Tuesday, June 24, 2014

SBA......What Are the Top Five Disaster Risks to Small Businesses?

Check with your local SBA office for similar awareness and tips for businesses in your community.

Location, Location, Location!  Small, medium, large, and multi-national companies are part of our ‘WHOLE COMMUNITY’ and are not only needed during non-emergency or crisis situations.

Business continuity plans (BCP) should be a standard practice for all organizations. 

How will your local service station provide service in a major power outage in the distribution of gasoline\fuel? 

One question, just a start.


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Fresno SBA District Office (559) 487-5791 
Serving the 15 Counties of Central California
Two major challenges small business owners face after disasters are sales losses and a diminished customer base.  In a survey of 7,500 small and medium-sized businesses by the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), 62% said losing profits and clients was their biggest post-disaster challenge. 
Whether it’s a fire, flood or tornado, small businesses face an uphill trek when it comes to rebuilding in the aftermath of a disaster.  That’s why it’s important to have a recovery plan in place.
Assessing your company’s risks is one of the first steps in creating an effective business continuity plan.  Join Agility Recovery and the U.S. Small Business Administration on Tuesday, July 8, for an online discussion on how to protect your business before a disaster strikes.    
SBA has partnered with Agility to offer business continuity strategies at its “PrepareMyBusiness” website. Visit www.preparemybusiness.org to download disaster planning tip sheets and to view archived webinars.
The SBA provides disaster recovery assistance in the form of low-interest loans to homeowners, renters, private nonprofits and businesses of all sizes. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/disaster.
WHAT: “The Top 5 Risks to Businesses in America”  
 A presentation followed by a question and answer session
WHEN: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 -- 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. EDT
HOW:  Space is limited. Register at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/923337112




Black Emergency Managers Association  
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097 
bEMA 

Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.   Tom Peters
…….The search is on.



Monday, June 23, 2014

Teens Create A Way To Use Urine As Fuel

Keep in mind the aircraft industry and the achievements from the flight of the Wright Brothers to today.
The knowledge the innovation is there waiting to be harnessed.
BEMA

http://www.forbes.com/sites/matthewdepaula/2012/11/08/teens-create-a-way-to-use-urine-as-fuel/

Forbes


Teens Create A Way To Use Urine As Fuel

Here’s some news from Africa that will be of interest to all of the people waiting in line for gas to use in their generators after Hurricane Sandy.
Four teenage girls figured out a way to use a liter of urine as fuel to get six hours of electricity from their generator. Fourteen-year-olds Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, and Faleke Oluwatoyin, and 15-year-old Bello Eniola displayed their invention this week at Maker Faire Africa in Lagos, Nigeria, an annual event meant to showcase ingenuity.
Here’s how the urine-powered generator works, as explained by the blog on the makerfaireafrica.comwebsite:
• Urine is put into an electrolytic cell, which separates out the hydrogen.
• The hydrogen goes into a water filter for purification, and then into a gas cylinder, which looks similar to the kind used for outdoor barbecue grills.
• The gas cylinder pushes the filtered hydrogen into another cylinder that contains liquid borax, in order to remove moisture from the gas. Borax is a natural mineral, commonly used in laundry detergent.
• The hydrogen is pushed into a power generator in the final step of the process.
A big drawback is that hydrogen poses an explosion risk. But the girls used one-way valves throughout the device as a safety measure.
Three of the four girls with their ingenious invention. (Credit: makerfaireafrice.com)
Three of the four girls with their ingenious invention. (Credit: makerfaireafrice.com)
The idea of using urine as fuel is not new. The girls have come up with a practical way to put the idea into action, though. Their method for using urine to power a generator is one the average household can appreciate.
Power generators are used far more often in Africa than here, where they are relegated more to emergency use, as in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. The Maker Faire Africa blog says power outages happen multiple times a day in Lagos, so all those who can afford a backup generator have one.
Still, technology needs to evolve further before such a system is feasible, at least as far as applications like powering generators go.
Gerardine Botte, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Ohio University, is among those working on practical ways to make urine into a more useful hydrogen source, essentially by turning power into a byproduct of wastewater treatment. She says it takes more energy to extract hydrogen from urine than you end up getting in return as electricity. The energy equation gets even more skewed by the inefficiency of the generator used in the girls’ project.
“At first glance, they’re not having a net gain in energy,” Botte says. “But I think it’s important to say that these little girls, trying to do something like this, deserve a lot of credit.”
The idea behind the humble urine-powered generator is along the lines of Botte’s own thinking, and her research is all about efficient ways to break urine down into its useful components.
Once the urine is processed, purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator. (Credit: makerfaireafrica.com)
Once the urine is processed, purified hydrogen gas is pushed into the generator. (Credit: makerfaireafrica.com)
Botte’s approach is to use electrolysis of urea as a method of wastewater treatment. She says her process for converting urine into potable water is more cost effective and more energy efficient than current wastewater treatment methods. Pure hydrogen is produced as a byproduct and can be used in generating electricity.
“You cannot get net energy gain, but there is no more efficient way to get clean water from urine,” Botte says.
Botte founded E3 Clean Technologies in 2011 to work on scaling the process for use by municipalities and others.
The U.S. Department of Defense is trying out a portable system from E3 at military bases in remote areas, as both a way to treat wastewater and generate power. The system, which Botte calls GreenBox technology, converts a soldier’s urine into drinking water.
“At forward operating bases, the main needs are water and fuel,” Botte says. “With this project, they’re doing both: using less energy to reutilize water sources.”
So, when put in the context of wastewater treatment, the concept of using urine as a hydrogen source to produce energy has great potential.
Since wastewater treatment plants already collect the raw material needed – urine – extracting hydrogen from it makes sense, Botte says. Doing so could regain some of the vast amounts of energy already being spent all over the world to treat waste.
“You will never get more energy out than you put in,” she says. “But it is a unique and elegant way to treat urine waste, which will allow you to co-generate electricity.”
To give you a sense of how much energy it is possible to recapture from this method of treating urine, Botte offers this:
“At Ohio University, where there are about 22,000 students, if we would collect the urine and produce hydrogen, we would be able to produce enough electricity to perhaps power about 100 to 150 residential houses for a year, continuously.”
Consider that before you dismiss what the enterprising teens did with their own project.
Maybe, as the technology evolves, it could be applied to vehicles someday. Gasoline-powered internal combustion engines can be converted relatively easily to run on hydrogen, which raises the question of whether there is potential for pee-powered cars in the future.


