Retired Chief Sylvester "Syl" Daughtry from Greensboro, NC became CALEA’s 5^th Executive Director on January 1^st replacing retiring legendary Executive Director Richard F. Kitterman, Jr. Daughtry completed (nine) years as a CALEA Commissioner, the last three as the Commission’s Chairman. He was also the past president of the International Association of Chiefs of Police in 1994 and currently serves on several national committees associated with law enforcement. Director Daughtry expressed, "I would like to thank everyone for their support, and I am looking forward to working with the Commissioners and client agencies to improving an already outstanding accreditation program." Syl expressed his intentions to expand awareness of CALEA in both the law enforcement and general government areas with a major goal of significantly increasing agency participation in the CALEA process. Commission Chairman William Miller said, "After 16 years of solid work by Dick Kitterman I see a beautiful transition with Syl Daughtry strengthening CALEA."

CALEA insider’s point out that Daughtry is both well known and respected on a national level and this will be a major asset to his administration. Director Daughtry’s views on change are that there will probably be no initial major changes at CALEA and that changes will be made if needed and planned out. His most immediate goal is to understand the varied operations that the CALEA office supports.

by Chief Ron Ferrell, Ph.D.
Mason (OH) Police Deparment

The Qualitative Assessment was the idea of Chief Ron Ferrell, and several pilot assessments were successfully completed. The results of these assessments are being reviewed by CALEA to determine if this innovation can be another way to improve the accreditation process. Such qualitative assessment requires determining an agency’s eligibility policy, development of assessment procedures and standards, along with assessor training.

Many people in our accreditation family have heard rumors about something called non-traditional or qualitative on-site assessments. Based upon expressed interest after a recent presentation at the Knoxville meeting, CALEA staff asked that I write this article.

A little background might be helpful as an introduction. In conjunction with the 4th Edition Standards Review Task Force, brainstorming sessions were initiated by Commissioner Chief Bill Miller to look at how we deliver our product to our customers. Obviously, the on-site assessment is the most visible part of that product and was the focus of many of those sessions. As a result, Director Kitterman recommended that each of the program managers arrange for at least one upcoming reaccreditation be a non-traditional pilot on-site. The intent was to use a different approach to reaccreditation on-site assessments that would be more meaningful to the agency and still accomplish the verification of standards compliance. The assumption with the CALEA system is that an agency’s being in compliance with standards means the agency is generally well run and providing effective law enforcement services. While this is generally the case, it is possible the agency is in compliance, however, the quality of the service they deliver may be questionable. Subsequently, I was requested to conduct a qualitative reaccreditation on-site at Highland Park, Texas.

To date, at least four similar qualitative assessments have been conducted and the feedback from these pilot sites is generally very positive. Considering those results and an apparent interest in the concept, this article should provide a good vehicle to share some of the information presented at the Knoxville meeting.

What the heck is a qualitative assessment, and how is it different from the on-sites presently being conducted? By their nature, qualitative assessments rely on observation, interviews, and presentations to prove compliance. Presently, most of an assessor's time during an on-site is allocated to file review to verify that the agency meets and has maintained compliance to all applicable CALEA standards. In the case of a qualitative assessment, compliance is primarily validated through presentations to a compliance panel.

The compliance panel concept is very simple. The entire assessment team sits as a panel to evaluate agency presentations on numerous topical areas based on, but not limited to, the CALEA standards. The presentations are conducted by agency personnel having the responsibility to perform the respective task. For example, the internal affairs standards would be presented by those employees who actually conduct internal affairs investigations.

This type of assessment has an obvious effect on all aspects of the on-site. It is essential that the assigned team leader for the assessment team contact the agency's accreditation manager as soon as possible. The basic and most important reason for the contact is to begin formulation of the topical areas to be assessed by the compliance panel. Presently, the topical areas have been selected by the Team Leader. Obviously, if this type of assessment is incorporated into routine operations, many issues should be reviewed for standardization. One of those issues will be whether a set list of topical areas will be mandated by CALEA staff. Of those agencies taking part in qualitative assessment to date, approximately 54 topical areas have been selected for compliance panel review. A topical area is nothing more than individual areas of assessment. For example, Use of Force will always be an area requiring review by the panel. That particular topical area includes 13 individual standards. The number of standards to be reviewed depends on the topical area. Some topical areas may include only one standard. Of the 54 topical areas included for review on the pilot qualitative on-sites, approximately 150 standards were reviewed by the Compliance Panel.

