Press Release

Oakland County Risk Manager Named to National Homeland Security Panel

Pontiac, MI, March 13, 2006 -- Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson today announced that Risk Manager Julie Secontine has received a federal appointment to serve on a select national committee that will review Homeland Security grant applications submitted by states.

"This is a very prestigious honor, not only for Julie, but for Oakland County as well since there are only about 100 people selected for the panel nationwide," Patterson said. "In fact Julie was one of only two people picked from Michigan."

As a member of the Peer Review Panel, Secontine will join her colleagues in reviewing states Homeland Security grant applications and then scoring them.   The Michigan State Police, which is the State Administrative Agency for Homeland Security, submitted Secontines name as one of five from Michigan and then Homeland Security picked her as one of only two from the state to serve on the committee.

Secontine will receive materials to review before heading to Emmittsburg, Maryland where she will join her colleagues on the committee in reviewing and rating the grant applications.   "I'm extremely honored that I was selected as one of only two people from Michigan to serve on the Peer Review Panel," Secontine said.

Patterson credits Secontine with playing a major role in securing one of the very few Collapse Technician Training facilities in the country which is located nearby in Howell.  Patterson said the state-of-the-art facility is available to all firefighters in Michigan to use as a training ground for search and rescue operations.  Secontine is a member of the Michigan Fire Chief's Mutual Aid Task Force and is a Board Member of the Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Training Foundation.

For media inquires only, please contact Bob Dustman, Oakland County Media & Communications Officer at 248-858-1048.

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