PNWER Profile

PNWER – formed by statute in 1991

PNWER is a Public/Private Partnership

Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, Saskatchewan, Washington, Yukon & Northwest Territories

House RepublicanCaucus

House DemocratCaucus

Senate RepublicanCaucus

Senate DemocratCaucus

1 Executive Committee Member

Each State

Government(It is customary for the

government to work with the opposition in the

selection of delegates)

Private Sector Council

4 MLAs1 Executive Committee

Member

1 Executive Committee Member from each

state/province

Executive Committee• 8 Legislators• 8 Private Sector Members• Governors/Premiers (or designee)• PNWER Executive Director

Each Province

4 BoardMembers

PNWER OrganizationHouse RepublicanCaucus

House DemocratCaucus

Senate RepublicanCaucus

Senate DemocratCaucus

Government(It is customary for the

government to work with the opposition in the

selection of delegates)

Private Sector Partners

Other PNWER PartnersBorder Policy Research Institute University of LethbridgeHudson InstituteBusiness Council of BCCanadian American Business CouncilWoodrow Wilson CenterCarleton UniversityAK, WA, OR, ID, MT, BC, AB, SK Emergency ManagementBC Innovation CouncilIdaho National LabCascadia – Discovery InstituteCanadian American Border Trade AllianceAssociation of WA BusinessesUS Dept. of EnergyAsia Pacific FoundationBorder Policy Research Institute

Argonne National LabPacific Northwest National LabEnergy CouncilUS Dept. of Homeland SecurityApplied Science Technologists & Technicians of BCAPEGG BC & AlbertaWestern Economic Diversification CanadaHuman Resources Social Development CanadaCenter for Canadian StudiesInstitute of Health EconomicsUS/Canadian Consulate GeneralNational Conf. of State LegislaturesIdaho Farm BureauUnited WayUniversity of WA

PNWER Working GroupsAgriculture

Trade

Transportation

Tourism

High-Tech

SustainableDevelopment

Disaster Resilience

Invasive Species

Health CareForestry

EnvironmentEnergy

Border Issues

WorkforceDevelopment

Each Working Group has a Public & Private

Sector Co-Chair

• Industry Co-Chair, and Government Co-Chair• Issues driven by Work Groups – some initiated

by private sector, some by public• Detailed vetting process to develop work plan

for Working Group• Action Plan decentralized by Working Group

leadership

PNWER Working Groups

Bi-National Energy Planning

Initially funded by US Dept of Energy Led by PNWER Legislative Energy Chair Task ForceWorking regionally to develop solutions to future energy demand and transmission congestionIntegrated Resource Planning for the Bi-National PNWER RegionLegislative Energy Institute – Training for Legislators

Competitiveness and Border Security

Global markets demand that US/Canada border be much smarter and more efficientPNWER has programs to develop stakeholder designed pilots for common sense solutions to business and trade impediments

Enhanced Drivers License

o PROJECT EXAMPLE: Washington State and DHS developed an enhanced driver’s license for use as personal identification for border crossings.

HOW DISASTERS SEE US

SAMPLE PROJECTS

• Activities/projects are grant funded• www.firsttosee.org social media system• Regional Maritime Recovery Exercises• City of Seattle and Snohomish County

Recovery planning• Cybersecurity planning and exercises• Assisting with the marketing of FirstNet in

Washington State• Regional maritime cybersecurity resilience

planning

OUR 21ST CENTURY SITUATION

• Each organization focused on their individual mission and territory.

• A very efficient system of systems that functions well on a day-to-day basis, but is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions due to a host of natural and technological hazards that create vulnerabilities.

• We are becoming less resilient!!

YOUR WORLD VIEW

• Me, my, I• They• We

THE FORMULA TO FIX THE SITUATION

• Establish relationships• Share information• Collaborate• Plan together• Build trust

ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS

• Between people• Between organizations• Public, private, nonprofit, mediao Find the areas of common interest

• Cyber, health, etc.• Transportation and other infrastructures• Joint conferences, • Build corridors, not walls

SHARE INFORMATION

• It all starts here• What do you know that you can share?• Who else might need to have this

information?• First a network of peers• Then a network outside of the norm• Outside of your state or province• What you give is what you get

COLLABORATE

• Inform• Coordinate• Partner• Collaborate• Collaborate with the enemy!

PLAN

• Planning is critical to developing relationships

• Response, recovery, special hazard: e.g. cyber

• Cyclical• Eliminate the “Silos of Excellence”

TRUST

• This is the ultimate goal• With trust comes a whole host of

possibilities

CHALLENGES TODAY

• Federal funds are drying up• A significant turnover in people

• Emergency manager’s curse• Operating in a low trust environment• Lack of appreciation for the “soft skills”

and time it takes to do this work• Bosses don’t always understand• Someone must stand up and lead!

CONTACT

Eric HoldemanDirector, Center for Regional Disaster Resilience (CRDR)www.pnwer.orgwww.regionalresilience.org Eric.Holdeman@pnwer.org 253-376-6683