Friday, June 20, 2014

June 21-23 Peace Corps Celebrates `Next Generation' of Volunteers with Events at Georgetown University

http://www.peacecorps.gov/media/forpress/press/314/#

The Peace Corps Celebrates `Next Generation' of Volunteers with Events at Georgetown University June 21-23; Events Culminate with Unveiling of Peace Corps Stamp by U.S. Postal Service

Washington, D.C., June 11, 1999—More than 200 Peace Corps volunteers, the 'next generation' of Peace Corps volunteers to serve in the new millennium, will be in Washington, D.C. June 21-23, for a special training session before they depart for five countries—China, El Salvador, Ghana, Niger, and Romania. This fall, more than 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers, a 25-year high for the agency, will be working in 77 countries around the world.


Ambassadors' Forum
WHERE:Georgetown University, Inter-Cultural Center Auditorium
WHEN: Monday, June 21, 7 p.m.
PANEL: Ambassadors of China, El Salvador, Ghana, Niger, and Romania
Moderator: Former Peace Corps Director Elaine Chao, now a distinguished Fellow at the Heritage Foundation

Capitol Hill Welcoming Ceremony
WHERE:Caucus Room, Russell Senate Office Building
WHEN: Tuesday, June 22, 9 a.m.
Confirmed Attendees: Senator Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), Congressman Chris Shays (R-Conn.), Congressman Sam Farr (D-Calif.), Congressman James Walsh (R-N.Y.), and Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)

Panel Discussion with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
WHERE:Georgetown University, Inter-Cultural Center Auditorium 
WHEN: Tuesday, June 22, 5 p.m.
PANEL:Returned Peace Corps volunteers now working in various fields, including business, health, education, non-profits and media
Moderator: Journalist Maureen Orth, a returned Peace Corps volunteer

Closing Ceremonies: Peace Corps Concert and Stamp Unveiling
WHERE:Copley Lawn, Main Campus, Georgetown University
WHEN: Wednesday, June 23, 6 p.m. Ð 9 p.m.
Entertainment: Comedian Al Franken, singer Cindy Cain, Big Village

Liechtenstein agrees to return Abacha’s stolen €167m to Nigeria

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c9d922ee-f6e2-11e3-b271-00144feabdc0.html


