The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) will convene for its annual meeting at the Hyatt Regency in New Orleans on September 19-22, 2004.

The theme of the event is "The Road to Recovery: Leading Effectively, Investing Wisely".

Predictions from earlier this week forecasting that Hurricane Ivan could potentially make a direct hit on New Orleans led many to believe that canceling the conference would be inevitable. However, it has indeed been a road to recovery for NASCIO's annual conference as the effects of the hurricane bypassed the city and left it virtually untouched.

"The city missed everything as it turned out. We really feel lucky and are excited about NASCIO coming to New Orleans," said Stephen Perry, president of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. NASCIO was scheduled to go to New Orleans for is 2001 annual conference, but had to cancel due to the incidents of September 11. So NASCIO also feels lucky to finally be going to the Big Easy.

CIOs from 37 states will be in attendance. The conference is an opportunity for the key technology policy makers in each state to share information and develop new initiatives. Featured speakers include a keynote address by Chris Warner, founder of the Amber Alert Web portal and recipient of the Stockholm Challenge Award, considered to be the Nobel Prize for information technology.

Author and reinventing expert David Osborne will also deliver a keynote address.

In addition, former Wyoming Governor James Geringer will speak on a conference session focusing on the critical success factors for CIO leadership. Geringer is also the recipient of the 2004 NASCIO Technology Champion Award.

One of the highlights of this year's conference will be the presentation of the 2004 NASCIO Recognition Awards, honoring outstanding achievements in the field of information technology. Information technology best practices from eight states will be recognized. In addition, the Meritorious Service award will be given to a state CIO exemplifying dedication to state government IT and NASCIO.

The conference program will include sessions addressing some of the most pressing issues of the day such as architecture, governance, privacy, procurement, economic development and homeland security.

NASCIO Keynote to Highlight New Jersey's Beach Monitoring System

Chris Warner, founder of Earth 911, will highlight the New Jersey Beach Monitoring System (NJBMS) during his keynote address.

Developed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) and Earth 911, the system handles all beach data collection and management functions.

"The beach monitoring system is an excellent example of the value of collaboration in government technology," said Charles S. Dawson, New Jersey chief technology officer and NASCIO executive committee member. "I am delighted that this outstanding New Jersey system will be featured at the NASCIO event. In sharing our successes with other state CIOs, we can expand and further develop partnerships."

NJBMS, which has been used by NJDEP, county beach data collectors, and laboratories this beach season, allows for the collection of beach sample data collection. Counties collect daily beach data and enter it into NJBMS. For example, water samples are collected daily and sent to labs. The analysis data is entered into NJBMS through the Web. Sample results are then e-mailed to county and state officials automatically by the system.

If laboratory results show bacteria above the standard level, the system sends an e-mail to beach/county officials recommending that the beach be closed. If the officials decide to close the beach, the system also notifies Earth 911 and state officials to post the information on their Web sites. Citizens, including lifeguards, media, resort staff, and other stakeholders, can receive immediate e-mail alerts of closures or advisories.