<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16608" name=GENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>
<DIV>Greetings, all.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The following is timely in regard to the recent post by
Larry Goldfarb. It is especially pertinent to the passages he
mentions within Peter May's PEER report, "Societal Implications of
Performance-Based Earthquake Engineering."</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>On April 17-81, 2008, the fifth <EM>Earthquake Insight Field Trip</EM> will
be held. This one will start and end in Memphis, Tenn. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>These <EM>Earthquake Insight Field Trips</EM> are proactive outreach
to decision-makers in the private-sector, especially in finance, equity, risk
management, business operations, portfolio management, business continuity, risk
management, and related industy roles. A press release for the
April field trip follows.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The first <EM>Earthquake Insight Field Trip</EM> was held in June
2005 through a NEHRP grant from US Geological Survey. The final
report for that event is at <A
href="http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/reports/05HQGR0014.pdf">http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/external/reports/05HQGR0014.pdf</A>
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Interestingly, despite heavy marketing of that field trip in the central
US, only about four or five participants were from the St. Louis area and
none were from the Memphis area. The rest were from all over the US --
Vermont, California, Texas, Rhode Island, Georgia, New York, Connecticut, New
Jersey, Colorado, Minnesota, etc. More than a dozen were from the
Providence-Philadelphia corridor (a heavy insurance-industry belt). There
were three or four from Manhattan. Several Fortune 50 attended.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The event struck a chord, and the participants' critiques and feedback were
extremely positive. These types of field trips seem to be
effective in raising awareness and understanding of the earthquake hazards and
earthquake risks in the central US. It also helps our geoscience and
engineering communities understand their users' perspectives as well.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>The <EM>Earthquake Insight Field Trip</EM> audience is extremely
targetted: it is especially <U>for those who can drive
changes</U> in structures' performance levels and compliance with
prudent building codes -- and, ultimately, lower overall earthquake risk to
society at large.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, if you know of decision-makers in these private-sector target
areas (neighbor, relative, friend, childhood buddy, or acquaintance), please
pass the following announcement on to them. If possible, you may also
want to ask them to forward it professional-societies within their areas -- Risk
& Insurance Management Society (RIMS), American Bankers Association (ABA),
Commercial Finance Association (CFA), and, literally, <EM>hundreds</EM> of
others! </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Many thanks for your help in getting the word out.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Phyllis J. Steckel, RG<BR>Earthquake Insight<BR>PO Box 2002<BR>Washington,
MO 63090<BR>636-239-4013<BR><A
href="mailto:psteckel@charter.net">psteckel@charter.net</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">PRESS RELEASE – Immediate
Release<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">February 7, 2008<o:p></o:p></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><I
style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt">Earthquake
Insight Field Trip</SPAN></I></B><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"> Planned for April 17-18<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-tab-count: 1">
</SPAN>The next <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Earthquake Insight Field
Trip</I> will be held on Thursday and Friday, April 17-18, 2008.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This semi-annual outreach event, hosted
by the US Geological Survey, will start and end in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1
ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Memphis</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Tenn.</st1:State></st1:place><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</SPAN>It is especially for non-scientists, such as business leaders, elected
officials, media, finance and equity professionals, risk managers, portfolio
managers, lenders, and business continuity planners. <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Field trip
participants will learn about the earthquake history of the central US and
current exposures to earthquake hazards in this area.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The field-trip route will cross the
heart of the New Madrid fault zone and will include parts of <st1:State
w:st="on">Tennessee</st1:State>, <st1:State w:st="on">Arkansas</st1:State>,
<st1:State w:st="on">Kentucky</st1:State>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Illinois</st1:State>, and <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Missouri</st1:place></st1:State>.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Stops will be made at sites that show
geologic evidence of past large earthquakes as well as cost-effective
engineering solutions that minimize earthquake risk to certain structures.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">The field
trip will be led by geoscientists, engineers, and emergency planners who are
active in current research and private state-of-the-practice.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Much of the
value of the four past <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Earthquake Insight
Field Trips</I> was from the candid, one-on-one discussions between earthquake
professionals and field-trip participants, who have mostly been from
private-sector leadership.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Past
participants have represented State Farm Companies, Pfizer, FM Global, the
Missouri State Senate, Wal-Mart, Chubb, AON, AG Edwards, ABC/Disney, General
Reinsurance, Time-Warner, Edward Jones, St. Paul/Travelers, Enbridge, and many
others.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">Each spring,
an <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Earthquake Insight Field Trip</I>
starts and ends in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Memphis</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">Tenn.</st1:State></st1:place><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each fall, another starts and ends in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">St. Louis</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Mo.</st1:State></st1:place> <SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The route and content of each event is
unique.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in">For more
information or to register, please contact Phyllis Steckel at <A
href="mailto:psteckel@charter.net">psteckel@charter.net</A> or 636-239-4013
before March 31, 2008.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Due to
logistical constraints, the group is strictly limited to 35 participants.<SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Registration cost for the field trip is
$395.</P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><o:p> </o:p></P>
<P class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>