The traditional role of the Accreditation Manager changes drastically with the qualitative on-site. The most important function shifts from file management to coordinator. At the top of that coordinator list is the need to set an agenda for compliance panel presentations. The agenda is left to the discretion of the agency so that disruptions to daily operations are minimized. This includes sensitivity to issues such as overtime and availability. The most important guideline in the pilot sites stated that agency personnel performing the function being reviewed would be responsible for the presentation. The Accreditation Manager is expected to be in the room as the presentations are made. However, other supervisors including the Chief have been asked not to be present. Permission to videotape should be given to the agency, however, that has varied somewhat on the pilot sites. Again, CALEA would be expected to standardize that point.

The role of the Team Leader also shifts from director to facilitator. Keeping the compliance panel presentations on track becomes a tough job, and it requires the assistance of the accreditation manager. Obviously, as the focus shifts from files to people, the time spent on traditional proof files also changes. On the pilot sites, traditional file maintenance has been under emphasized. ISSRs, chapter logs and "cannibalized" bullets have not been required. Topical area presenters or the Accreditation Manger must have available for review the agency's controlling written directive(s), proofs from each year required by the team leader in the preliminary contact, and any supporting documentation at the time of the compliance panel review.

It is apparent that a number of related issues will surface and must be considered. It is doubtful that the agency would be capable of initiating a great deal of change during the on-site due to new responsibilities of the Accreditation Manager. There are a myriad of other issues that will need to be addressed and standardized if possible.

The logistics of the qualitative on-site also change radically. Instead of a traditional Saturday arrival through a Wednesday exit interview, the team arrives on Wednesday and leaves on Sunday. During the pilot sites, it has been important for the team to conduct the compliance panel during a normal workday. This enhances the team’s chances of evaluating the agency in a real life environment. It also is very helpful in scheduling topical area presenters. To date, the schedule has been as follows for the qualitative pilot sites: Wednesday is travel day with the team arriving late in the afternoon. Thursday and Friday are devoted to a brief tour and compliance panel activities. The public hearings have been held on Thursday evening. Saturday is reserved for interviews, ride-a-longs, and cleaning up problem areas, if applicable. The exit interview has been conducted on Saturday afternoon at the direction of the agency CEO. Sunday is a travel day.

The positive results of the qualitative pilot sites has been very encouraging and should be pursued. As there is a significant increase in the number of agency employees explaining their responsibilities and relating this to accreditation, the process is less likely to be viewed as a paper exercise that only involves a few administrative people. This practice tends to make accreditation real and meaningful to agency personnel. Feedback from the agencies involved in this type of assessment has always pointed to a broader base of understanding, ownership, and support of the accreditation process. This type of on-site is certainly not for every agency. For example, it should not be considered for initial on-site assessments. Agencies that have experienced "problem" or difficult on-sites also should not be considered for a qualitative review.

This type of assessment, which emphasizes results instead of process, provides the team and subsequently CALEA with a much clearer picture of the quality of service that the agency provides. It allows for a much closer review of daily operations and adherence to applicable standards. I do believe that this type of review is a very important tool for those agencies who have developed an "accreditation culture" and have seen their periodic on-sites have less and less impact on personnel not directly connected to on-site activities. It does very clearly broaden the base of understanding and ownership. I believe it also provided the agency CEO with a much clearer picture of operations and personnel capacity. I would most certainly recommend that the qualitative on-site be included in the accreditation resource bank. I would also encourage CEO and Accreditation Managers consider this type of review if the opportunity is there in the future, particularly if it is felt that the agency's interest in accreditation has waned and if you feel your agency can measure up to such a close review as Highland Park, Texas did.

A big thank you is due to those agencies who have successfully participated in the pilot qualitative on-sites. Their sacrifice and willingness to go the extra mile even though they had previously geared up for their traditional on-site is indicative of their innovativeness.

Smokey Mountain Memories

When the conference attendees arrived in Knoxville, we were shown what the "T" in Tennessee stands for: tableaus, talent, tastes, treasures, treats, tee-offs, and TERRIFIC! We had a great time, great weather, and a great meeting!

Knoxville has so much to offer. Home of the University of Tennessee, the city offers historical and shopping opportunities as well as many fine restaurants. Nearby Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg were within easy access for shopping and entertainment. Chief Phil Keith delegated meeting operations into the capable hands of Lt. Donna Clift. Lt. Clift marshaled an army of dedicated volunteers from the men and women of the Knoxville Police Department, the Tennessee Valley Authority Police Department, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and LEACT (Law Enforcement Accreditation Coalition of Tennessee). They were prepared for everything and everyone. Our thanks to all of them for a truly wonderful time!

