former official for an Arabian horse association.

Mr. Brown was regrettably an administrator, or an officer, or the head of an Arabian horse association. Hardly qualifying him to address the kind of problems he is looking at now.

Prior to heading FEMA, Brown spent the '90s as a commissioner -- this is true -- of the International Arabian Horse Association,

because he was the former director's roommate.

I'm actually an equestrian, and I showed in the American Paint Horse Association and competed for top 20 in the nation.

We're also very excited to welcome keynote speaker Preston Manning. Mr. Manning is the former leader of the official opposition and a national figure in the arenas of politics, education and social commentary. He will talk about Canada's urgent need to innovate and to bridge the communication gap between the science and non-science worlds. To ground his remarks and practical advice, he'll draw on experience as his party's science critic in parliament and as a university lecturer on public policy.