June 18, 2014 4:31 pm

Liechtenstein agrees to return Abacha’s stolen €167m to Nigeria

ABUJA - AUGUST 30: Picture dated 30 August shows Nigerian President General Sani Abacha at the last session of the summit meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Abuja. Britain ruled out 22 October allowing a Nigerian delegation to attend the next Commonwealth summit scheduled to begin 24 October in Edinburgh. "They would need visas to get over here and under the present restrictions they would be unable to obtain them". Nigeria was suspended from the Commonwealth after the execution of nine human rights activists in November 1995. (Photo by Issoug Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images)©AFP
Liechtenstein’s government has agreed to return to Nigeria €167m linked to the late General Sani Abacha, ending the country’s longest running battle to recover money that the late military dictator laundered through European banks.
Nigeria first requested Liechtenstein’s assistance in recovering the assets in 2000, two years after Abacha’s sudden death at the age of 54 paved the way for the return of civilian rule.
But the recovery effort has been hampered by lawsuitstaken out by companies linked to the Abacha family –as it has in other legal jurisdictions.
Liechtenstein’s constitutional court dismissed a final appeal over the return of the funds in March 2013, but the principality still refused to release the money, infuriating Nigerian officials.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nigeria’s minister of economy and finance, late last year accused Liechtenstein of “aiding and abetting corruption” by refusing to accept Nigeria’s guarantees that it would pay compensation if any liabilities resulted from a last-ditch effort by Abacha-linked companies to take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Officials in the principality feared they could be open to compensation claims from the Abacha-linked companies if it was shown they had not had a fair hearing.
But on Tuesday a statement by the principality said: “In May 2014, the complaint pending in Strasbourg was withdrawn by the four Abacha companies, clearing the path for repatriation of the assets once and for all.”
Abacha was the penultimate and most brutal of Nigeria’s military rulers. He and what Switzerland’s Supreme Court dubbed the “Abacha family criminal enterprise” amassed a fortune estimated at $3bn-$5bn from misappropriation of public funds during his 1993-1998 rule.
In a bizarre twist on Tuesday, the Nigerian government dropped embezzlement charges against Mohamed Abacha, the late dictator’s eldest son saying there had been new developments in the case.
Mohamed Abacha was accused of receiving N100bn ($600m) of the late dictator’s money, and has fought off various attempts to charge him over the years.
Enrico Monfrini, a Swiss lawyer working with the Nigerian government, has traced $2.4bn of assets linked to Abacha, most of which were channelled through European banks.
Criminal investigations and subsequent forfeiture proceedings established that the Lichtenstein funds originated from bribes paid by Germany’s Ferrostaal AG to companies whose ultimate beneficiary was Abacha. They related to a grossly inflated contract for the construction of an aluminium smelter.
So far, Nigeria has recovered $1.3bn, the largest tranche of which – $500m – came from Switzerland in 2005. A further $1.1bn – in France, the UK, Luxembourg and the Channel island of Jersey – is still tied up in legal proceedings. The US in March froze more than $458m linked to Abacha in Jersey and France.
Nigeria has engaged the World Bank’s Stolen Asset Recovery unit (Star), which was set up by Mrs Okonjo Iweala when she was at the bank, to ensure that the funds recovered from Liechtenstein are used properly – as it has done with other recovered assets.
While the Abacha funds are being recovered belatedly, fresh allegations of grand scale corruption have emerged in Nigeria this year.
The government of President Goodluck Jonathan has hired PwC to carry out a forensic audit of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in response to allegations by Lamido Sanusi, the former central bank governor, that the state oil company failed to remit as much as $20bn in revenues due to the treasury between 2012 and 2013.

Professional Networking: Working a room.

Pass along to the youngest and all the future leaders you know.

You will have to learn to ‘work a room’,  this has outstanding tips for professional networking.

The start of any relationship (personal or business) begins on the approach and communication.  Ending a business relations is still similar, cease communications.

Enjoy.  I’ll see you playing the room out of the corner of my eye.

CDS


Black Emergency Managers Association  
1231  Good Hope Road  S.E.
Washington, D.C.  20020
Office:   202-618-9097 
bEMA 

Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.   Tom Peters
…….The search is on.





From: Institute for Black Male Achievement [mailto:Institute_for_Black_Male_Achieve@mail.vresp.com]


logoheader
IBMA Header 6
IBMA Tip of the Week

Each week, the Institute for Black Male Achievement aims to bring you a capacity-building tip to spark discussion and generate ideas on how to advance our organizations, ourselves, and the field. 

