WASHINGTON, DC – Secretaries of State and Lieutenant Governors from 39 states and territories will meet from February 10 through February 14, 2011 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC. Election & state business registration issues top the agenda.

What:    National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) 2011 Winter Conference

Where:  JW Marriott Hotel (1331 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW) - Washington, DC

When:    Thursday, February 10, through Monday, February 14

To Confirm Attendance: Please contact Kay Stimson at 202-624-3528, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Onsite registration provided. Members of the media must present valid, employer-issued credentials for admittance.

Sessions of interest to media include:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2011

8:30 AM – 11:15 AM (Salon III)
NASS Elections Committee Meeting
Featuring military and overseas voting panel, with presentation on 2010 Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE) Act Implementation efforts by Congressman Gregg Harper (R-MS), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Elections. The Honorable Thomas Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, will deliver separate remarks on the enforcement of federal voting laws. 

2:15 PM – 3:15 PM (Salon III)
NASS Subcommittee on Presidential Primaries
Featuring RNC/DNC updates on the presidential selection process for 2012, as well as state legislative activity/discussions for the 2012 primaries.

3:30 PM – 4:45 PM (Salon IV)
NASS State Heritage Committee
Featuring discussions on federal-state issues and legislative initiatives to preserve state history during a time of budget shortfalls and consolidations, with presentations by Ms. Barbara Teague, President of the Council of State Archivists, and Ms. Kathleen Williams, Executive Director of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2011

8:45 AM – 12:00 PM (Salon II)
NASS Business Services Committee & Company Formation Task Force Meeting
Featuring congressional proposals on the collection of company ownership information by Mr. Chip Poncy, Director of Strategic Policy in the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, and Ms. Laura Stuber, Counsel to the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. A separate presentation on state solutions for combating corporate identity theft will feature Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp and Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler, as well as two senior executives from Dun & Bradstreet, Mr. Robert A. Strezze and Mr. Bob Beckett.

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM (Salon IV)
NASS Luncheon Featuring Chris Cillizza, Author of "The Fix" and Editor of postpolitics.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2011

9:00 AM – 10:30 AM (Salon III)
NASS Voter Participation Committee
Featuring analysis of voter turnout, voter registration and early voting in the 2010 general election by Dr. Michael P. McDonald, Associate Professor at George Mason University.

12:15 PM – 1:45 PM (Salon IV)
NASS Luncheon Featuring Dr. Paul Posner, Director of the Public Administration Program at George Mason University
“State/Federal Relations, the 112th Congress & Unfunded Federal Mandates”

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Salon III)
NASS International Relations Committee
Featuring international efforts to combat counterfeiting and piracy by Mr. Travis Johnson, Vice President of Legislative Affairs & Policy for the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition.

Full conference agenda is available online at www.nass.org.

 
NASS 2010-2011 Executive Board Members
NASS President: Hon. Mark Ritchie, Minnesota
President-Elect: Hon. Beth Chapman, Alabama
Treasurer: Hon. Ross Miller, Nevada
Secretary: Hon. Kate Brown, Oregon
Eastern Region Vice President: Hon. A. Ralph Mollis, Rhode Island
Southern Region Vice President: Hon. Tre Hargett, Tennessee
Midwestern Region Vice President: TBA
Western Region Vice President: Hon. Ben Ysursa, Idaho
Member at Large (NPA Liaison): Hon. John McDonough, Maryland
Member at Large (ACR Liaison): Hon. John Gale, Nebraska