The conference was held in the Hyatt Hotel adjacent to the police department. The hotels fine staff provided prompt, efficient service for our smooth running meeting. Numerous activities were sharing Knoxville with CALEA®, for instance, The Tennessee-Kentucky football game, the lighting of Christmas trees atop every city building, and the "river-parade of lights" by the Volunteer Navy. Everyone was scrambling for hotel space due to these special activities. CALEA® occupied at least three overflow hotels to accommodate our 750+ registered attendees.

The usual activities began forming on Wednesday, November 18, 1998. November is the Commission’s "corporate" meeting, so commissioners began arriving early in preparation for their all day meeting on Thursday. Staff began registering attendees. The State Agencies Accreditation Coalition (SAAC) and the Police Accreditation Coalition (PAC) Presidents held meetings. There was also time left over to explore Knoxville and the surrounding area. Wednesday also kicked off the Knoxville hospitality room, which ran all week, courtesy of FOP Lodge # 2 and LEACT.

On Thursday morning Chief Phil Keith welcomed our attendees at the first of our two-day training sessions. CALEA staff presentation’s throughout the day included Introduction to the Accreditation and Certification Process (Ted LeMay); Public Safety Communications Accreditation Program (PSCAP) (Jim Brown), Accreditation Manager Training (Karen Shepard); Practical Use of ASAP (Linda Phillips); Experienced Assessor Refresher Training (Steve Mitchell), New Assessor Training (Dennis Hyater); and Overview of the 4^th Edition Standards Manual (Steve Mitchell).

Several fine-training topics by guests supplemented the staff presentations. These included Job Task Analysis (Virginia Collins, Silverstone Group, Omaha, NE), Reaccreditation Assessments On-site: A New Approach (Chief Ronald G. Ferrell, Ph.D., Mason, OH), Effective File Maintenance for Reaccreditation (David Jennings, Executive Director, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation), Volunteers in Police Service (Officer Savannah Ayub, Knoxville PD), Ensuring Validity in the Recruitment/Selection Process (Virginia Collins), and a five-chief panel discussion: The Role of the CEO in the Accreditation Process (Chief MaryAnn Viverette, Gaithersburg, MD, moderator)

First-time attendees attended a special luncheon on Thursday and met with the commissioners and staff in an informal setting. The Resource Room and Exhibit Hall were opened to everyone during Thursday and Friday.

On Friday, Colors and Invocation were presented at the Opening Session by the Knoxville police color guard, piper and chaplain. Attendees were warmly welcomed to Knoxville by country music entertainer Lee Greenwood, Chief Phil Keith, Mayor Victor Ashe and Mr. Courtney Pearrey, General Counsel to Governor Don Sundquist.

Following the opening ceremonies the Commission adjourned to committees for the conduct of business. Attendees could attend the open committee meetings or choose one of Friday’s training sessions. Offerings included Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons of Mass Destruction-Crisis Management (Lt. David Lewis, Savannah River Site Law Enforcement Department), Practical Use of ASAP Software (Linda Phillips, CALEA staff), Accreditation Manager Discussion Panel (Karen Shepard, CALEA staff moderator), and a special afternoon presentation: Forensic Anthropology (Dr. William M. Bass, Ph.D., FAAFS, University of Tennessee and Police Specialist II Arthur M. Bohanan, CLPE/BCQDE/BCFF/FACFE, Knoxville PD). The training class for new assessors continued on Friday.

On Friday afternoon the full Commission reassembled to receive committee reports.

The Corporate Affairs Committee approved minutes from Hershey; signature authority for the new Executive Director; the FY-99 budget; a new continuous contract for accreditation and reaccreditation; and the process for the Public Safety Communications Accreditation program for stand-alone agencies. In approving the final item, the committee asked staff for some additional information to consider broadening eligibility in this program.

The Outreach Committee approved minutes from Hershey; and selected the meeting sites for the year 2001: Greensboro, NC (South) – March 21-24; St. Louis, MO (Southern Midwest) – July 25-28; and San Diego, CA (Far West) – November 14-17.

The Standards Review & Interpretation Committee approved minutes from Hershey; gave final approval to standards for the Public Safety Communications Accreditation program; and gave initial approval for an addition (diplomatic immunity) to the Commentary of standard 1.2.5.

