expert? Is the "geek" culture for everybody?

Moderator: Gary Chapman, Director, The 21st Century Project, LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin
Panelists:
Peter J. Denning, Professor, Computer Science, George Mason University
Carroll McGillin, National Operations Manager, Cisco Networking Academy
Patricia Bransford, Director, National Urban Technology Centers (TOP grantee)
Randal Pinkett, MIT Media Lab, Epistemology and Learning

12:00-1:30 Lunch [included in cost of conference]
Luncheon Speaker: David Bolt, Digital Divide Update

David Bolt, Executive Producer at Miramar Studios, has seen and written about the Digital Divide. His book is entitled "Digital Divide: Computers and Our Children's Future." Following his award winning PBS series, Microsoft sponsored his tour of numerous American cities. Hear David recount his tour and see a sneak preview of Digital Divide II, planned to air on PBS in the fall. 

1:30-3:00 CONCURRENT SESSIONS: LEARNING @ INTERNET SPEED:

Session 1: Entrepreneurial Thinking: Using the Network as a Business Tool. 

As electronic networking rapidly emerges as the key communications tool for collaboration and interaction within and among organizations, they are reorienting their thinking about the way they do business. This is especially true for non-profit organizations which will have to be far more flexible in defining goals and adapting business practices. Entrepreneurial non-profit organizations will seize these opportunities to become more competitive and more responsive. How will this transition come about? Who is leading this transition in the non-profit community?

Moderator: Michael R. Nelson, Director, Internet Technology & Strategy, IBM Corporation
Panelists: Dan Delaney, Second Harvest (TOP grantee)
Kim Miller, The Philadelphia Enterprise Center (TOP grantee)
Michael W. Dula, Strategic Planning and Information Technology Consulting

Session 2: Evaluation for Entrepreneurial Management. 

TOP project directors and/or their evaluators will provide the audience with a version of evaluation as a management tool for entrepreneurial, ongoing learning. It is not just what you measure, it is what you do as a result of measuring. 

Moderator: Sandor P. Schuman, State University of New York, Albany
Panelists: Francine Jefferson, TOP Evaluation Specialist
Kathryn Dansky, Pennsylvania State University (TOP grantee)
Alison Fine, Director, Innonet

3:00-3:30 Break

3:30-5:00 (The following sessions run concurrently. Audience Q&A will follow each presentation.)

Session 3: Entrepreneurial Action: Non-Profit Leadership 

What combinations of tools and talent define successful leadership in this new environment? The non-profit leader in the Information Age has an increasing array of technology tools. How you use the tools and how you inspire others to learn and act makes the difference between an entrepreneur and another "boss."

Moderator: Harry Davis, Professor of Creative Management, University of Chicago Business School
Panelists: Nicol Turner, Executive Director, Neighborhood Technology Resource Center
Ben Caldwell, KAOS Director, L.A./CalArts (TOP grantee)
Douglas Barker, CIO, The Nature Conservancy

Session 4: Community Content: Diversity and Localism on the Net.

As access to the Internet increases, people are looking increasingly for content and services that have meaning to their lives. Organizations can no longer add a ".org" or ".com" and expect their web sites to attract visitors. In order to survive, they must make resources and information relevant to the communities they serve.

Moderator: Laurie Lipper, The Children's Partnership
Panelists: Wally Bowen, Mountain Area Information Network (TOP grantee)
Christopher Masi, West Suburban Hospital Medical Center (TOP grantee)
Wendy Deutelbaum, President, North Light
Richard Calton, Harlem Live
 

*****
Tuesday, October 31, 2000
Admiralty Ballroom

8:30-8:45 Introduction
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera
Associate Administrator, NTIA

8:45-9:15 Update on International Networking

Moderator: Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera, Associate Administrator, NTIA
Panelists: Audrey Choi, The White House
Larry Kirkman, Benton Foundation
Kerry McNamara, The World Bank, Global Knowledge Partnership

9:15-10:00 Featured Presentation: The Importance of Inclusion
Paul Schroeder, Vice President for Government Relations
American Foundation for the Blind

10:00-11:00 Funders Roundtable: Foundations and Technology. 

Focuses on what the funding organizations' strategic plans are to spend their money - what types of projects, best practices, etc.

Moderator: Stephen J. Downs, TOP Director
Panelists: Justin Maxson, Progressive Technology Project
Judith Y. Whang, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Carlos Pedraza, SEA Change
Trabian Shorters, Technology Works for Good
Delia Carmen, Senior Research Associate, Annie E. Casey Foundation

11:00-11:15 Break

11:15-12:30 Social Services Networks and Privacy: Striking the Balance. 

Who owns information and who should have access to it? As more and more social services delivery systems go online, more information is being gathered from end users - information that is often "sensitive." How do we strike the balance between maintaining privacy and confidentiality while increasing efficiency and quality through the sharing of data? 

Moderator: Alan Davidson, Center for Democracy and Technology 
Panelists: Janet Waldron, Commissioner, Administrative & Financial Services, State of Maine
John Feinblatt, Fund for the City of New York (TOP grantee)
Teri Dowling, San Francisco Department of Public Health, Reggie Project (TOP grantee)

12:30-12:45 Closing Remarks
Dr. Bernadette McGuire-Rivera
Associate Administrator, NTIA