The National Freedom of Information Coalition and the Minnesota Coalition on Government Information bring you the 2009 FOI Summit from Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 5 and 6. Participants will look to the North Star State to help give direction in the continuing battle to secure open government and government accountability.

The conference will begin Friday at noon with a luncheon and the ever-popular FOI Salon, followed that afternoon by two panels on Coalition Sustainability. Saturday, there will be panels on FOI & Infrastructure, Financial Transparency, and FOI as Civic Education.

At Saturday’s luncheon, for the keynote address the organizers are proud to present Paul Anger, vice president and editor of the Detroit Free Press. Mr. Anger has nearly 40 years’ experience as a reporter and editor.

The Free Press, you’ll remember, played a key part in the controversy surrounding the former Mayor of Detroit, his firing of whistleblowers, and the text messages that exposed his lies under oath. The existence and implementation of the Michigan Freedom of Information Act was a key factor in the media’s ability to help the public learn the truth.

Find more registration information here.

SCHEDULED PANELISTS INCLUDE:

· Paul Anger, Editor and Publisher, Detroit Free Press

· Richard J. H. Varn, Director, Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access

· Rebecca Otto, Auditor, State of Minnesota

· James R. Nobles, Legislative Auditor, State of Minnesota

· Patrice McDermott, Director, OpenTheGovernment.org

· Jane E. Kirtley, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law, University of Minnesota School of Journalism & Mass Communication

· Joel Kramer, CEO and Editor, MinnPost

· James Shiffer, Reporter and Editor, Star Tribune

· Tisha Thompson, Investigative Reporter, WTTG Fox 5, Washington, D.C.

· Mary Jo McGuire, Faculty, Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership, College of St. Catherine

· Charles Glasser, Global Media Counsel, Bloomberg News

· Lisa Skube, Principal, Creaturekind Communications

· Kathleen Richardson, Executive Secretary, Iowa Freedom of Information Council

· Hollie Manheimer, Executive Director, Georgia First Amendment Foundation

· Barbara Petersen, President, Florida First Amendment Foundation, President, NFOIC

· Frank Gibson, Executive Director, Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, Vice President, NFOIC

· Katherine Garner, President, KLGarner Consulting, Treasurer, NFOIC

· Tom O’Hara, Adviser, The Ohio State Lantern, Director, NFOIC

Tags: Freedom of Information Summit

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