Under new business, the Commission elected as its 1999 Board of Officers: William Miller, Chairman, Stephen Monier, Vice Chairman, Henry DeGeneste, Treasurer, and John Cary Bittick, III, Secretary.

On Friday evening buses took us to the Museum of Appalachia for a fascinating glimpse of life as it use to be in that locale. Delicious barbecue fare, with all the trimmings, was served. The owner’s family band entertained with a sampling of "old-time mountain music." The hearty had an opportunity to sample the famous "Rocky Top medicinal remedy" that comes in a jar.

On Saturday, the Commission focused its full attention on agency reviews. Four hearing panels examined 23 agencies for reaccreditation, 16 agencies for initial accreditation, and 1 (one) for certification. Later that evening, a celebration banquet was held to highlight the outstanding accomplishments of these 40 agencies and to award them with accredited status or certification. CONGRATULATIONS to all!

This meeting also marked several retirements. A special reception honoring the retiring Executive Director was held before the banquet. Dick Kitterman was recognized by many individuals and groups, received a "’toast" from the Commission, and was surprised by his mentor, "Jim" Cotter, CALEA’s 1^st Executive Director, who was secretly smuggled into Knoxville.

Later during the banquet, the Commission formally thanked Sylvester Daughtry, Jr., current chairman and commissioner for 9 years; Ronald D. Nelson, former chairman and commissioner for 11 years; Ronald T. Wood, commissioner for 6 years, and Richard F. Kitterman, Jr., its 4^th Executive Director and member of staff for 16 years. Commemorative gifts in recognition of their service and dedication to the Commission were presented by elected Chairman William Miller.

The meeting was adjourned following an invitation to the next meeting in Denver, Colorado, March 17–20, 1999.

Training Committee Appointments

Following a revision of Training Committee procedures, Executive Director Richard Kitterman selected eight representatives for the Training Committee from requests submitted to CALEA. The responsibilities of the Training Committee are to work with the host agency to develop, approve, and implement training at CALEA meetings. The committee is assisted by CALEA Program Manager Ted LeMay. Members serve a two-year term with half the committee appointed each year.

Initial one year appointments are Cmdr. Gray Adams of Morris Township, NJ; Capt. Louise Eggert of Toledo, OH; Asst. Chief James Fox of Richmond, VA; and Lt. Steve Seefchak of Aventura, FL. Two year appointments include Lt. Peter Agnesi of Avon, CT; Cpl. Gil Canevari of the Pennsylvania State Police; Lt. Donna Clift of Knoxville, TN; and Lt. Glen Woods of Kent, WA. The committee’s first task is to prepare for the July meeting in Montreal, QB Canada. An interim Committee has been assisting CALEA for the past year and is credited with much of the recent improvement in CALEA meeting training. CALEA thanks Capt. Mike French of Goffstown, NH; Lt. Lael Gunter of Corvallis, OR; Major Larry Shultz of the Winnebago County Sheriffs Office, IL; and Lt. Glen Woods from Kent, WA for serving on the Interim Training Committee.

CALEA Meetings Expanding

CALEA meetings are becoming larger and more successful for a number of reasons including better training, increasing interest in CALEA, and outstanding host agency support. This has placed a burden on CALEA’s training schedule. Often scheduling conflicts prevent attendees from taking the classes they prefer. CALEA will test adding an additional day to Commission meetings beginning with the July Montreal meeting. CALEA related training will be presented on both Wednesday and Thursday. Additionally some indication of the training level of difficulty or appropriateness will be noted in the training schedule. Also a suggested training program for persons new to CALEA will be offered.

Assessor Training Recognized

CALEA’s new Assessor Training has been recognized as qualifying for one Continuing Education Credit (CEU). Chief Michael Heidingsfield (Ret.) from Scottsdale, AZ initiated a review of CALEA’s assessor training and presented it to San Salado College in Tempe, AZ where the course was approved. The ten dollar administrative fee charged by San Saldo College is collected by CALEA from those completing the course and desiring a certificate.

Accreditation Saves Money

By John Nielsen and Danny O’Malley, Miami Valley Ohio Risk Management Association

It is often heard that some law enforcement agencies are not interested in achieving law enforcement accreditation™ because the cost is too high. Another frequent statement is, "Our department is just as good as their department, only we didn’t have to spend all of that money." In many situations, non-accredited agencies may perform better than accredited agencies. But does accreditation really cost too much, and in general, does it really raise the standard of operation within law enforcement agencies?

