"We are proud to sponsor EIG because the conference attracts both industry experts and leading public-sector executives and encourages an open dialog focused on improving the operations of federal agencies," said Jon Love, president, Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. "Federal agencies are being asked to deliver higher quality services to their constituents under growing budget and performance mandates. They also face increased pressure to develop and implement plans for the Continuity of Operations (COOP). Pitney Bowes Government Solutions helps agencies meet these and other mission-critical objectives by providing reliable and efficient mail, document management and logistics services."

The Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Capstone includes two sessions, "Emergency Preparedness and Response in the Post-Katrina Era" and "Preparing for Pandemic Flu: Working Together to Confront the Potential Crisis." The emergency preparedness session will feature U.S. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary for Preparedness George Foresman and focus on changes in the federal structure of emergency preparedness and response since the gulf coast hurricanes of last year and what critical gaps are being addressed. The pandemic discussion will address the threat of avian flu and how government officials at all levels are working together to confront this threat.

The Excellence in Government conference got its start in 1995 when reformers in the Clinton Administration decided that a forum was needed for exchange of ideas about improving the operations of federal agencies. At the time, Vice President Al Gore was leading the National Performance Review, a management reform initiative that sought to emphasize customer service and to empower employees in the field to bring about improvements in program delivery.