THE MFAH TO HOST TRAINING FOR MUSEUM, LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES PROFESSIONALS, CULTURAL LEADERS AND EMERGENCY PROFESSIONALS AUGUST 1-2

LED BY THE TEXAS CULTURAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ALLIANCE

The MFAH will host a disaster response and recovery workshop, led by Texas Cultural Emergency Response Alliance, on Monday, August 1 and Tuesday August 2. Library, archive, and museum professionals in Houston and the surrounding counties are invited to share expertise and resources in this unique partnership.

The 2-day workshop will focus on disaster response and recovery situations specific to the region, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and flash floods, and will show participants how to respond to such large-scale natural events to both protect and preserve the objects in their care and to connect to a larger network of national emergency management professionals.

Day 1: Speakers

Jennifer Suter, Training and Program Manager, Harris County Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management

Robert Emery, VP for Safety, Health, Environment & Risk Management, UT Health Science Center

Paul A. Tabor, State Critical Incident Stress Management, Director Texas Department of State Health Services

Kirk Lively, Director of Technical Services, Belfor USA

Trey Johnson, Executive General Adjuster, York Insurance Group

Day 2: Lectures and Training Exercises TX-CERA, Assessment and recovery techniques for wet recovery and salvage of cultural heritage collections.

When: Monday and Tuesday, August 1-2, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: The American General Meeting Room The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Audrey Jones Beck Building, 5601 Main Street Houston, Texas 77005

Cost: $80.00, lunch is included. Free parking in MHAH parking lot.

The MFAH is an experienced disaster management leader and advocate for protecting cultural heritage resources in the region.

The Texas Cultural Emergency Response Alliance (TX-CERA) is a statewide resource for cultural heritage and disaster management and part of the nationwide Alliance for Response program. Through a series of regional forums, it builds bridges between the cultural heritage and emergency response communities before disasters happen. Their programs lead to new partnerships, policies, and cooperative planning efforts.

Contacts: Steve Pine, Museum of Fine Arts, spine@mfah.org,

Olivia Primanis, University of Texas, Austin, primanis@utexas.edu, or

Melanie Sanford, Textile Preservation Services of Texas - info@conservingthreads.com