The Miami Valley Risk Management Association (MVRMA) handles risk management, loss control, insurance liability, and legal defense of civil lawsuits for sixteen municipalities in Ohio. MVRMA has a membership that "pools" their moneys to self-insure, and thus has a screening process that accepts only well managed cities into the group. This also may account for the fact that over one-third of MVRMA’s police departments are nationally accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA). Police represent the single greatest exposure in terms of insurance claims, liability, and civil litigation to the MVRMA pool, comprising about 41% of the total losses in our member cities, more than the combined total losses for Fire, EMS, Streets and Public Works, and Parks and Recreation.

Analyzed over a ten-year period of time, nationally accredited police agencies in the MVRMA pool averaged losses of $314 per officer, per year, while non-accredited agencies in the pool averaged losses of $543 per officer, per year. Under this formula, a typical 25-member force with CALEA accreditation should thus incur losses at about $7,850 per year, and an identical size non-accredited agency should incur losses at about $13,575 per year. Calculate that over the three-year accreditation period, and the accredited police department would cost $17,175 less to operate than the non-accredited agency. Since the fee and on-site assessment cost to an agency is about $10,000-$12,000 for that same three-year accreditation period, the savings would roughly total $5,000-$7,000. The savings are substantially more for agencies undergoing reaccreditation, since the fee is only 60% of the initial cost. Savings are also substantially more for larger departments where the fixed accreditation costs are spread over a larger base.

Is accreditation worth the effort? This question entails far more than an analysis of loss history to reach a proper conclusion. MVRMA can offer that it makes good, solid financial sense in the demonstrated diminishment of costs for law suits and insurance liability.

   Communications Accreditation

The Communications Accreditation program became official January 1^st. CALEA’s joint effort with The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International (APCO) has resulted in 214 standards, a new logo, and a process very similar to the law enforcement accreditation™ program. The program is designed for stand-alone public safety communications agencies or the communications function of a public safety agency, like fire or emergency medical services.  

YOUR COMMISSIONER

The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. is very fortunate to count among its Commissioners so many who have dedicated their professional lives to service. Jack R. Bishop is certainly no exception. Commissioner Bishop has been elected to the Polk County Board of Supervisors for seven consecutive elections. At the end of this next four-year term, he will have served Polk County, Iowa in this capacity for 28 years.

Mr. Bishop has been the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors for the past 8 (eight) years. Someone so dedicated to public service in his professional life is equally dedicated to his community in private life. Mr. Bishop’s philanthropic passion is the Iowa Special Olympics. He has worked with this organization for the past 14 years and has been on the Board of Directors the last two years. Mr. Bishop’s philanthropic endeavors netted him the coveted "Volunteer of the Year" award for 1996.

When asked what he considered his greatest accomplishment while serving Polk County as a Supervisor, Mr. Bishop said that being a part of the tremendous growth in mental health services in Polk County. The county now boasts 60 group homes and a much easier process for assisting the mental health patient.

Mr. Bishop views law enforcement accreditation™ as the embodiment of the "highest quality of law enforcement services that a professional law enforcement agency can provide to its community." When asked why accreditation is important, Mr. Bishop stated that accreditation represents "the pursuit of excellence in the delivery of high quality law enforcement services versus a mediocre agency that conducts business "by-the-seat-of-its-pants." Accreditation is the most effective mechanism available to aid law enforcement and elected officials in achieving high quality law enforcement services for our communities."

Mr. Bishop views his role as CALEA Commissioner as somewhat similar to that of an ambassador. As an ambassador, he has the opportunity "to promote the advancement of professional law enforcement services for the 21^st Century."

Mr. Bishop responded to the question of how the quality of law enforcement affects him in his position of county supervisor: "The quality of law enforcement services has direct impact on me both as a citizen and as a county supervisor. At home, I am blessed because the quality of law enforcement services provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is top notch. This directly attributed to the fact that the Sheriff’s office is a "Triple Crown" (CALEA, Corrections and Corrections Medical Accreditation) accredited agency. High quality law enforcement services is achieved through accreditation, which in turn provides the infrastructure for law enforcement to recruit and train top quality staff to fight crime. Safe community is a hot issue for all politicians these days. The fear of crime has created public pressure for more law enforcement officers and creative programs to combat crime in our communities. I must emphasize that is much easier to support and fund a law enforcement agency that is well managed and effective at fighting crime. My experience has shown that accreditation is an integral part of our success in Polk County."