June 20, 2014

NetworkingTwo events in the field of black male achievement were held on the same day this week. At the same time as the annual A Gathering of Leaders was happening in Oakland, CA, across the country in New York, NY, the Institute for Black Male Achievement hosted the first annual Investing in Black Male Achievement: Accelerating What Works conference, where seven nonprofit leaders from across the country took the stage in front of a room full of funders and shared how their organizations are improving the life outcomes of black men and boys (if we missed you at the event, watch the video here).

Our field like others is anchored by many events that bring us together as a field locally and nationally. Many of us spend significant time attending various local and national events, and look to these as venues to build new relationships with potential colleagues, partners, and yes, funders. Thus, at any event, networking is an important skill to make sure to get the most out of the time you spend. Please see below for some tips on how to work a room effectively, and the full diagram from Effective Networking here.
1.      Don't go in cold. A week before, research the event to get a sense of the audience. That way, you'll know who you want to meet and be able to use the information to break the ice with them.
2.      Try wearing something bright. There will be a bazillion blue suits there - why not stand out in something bright - but not in a bad way. Travel light by carrying a wallet with two pockets - one for business cards coming in - the other for business cards going out. No fumbling.
3.      Walk the walk. Walk through the event with confidence, and try to look like you are having a good time. People attend these events because they want to meet other skilled, talented people.
4.      Start with the food table. People tend to be very accessible around the food. Talking and eating go together. It's a great way to get started at an event. 
5.      Who's who. Circle the room first before you pick your targets to speak with. This will give also you a chance to remember names so that you don't have to look down at nametags while talking with folks. 
6.      Approach VIPs first. Keynote speakers love to talk and can be great contacts, but after they give their speeches they're always swamped.  
7.      Spot the lone wolves. Rooms can be crowded, so look for people who are standing alone. It can be harder to integrate into a group, and individual contact is best and most effective for networking.
8.      "And you are?" The goal is to ask others about themselves so that you can connect to their interests and lives. You can say what you do and then your name at the end so that they're more likely to remember.
9.      Press the flesh. Be the first to extend your hand. It's an old protocol, a sign that you're eager to interact. Also make sure to shake hands good-bye. 
10.    Be curious. While talking to strangers, ask open-ended questions to assess right off whether they'll be of any help. Don't go off into a 20-second commercial about yourself. Real leaders are curious. 
11.    Card exchange. Have your cards readily available in a pocket so they're easy to exchange. You can put the cards you receive in another pocket so they don't get mixed up. 
12.    Get an introduction. Sometimes rather than approaching someone solo it makes sense to have a mutual acquaintance give an introduction. The next time you meet there will be that association and context. 
13.    Give and take. Always try and be a connector, the person who brings people together. This not only helps you look more connected, but may also help others want to return the favor. 

Don't forget to check out the IBMA's resource library for more capacity-building and field-building resources. Don't see a resource that you need on a certain area of capacity-building?
Please share your resource needs by emailing team@blackmaleachievement.org


The Institute for Black Male Achievement is a national membership network that seeks to ensure the growth, sustainability, and impact of leaders and organizations committed to improving the life outcomes of black men and boys through systemic change.
 



Tuesday, June 17, 2014

FEMA Corps. Now is the time to get our youth involved.


We are pleased to share with you the AmeriCorps NCCC and FEMA Corps deployment reports
This report is sent weekly detailing where AmeriCorps NCCC teams are serving across the country as well as which organizations, efforts, and initiatives they are currently supporting. 

Reviewing this report will give you an up to date opportunity to know about national service in action and welcome you to share with others about the great service provided by NCCC teams, to contact the teams in your area and offer encouragement, or to visit a project site near you.  

http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/fema-corps


Corporation for National and Community Service


FEMA Corps


The Department of Homeland Security’sFederal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA) and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) have launched an innovative partnership to establish a FEMA-devoted unit of 1,600 service corps members within AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) solely devoted to disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
This partnership builds on the historic collaboration between the two agencies and will enhance the federal government’s disaster capabilities, increase the reliability and diversity of the disaster workforce, promote an ethic of service, expand education and economic opportunity for young people, and achieve significant cost savings for the American taxpayer. When the program is at full operational capability, and in an average disaster year, we expect to see a savings of approximately $60 million in a year.
Every year, millions of Americans suffer the effects of natural and man-made disaster. Disasters can lead to human losses, social problems, economic harm, and environmental damage. Given the prevalence and severity of disasters and other hazards, FEMA is looking for ways to diversify and fortify its existing disaster workforce structure. FEMA is partnering with CNCS to support 1,600 additional service corps members annually within AmeriCorps NCCC, a full-time residential service program for individuals ages 18-24.
FEMA Corps members focus on disaster preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery activities, providing support in areas ranging from working directly with disaster survivors to supporting disaster recovering centers to sharing valuable disaster preparedness and mitigation information with the public.

