January 18, 2006

Tom Ridge To Speak At Internet Telephony Conference

By DAVID SIMS

TMCnet CRM Alert Columnist

Former Congressman and Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, who recently resigned from his position as the first Secretary of U.S. Homeland Security, will speak at the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo on January 26th in Ft. Lauderdale.

On October 8, 2001, Tom Ridge was sworn in as the first Office of Homeland Security Advisor in the history of the United States of America. In the words of President George W. Bush, he had the strength, experience, personal commitment and authority to accomplish this critical mission.

Ridge was twice elected Governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1995 to 2001. He pursued an aggressive technology strategy, resulting in Pennsylvania's notable advances in the priority areas of economic development, education, health and the environment during his terms.

Further endearing himself to voters, Gov. Ridge cut taxes every year he was in office. He created industry-led Greenhouse initiatives in advanced computing technologies and the life sciences, and instituted "anytime, anywhere learning" to Pennsylvanians from pre-school to adult education.

Ridge has not spoken much publicly on his views on Voice-over Internet Protocol, so this will be a truly important address by one of America's leaders on VoIP and its place in the country's infrastructure.

Born Aug. 26, 1945, in Pittsburgh's Steel Valley, Gov. Ridge was raised in a working class family in veterans' public housing in Erie. He earned a scholarship to Harvard, graduating with honors in 1967. After his first year at The Dickinson School of Law, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as an infantry staff sergeant in Vietnam, earning the Bronze Star for Valor.

He was elected to Congress in 1982 as the first enlisted Vietnam combat veteran elected to the U.S. House, and was re-elected six times. He currently serves on the board of Home Depot, and also sits on the board of Savi Technology.

Louisiana's News2 reports that on a recent swing through the hurricane-devastated Gulf Coast, the former Homeland Security secretary said that more federal dollars will flow to New Orleans "if the city shows it has a plan to recover from the devastation" of Hurricane Katrina.

"You're going to get a lot. I don't think money is the issue. I think leadership is the issue," he said. "The biggest problem is not dollars. It's how you're going to spend it."

Ridge resigned as Homeland Security chief a year ago.

David Sims is contributing editor for TMCnet. For more articles please visit David Sims' columnist page.