Mr. Bishop and his wife enjoy vacationing in Tucson, Arizona during the winter where he can pursue his enjoyment of golf. He has two daughters and four grandchildren to whom he will pass on his legacy of community involvement and public service.

New Executive Board

1999 begins with a new Commission Executive Board. Based in part on the leadership and administrative skills demonstrated when he lead the 4th Edition review of the Standards for Law Enforcement Agencies, Chief William Miller of Skokie, IL was chosen by his contemporaries to be the new Commission Chairman. Commissioner Miller stated, "I am honored by the trust and opportunity given me by the other Commissioners, as former Chairman Daughtry provided excellent leadership to CALEA". Also selected were Chief Stephen Monier of Goffstown, NH as Vice Chair; Commissioner Henry I. DeGeneste, Vice President of Prudential Securities, New York, NY is the Treasurer; and Sheriff John Cary Bittick, III of Monroe County, GA is the Secretary. 

CALEA is very fortunate to have as our Meeting Coordinator, Mrs. Laurie Winkelmann. Laurie’s primary vocation is owner and President of Jaguar Travel Group, which she founded in 1991. However, she has worked as a travel agent and meeting planner since 1983. CALEA is only one of her clients, but she assures us, we are her favorite!

Laurie was born in Schenectady, New York to Norwegian immigrants who came to the United States through Ellis Island. She grew up and was educated in New York and majored in Child Psychology and Accounting at Cornell University.

As you might imagine of someone who owns a travel agency, Laurie has done extensive travelling, including most of Europe, Russia, Asia, South American, the Caribbean and Mexico. She has also visited 44 of the 50 states. In addition to her travelling, Laurie has lived in such diverse locations as New York, California, South Carolina, Ohio, Connecticut, Maine, the Philippines and currently, Virginia.

Laurie shares her passion for restoring her 100-year-old home in rural Virginia with her husband, Joe, who was just elected County Supervisor in Fauquier County. Her talents extend beyond meeting coordination to include music (she is an accomplished pianist), gardening, and enology (the study of wines), which she shares with Joe. Laurie and Joe have an extensive wine collection.

Laurie sees the special challenges of meeting and exhibit coordination as communication and organization with staff, commissioners, hotels, attendees, and host agency(s) at each CALEA meeting. This vital phase is necessary in order for the education and accreditation review processes to proceed in a seamless manner.

When asked what is the importance of accreditation, Laurie stated: "My view of accreditation is of an informed non law enforcement individual. I personally believe in the importance of excellence in whatever career one is in. And I have seen that striving for excellence over and over by the agencies in the accreditation process at the CALEA meetings for the past eight years. Law enforcement is one of the most important functions of our government on any level. To raise the level of law enforcement by following high standards to achieve accreditation by CALEA is the epitome of striving for excellence."

Laurie was very pleased to point out that the March 1999 meeting in Denver, Colorado will be the 23^rd CALEA meeting that she has planned and coordinated. She is not half as pleased as we are! Great job Laurie and thanks from all of us! 

ABOUT DENVER

Denver boasts a wealth of attractions and entertainment venues. With the Adam’s Mark, CALEA’s meeting hotel located on Denver’s famous 16^th Street Pedestrian mall, you are centrally located to partake of all that downtown Denver has to offer Coors Field, the Colorado State Capitol, the U.S. Mint, and the historic Larimer Square. You may want to wander a bit farther and visit the Coors Brewing Company or the Colorado Railroad Museum. If you can stay either before or after the meeting, you may want to make plans to head for the mountains and take in some skiing at Vail, Copper Mountain, or Breckenridge ski resorts.

Your host for the Denver meeting is the Rocky Mountain Accreditation Network, and they have planned a St. Patrick’s Day Party at the Adam’s Mark Hotel on Wednesday evening, and on Thursday all paid attendees are invited to an evening at the Colorado History Museum for a light supper. Friday will have a few options available, including buses to Central City/Blackhawk for limited stakes gambling in an old mining town environment.

The Conference Hotel will be Adam’s Mark Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver, CO 80202. Phone: 303-893-3333 and Fax: 303-626-2544. Please note this fax number is a correction to the fax number that was published in the Denver meeting brochure.

If you have any further questions in reference to the conference or registrations, please contact Wendi Jones at 800-368-3757, ext. 34 or e-mail wjones@calea.org.