Benefits to Disaster Survivors, Communities, and the Taxpayer

This innovative partnership is a win all around -- benefiting communities and individuals affected by disasters, disaster response organizations, those who serve, and the taxpayer.
Strengthening the Nation’s Disaster Response Capacity: The partnership provides a trained and reliable resource dedicated to support disaster operations, while enhancing the entire emergency management workforce.
Achieving Significant Cost Savings to the Taxpayer: This partnership is projected to achieve significant cost savings by using a cost-effective approach to providing disaster services.
Creating Pathways to Work for Young People: By providing training, experience, and educational opportunity, the partnership will prepare thousands of young people for careers in emergency management and related fields.
Promoting an Ethic of National Service: The partnership strengthens our nation’s culture of service and civic engagement by mobilizing corps members and community volunteers to provide critical disaster services.
Modernizing Government Operations to Improve Performance: By coordinating between agencies, CNCS and FEMA are advancing the President’s management goals of working across government, managing across sectors, and promoting efficiency.

A FEMA Corps member gathers information from a Hurricane Sandy survivor after the 2012 storm.Becoming a FEMA Corps Member

FEMA Corps members serve full-time for a 10-month term with an option to extend for a second year. Members serve in teams of eight to 12 and are assigned to projects throughout the region served by their campus. Members are based at one of five regional campuses and travel to complete service projects throughout those regions.
To be considered for FEMA Corps, you must first apply to AmeriCorps NCCC. The program is open to all U.S. citizens between 18 and 24 years old.  Members are given a living allowance of approximately $4,000 for 10 months of service; housing; meals; limited medical benefits; up to $400 a month for childcare, if necessary; member uniforms; and become eligible for the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award upon successful completion of the program.

Learn more about FEMA Corps

If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact us at anccc@cns.gov.

Saturday, June 14, 2014

Executive Opportunities: DHS\TSA. Loaned Executive Program From Private Sector

DHS UPDATES OPENINGS FOR LOANED EXECUTIVE PROGRAM

Program Brings Executive Leadership from Private Sector to Support Department Mission
WASHINGTON— The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced new Loaned Executive Program openings, which will bring the Department and private-sector expertise together to support efforts to promote travel and tourism under the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Since the announcement, DHS has added a new Marketing and Branding position and changed the work schedule to accommodate part-time and intermittent assignments.
DHS is offering the following open positions:
  • Senior Advisor, Customer Service: In this position, a loaned executive will advise TSA and CBP on ways to improve customer service.
  • Senior Advisor, Line and Crowd Management: This loaned executive will advise TSA and CBP on issues related to the airport systems flow of international travelers with domestic connections including existing policies, procedures, and training related to the systems flow of travelers.
  • Senior Advisor, Logistics:  In this position, a loaned executive will advise TSA and CBP on issues related to airport systems flow of international travelers and analyze arrivals and connections.
  • New Senior Advisor, Marketing and Branding: This loaned executive will advise TSA and CBP on marketing and branding approaches related to TSA and CBP’s trusted travel programs.
  • Senior Advisor, Metrics: This loaned executive will advise CBP on and clarify issues related to the collection and analysis of data on the airport systems flow of international travelers.
  • Senior Advisor, Self-Service Technology:  In this position, a loaned executive will help TSA and CBP clarify issues related to the development and deployment of enterprise level self-service technologies.
  • Senior Advisor, Staffing Models:  This loaned executive will help CBP on issues related to the development and management of enterprise level personnel management.
New The positions include a six-month, full-time assignment with the option of intermittent or part-time work schedules.  While these positions do not include a government salary, participants in the Loaned Executive Program still draw their regular salary and benefits from their private-sector employer. Qualified applicants should visit the DHS Loaned Executive Program Current Openings page on www.dhs.gov to submit a resume before the deadline, Friday, June 27, 2014.
The Loaned Executive Program was established by the DHS Private Sector Office in 2008 to provide top executive-level and subject matter experts from the private sector an opportunity to share their expertise with DHS. DHS will continue to partner with the nation’s top executives and industry experts to solve problems, improve processes, and fully realize its mission.

 For more information and to apply, please visit www.dhs.gov/loaned-executive-program.

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