IBHS CEO to Speak at National Conference About Improving Building Design for Disaster Resistance
Tampa, FL – February 16, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Julie Rochman, CEO and president of the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) will be a guest speaker at Engineer News-Records’ Mitigating Disaster Through Design and Construction conference March 2-3 in Washington, D.C.
The conference will bring together public and private sector experts to discuss both concepts and specific steps that can lead to a more disaster resistant nation. Sponsors of the event include, The American Society of Civil Engineers, The National Building Museum, U.S. Green Building Council, The American Institute of Architects, The American Planning Association, The Community and Regional Resilience Institute, The International Code Council and The Architectural Engineering Institute.
“It is gratifying and heartening to see a program of this caliber focused on making homes, businesses, and communities safer, stronger places,” said Rochman. “I look forward to a meaningful dialogue with the other conference presenters and attendees. After all, our mutual goals include saving lives, preserving and creating jobs, and lowering public and private disaster response and recovery costs – all of which are incredibly important to our nation’s future.”
Rochman’s seminar, “How Insurers Can Help Change the Outcome,” will focus on the three key elements that influence the severity of the impact of a natural disaster on a community: where you build, how you build and how well you maintain your buildings and infrastructure. She will discuss how a new IBHS-led applied building science initiative will identify and promote effective ways to improve the built environment both as it currently exists – through retrofitting – and as it evolves and changes in coming decades.
“The Mitigating Disaster Conference will bring together the foremost thought-leaders from the industry and government to discuss the significant building and planning challenges posed by natural disasters,” said Harvey M. Bernstein, vice president, Global Thought Leadership & Business Development, McGraw-Hill Construction. “Julie Rochman is a knowledgeable advocate for building safer, better homes, infrastructure and offices. We welcome her to the conference and look forward to her insights on the opportunities available for improving our built environment.”
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About the IBHS
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific research organization supported by property insurers and reinsurers. The Institute works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices. Visit www.DisasterSafety.org for more information about IBHS resources.
Contact:
Joseph King (813) 675-1045
jking (at) ibhs (dot) org
Twitter: disastersafety
